Newcastle University

Seismic Resistant Design

[ Book online ]

Designing structures to resist seismic loads is probably the most challenging area of structural engineering. Not only is the magnitude of the forces generated by an earthquake the largest that the building is likely to experience, but they are also much more destructive, unpredictable and difficult to characterise. For these reasons earthquakes cause tremendous damage to life and infrastructure even in countries that have modern construction codes and practices. This course introduces delegates to seismicity and to the dynamics that are relevant to the design of buildings. It also teaches delegates how to design and detail structures to resist earthquake forces and how to perform ground response analyses in order to predict ground surface motions for development of design response spectra. Information about structural systems for high-rise buildings and structural modelling of high-rise buildings is also covered.

The course will develop skills in problem solving, with special emphasis on the design of earthquake resistant high-rise buildings, and will develop the ability to choose efficient structural systems and structural layouts. Delegates will be able to design sophisticated structural systems such as those used in high-rise construction, and design buildings to resist extreme loadings such as earthquake loadings.

The first five days may be attended as an independent course, offering an introduction to seismic resistant design. The nine-day course finishes on the Thursday of the second week.

Course Objectives

The course provides opportunities for delegates to:

• extend their knowledge in the design of advanced engineering structures
• assess seismic loadings
• determine the site specific design response spectra
• perform the preliminary sizing of members
• idealise structures and perform computer analysis
• verify the results of a computer analysis
• detail seismic resistant structures
• present design documentation
• appreciate the interaction of design with finance
• appreciate the interaction of design and its interaction with construction

The course will also enable the delegate to become proficient in computer literacy and presentation of computer analysis, teamwork skills, initiative, planning and organisation, and problem solving.

Course Outline

Lectures, project based learning, example classes and design exercises will be used to cover the following areas:

• introduction to earthquake engineering
• case studies of previous earthquakes
• seismicity
• introduction to structural dynamics
• principles of earthquake resistant design
• introduction to Eurocode 8 and earthquake loadings
• quasi static load approach
• response spectrum methods
• response history analysis
• serviceability and ultimate limit states for structures in seismic regions
• soil characterisation for seismic design
• liquefaction and response of granular materials to dynamic forces
• amplification of ground motions and response of cohesive materials to dynamic forces
• ground response analysis
• soil structure interaction
• introduction to high-rise building design
• financial considerations for high-rise buildings
• influence of other consultants on the design process
• structural systems for high-rise buildings
• structural engineering software
• computer modelling of high-rise buildings and presentation of results
• design and detailing of seismic resistant members and connections for reinforced concrete and steel structures
• tsunami.

Presenters

School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

• Introduction to Seismic Resistant Design:
  Dr Gaetano Elia
• Introduction to Seismic Resistant Design:
  Dr Sean Wilkinson (Course Leader)
• Seismic Resistant Design:
  Dr Gaetano Elia
• Seismic Resistant Design:
  Dr Sean Wilkinson (Course Leader)

[ Book online ]

[ Back to top of page ]