• Offered for Year: 2025/26

• Module Leader(s): Professor Sean Wilkinson
• Lecturer: Professor Mohamed Rouainia, Dr David Milledge

• Owning School: Engineering
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

The aim of this module is to:
develop skills in problem solving, with special emphasis on the design of earthquake resistant structures.
develop the ability to choose efficient structural systems and structural layouts. design structures to resist extreme loadings such as earthquake loadings.
Summary:
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, much more unpredictable and much more difficult to characterize. For these reasons earthquakes cause
tremendous damage to life and infrastructure even in countries that have modern construction codes and practices. This module introduces students to seismicity and to the dynamics that are relevant to the design of buildings.

Outline Of Syllabus

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, 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.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Teaching and learning is enabled through a project based learning approach. The fundamentals of seismic resistant design are introduced and developed through a design exercise. Problem solving and design based skills are developed through small group teaching exercises and computer practical classes. These computer classes develop the student's computer abilities in specialist engineering software and in self-learning and validation of software as well as verification of computer solutions. Initiative is developed through directed self-learning and reading. Extra lectures are presented to fill in gaps that may not be covered by the design exercise.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assessment is by means of coursework. The coursework requires students to design a structure to resist earthquake forces and is intended to develop students' skill in the practical aspects of seismic resistant design
AHEP learning outcome assessed by this module are M1, M2, M3, M16, M17

Reading Lists

• CEG8314's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• CEG8314's Timetable