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ASCE EERI Joint Luncheon 2021


WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SAN DIEGO EARTHQUAKE SCENARIO? PRE- AND POST-DISASTER LESSONS ON BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021
12:00pm-1:30pm
Virtual Meeting

Join EERI in a joint luncheon with ASCE San Diego Section, featuring guest speaker Dr. Laurie Johnson, EERI President. The presentation will discuss the use of smart materials in bettering structural performance against seismic activity.

For members of EERI and ASCE = FREE
For non-members = $20.00
For public agency workers = $10.00

For more information, click the image to the right to view the event flyer.

REGISTRATION
Click here to register for the luncheon.
Registration closes on Monday, February 22, 2021 at 5pm PST.

 

 

EERI San Diego Chapter Webinar Series


APPLYING LESSONS LEARNED FROM COVID-19 TO EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS

Global pandemics and large earthquakes are both events that have a low frequency of occurrence, but a high risk for loss of life and economic losses. As a result, our current experiences with COVID-19 can be useful for discussions about preparing for these “low frequency/high risk” events. Although currently our scientific knowledge and technology are better than they have ever been, in the past six months, COVID-19 has posed challenges for the world despite attempts to prepare for events such as this. This webinar series looks at how scenarios are used as a planning tool, what challenges can be encountered in preparing for events such as these, and what next steps can be taken for earthquake preparedness in our community.


Webinar 1
:
Friday, October 16th, 2020, 12:00pm PDT (day before anniversary of Loma Prieta Earthquake)
Using Scenarios for Preparedness: Comparing Pandemics and Earthquakes

View Recording of Webinar

Abstract:
Scenarios are useful planning tools to help us prepare for future events, particularly events that have a low frequency of occurrence but a high risk of losses associated with them, such as large earthquakes and global pandemics. Several public health scenarios were developed in recent years to better understand and prepare for a global pandemic, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This webinar discusses the outcomes and conclusions of these scenarios, a comparison to our current experiences with COVID-19, and a comparison to existing earthquake scenarios and what we can learn from them in an effort to improve earthquake preparedness.

Webinar 2: Friday, October 30th, 2020, 12:00pm PDT
Common Challenges Preparing for Low Frequency/High Risk Events (Earthquakes and Pandemics)
View Recording of Webinar
Abstract: Preparing and planning for events that have a low frequency of occurrence but high risk of loss associated with them can have a number of obstacles that must be overcome in order to achieve success. These obstacles include changing public perception of risk, communicating information to a non-scientific population, and obtaining sustained political and financial support, amongst many others. These challenges are discussed in the context of our current experiences, and how those same challenges are encountered in planning for earthquakes and developing more seismically resilient communities. This webinar will also discuss some of the ways in which these challenges can be overcome by learning from the failures and successes of our experiences with COVID-19.

Webinar 3: Friday, November 13, 2020, 12:00pm PST
Next Steps for Earthquake Preparedness in Our San Diego Community
View Recording of Webinar
Abstract:
Developing communities that are more earthquake resilient and better prepared for large disasters takes time, resources, and lots of planning. This webinar will focus on how to prepare in our community by looking at outreach, developing a group of stakeholders, and identifying short-term and long-term goals for San Diego. This webinar is intended to be more interactive, with discussion amongst stakeholders. The basis for this discussion will be the San Diego Earthquake Scenario released in March 2020, before the pandemic hit the San Diego region.


SPEAKERS

Jorge F. Meneses, Ph.D., P.E., G.E.,D.GE, F.ASCE, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, RMA Group, Inc.
San Diego, CA

Jorge F. Meneses, Ph.D., P.E., G.E., D.GE, F.ASCE, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, RMA Group, Inc., has more than 30 years of consultancy, project management, research, and teaching experience, in both private industry and research institutions in the field of geotechnical and earthquake engineering. He has been involved in numerous projects serving as a technical lead in geotechnical earthquake engineering and foundation engineering across the country and various markets including water, nuclear, transportation, high rise buildings, energy, schools, hospitals, commercial and industrial.

Dr. Meneses frequently acts as a peer reviewer for technical conferences and technical journal publications, is a guest speaker for domestic and international conferences, and has published more than 60 technical publications. He is currently a part-time faculty member in the graduate school of San Diego State University. He is the President and Founder of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) San Diego Chapter, California Seismic Safety Commissioner, Honorary Chair of the ASCE Geo-Institute San Diego Chapter, Member of the ASCE 7-16 (Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures) and ASCE 1 (Geotechnical Analysis, Design, Construction, Inspection and Monitoring of Nuclear Safety-Related Structures) Committees, member of the Industry Advisory Board, Department of Structural Engineering (University of California San Diego), member of the Academy of Geo-Professionals, and a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).


Kristen Chang, P.E., Senior Geotechnical Engineer, Group Delta
San Diego, CA

With over 12 years of experience, Ms. Chang has worked on a broad range of projects in the field of geotechnical engineering. Her areas of expertise include design of foundations and earth retaining structures, and geomechanical numerical modeling and analyses. She has performed geotechnical forensic evaluations for landslides and repair of failed slopes; structural distress induced by seismic events and other adverse geologic conditions; performance of floor level studies, foundation condition surveys, and crawlspace observations for damage assessments.

 

 

 

 

 

David Harrison, Assistant Director for Emergency Services, City of Carlsbad
Carlsbad, CA

David Harrison is the Emergency Preparedness Manager for the City of Carlsbad, a position he has held for twelve years. David coordinated the city’s response to the 2007 San Diego County Firestorm, the 2010 H1N1 flu pandemic, and 2011 regional power outage. He provided response support during an active shooter attack in 2010. During the 2014 Poinsettia Wildfire which ravaged Carlsbad, he coordinated evacuations, sheltering and incident response support operations from Carlsbad’s EOC.  During the 2017 Lilac Wildfire, he coordinated evacuation and sheltering support for neighboring jurisdiction evacuees.

David is Carlsbad’s representative to the San Diego County Unified Disaster Council and is an InfraGard San Diego Board Member. He is originator of Carlsbad CERT and co-founder of the Ready Carlsbad Business Alliance. David has served on the Advisory Board of, and taught in, National University’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program. He is a Past-President of the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club.

David is a U.S. Navy Captain, retired. He commanded a warship, coordinated development of the Navy’s Antiterrorism and Force Protection Program, served as Navy representative to the FBI’s TWA 800 Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation, and developed the Concept of Operations for early warning, and missile and civil defense against Iraq’s SCUD missiles for the Government of Israel during the first Gulf War.

Ryan DeHart, Emergency Services Coordinator, County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services
San Diego, CA

Ryan joined the county as an Emergency Services Coordinator with the County of San Diego, Office of Emergency Services in February of 2018. His projects include overseeing and administering updates to the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, Earthquake, Tsunami, and Severe Weather Coordination, Medical/Health Liaison, Lifelines Coordinator, Spontaneous Volunteer Coordinator, and Intern Coordinator. In addition, Ryan also does collaborative work within Reunification Planning. Previously, Ryan worked as an Emergency Services Specialist with the County of San Benito, Public Health Services From June 2015 – January 2018, where he worked within communicable disease response and readiness, mass prophylaxis planning, hospital protection and healthcare readiness, exercise & training coordination, and regional collaboration within the Bay Area. Ryan has been involved in numerous responses including fulfilling EMMA requests to Napa County during the 2015 Atlas Fire (Tubbs/Atlas Complex), 2017 San Benito County Floods, and the 2018 West Fire. Ryan received his B.A. in United States Politics in 2015 from the University of Santa Cruz, where he also interned for the County of Santa Cruz Office of Emergency Services under their OES Manager, Paul Horvat.

 

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Chair: Dr. Jorge Meneses
Janna Bonfiglio
Alvaro Celestino
Kristen Chang
Octavio Cortes Macouzet
Maryam Motamed
Tasneem Sadeque

January 2020 Dinner Meeting

THE RACE FOR CITY EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS

Wednesday, January 15th, 2020
6:00pm-8:30pm
Faculty-Staff Club, San Diego State University
San Diego, CA

Approximately every 20 years, Southern California is hit by a moderate to large earthquake that causes loss of life and billions of dollars in damage. After a large earthquake, cities are faced with the challenge of rebuilding, restoring economical losses, and recovering from psychological impacts among the affected population. Old existing buildings and systems pose the largest threat to life and the economy. Cities in Southern California are working nonstop in this race for earthquake resilience before the next big one occurs. Speakers from Southern California cities will present on various topics of earthquake preparedness, including local jurisdictions and policies.

For members of EERI, ASCE, SEAOSD, SDAG, AIA = $40
For non-members = $45
For students = $20

Click image on right to view event flyer.


REGISTRATION
Click here to register for the meeting.

 

PRESENTATIONS

Earthquake Survivor Management: Local Jurisdiction Considerations
David Harrison
Planning for earthquake response and recovery is more complex than planning for wildfires, the region’s traditional hazard.  Earthquakes will present with little to no notice, and the casualties and damage are likely to be far more extensive.  This presentation will address local jurisdiction survivor management considerations and practices to enhance earthquake response and recovery.  It recommends that cities develop independent mass care shelter capabilities to supplement Red Cross resources.  And it offers a preparedness model to facilitate more comprehensive survivor management while reducing response times.  While developed for public agencies, the concept and framework is equally applicable to the private sector.


Seismic Retrofit Ordinances from Southern California Cities: A Race to Prepare for a Major Seismic Event
Daniel Zepeda
In recent years, several cities in Southern California have been working on reducing their community seismic risk. These cities have taken the first step to achieve this goal by establishing seismic ordinances targeting their existing vulnerable building stock. The presentation will give a brief overview of the history of retrofit policies in Southern California cities. A brief comparison of active ordinance policies, prioritization, timeframes, technical guidelines, and building target performance will be provided. The presentation will conclude with thoughts on implementation best practices and a discussion on potential future policies.


When Help is Delayed
Susy Turnbull
In emergencies, first responders have an automatic mutual aid response. Non-profit agencies are trained and ready to respond to support the community. However, in a significant disaster, responders may be at a minimum, and damaged roadways can prevent help from arriving. In preparing for emergencies, businesses, local government, and neighborhoods can begin from within by training local residents to provide immediate response and continue with the relief efforts. Learn the process of volunteer recruitment, training, background checks, liability, and deployment.


Catastrophic Earthquakes in the Modern Age
Dan Pavao
It has been said that the only certainties in life are death, taxes, and earthquakes. But what will an earthquake look like in the modern age? How big can we expect an earthquake to be and when might it occur? Can we be ready for an earthquake and how can we best prepare for such an incident? These topics and more will be discussed as we look through the lens of history at earthquakes of the past and how our modern world may cope with similar events.

 

SPEAKERS

David Harrison, Assistant Director for Emergency Services, City of Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

David Harrison is the Emergency Preparedness Manager for the City of Carlsbad, a position he has held for twelve years. David coordinated the city’s response to the 2007 San Diego County Firestorm, the 2010 H1N1 flu pandemic, and 2011 regional power outage. He provided response support during an active shooter attack in 2010. During the 2014 Poinsettia Wildfire which ravaged Carlsbad, he coordinated evacuations, sheltering and incident response support operations from Carlsbad’s EOC.  During the 2017 Lilac Wildfire, he coordinated evacuation and sheltering support for neighboring jurisdiction evacuees.

David is Carlsbad’s representative to the San Diego County Unified Disaster Council and is an InfraGard San Diego Board Member. He is originator of Carlsbad CERT and co-founder of the Ready Carlsbad Business Alliance. David has served on the Advisory Board of, and taught in, National University’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program. He is a Past-President of the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club.

David is a U.S. Navy Captain, retired. He commanded a warship, coordinated development of the Navy’s Antiterrorism and Force Protection Program, served as Navy representative to the FBI’s TWA 800 Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation, and developed the Concept of Operations for early warning, and missile and civil defense against Iraq’s SCUD missiles for the Government of Israel during the first Gulf War.


Daniel Zepeda, Principal, Degenkolb Engineers, Los Angeles, CA

Daniel Zepeda received his Master’s degree in Structural Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, he is a licensed California Structural Engineer, and a Principal with Degenkolb Engineers. With over 15 years of experience in seismic evaluation and seismic strengthening of existing buildings, Daniel’s project breadth spans large medical centers, civic buildings, and privately owned structures. Daniel has traveled to multiple countries to conduct post-earthquake reconnaissance. He is past chair of SEAOC EBC and current SEAOSC EBC co-chair. Daniel is also a member of the SEAOC Resilience committee, SEAOC Functional Recovery working group, CALBO’s Structural Safety Committee, and an associate member of ASCE 41-23. He is also assisting multiple cities in the implementation of their seismic ordinance programs including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Culver City, and Los Angeles.


Susy Turnbull, Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, City of Poway, Poway, CA

Susy began her career with emergency management with the American Red Cross in 1995. In her twenty years with the Red Cross, she responded to multiple disasters throughout the nation to lead volunteers in providing much-needed relief to the affected communities. In 2015, Susy transitioned to local government and accepted the job as Disaster Preparedness Coordinator for the City of Poway. In this role, she writes and updates emergency plans, trains city staff to work in the Emergency Operations Center, and trains and leads over 100 local volunteers to respond to emergencies. Most recently, she led the Bulk Distribution efforts for the City’s response to the Boil Water Advisory. More than 120 volunteers donated over 1800 hours, and distributed more than 28,000 cases of water in six days. Susy lives in Santee and has a Bachelor’s Degree from San Diego Christian College in Counseling/Psychology.

 

 


Dan Pavao, 
Deputy Director of Community Development, City of El Cajon, El Cajon, CA

Dan Pavao is the Building Official and Fire Marshal for the City of El Cajon. Dan has chaired the California Building Officials Disaster Preparedness Committee as well as the Disaster Preparedness Committee of the San Diego Chapter of the International Code Council. He is a registered Coordinator for the State of California Safety Assessment Program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VENUE
Faculty-Staff Club
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182

PARKING INFORMATION
Please park in Levels 3 through 5 of Parking Structure 1, which can be seen on SDSU’s interactive map or on Google Maps. Parking permits may be purchased through the following options:

  • SDSU’s Parking Portal for a $7 one-day pass (under “Permits” click “Get Permits,” then click “Guests login here” under “Customer Authentication” and follow on-screen directions).
  • PayByPhone smartphone app or website for $3.00 per hour + $0.35 service fee (location number 28501). You may also call PayByPhone at 1 (888) 515-7275 to pay.
  • Pay Station at the Parking Information Booth on College Avenue and Canyon Crest Drive.

Directions to Parking Structure 1 and the Faculty-Staff Club:
From Interstate 8 East, take Exit 10 at College Avenue. Proceeding south, turn right at the stoplight onto College Avenue. Then, use the second lane from the left to turn left at the next stoplight–as you turn, you will see Parking Structure 1 immediately on your right. The entrances to Levels 3, 4, and 5 will also be on your right as you drive up behind the structure; please park on any of these three floors.

Take the elevator to Level 6. Then, cross the bridge at Level 6 and climb the set of stairs that run next to the Education and Business Administration Building (which will be on your left). Cross the street and proceed to the Faculty-Staff Club.

 

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Chair: Dr. Jorge Meneses
Janna Bonfiglio
Alvaro Celestino
Kristen Chang
Octavio Cortes Macouzet
Tasneem Sadeque

Speaker Information: 2nd Kenji Ishihara Colloquium Series on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering

“Seismic Lateral Displacements”
Speakers and Abstracts

 

Professor T. Leslie Youd
Professor Emeritus, Brigham Young University

Factors Controlling Lateral Spread

Presentation Overview: In June 2018, Dr. Youd published a paper entitled, “Application of MLR procedure for prediction of liquefaction-induced lateral spread displacement” (Youd, T.L., 2018, “Application of MLR procedure for prediction of liquefaction-induced lateral spread displacement.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, v144, no. 6).  This presentation adds to discussions introduced in that paper.  The MLR procedure was developed by him and his students about 20 years ago and has been widely applied in engineering practice, including many of his consulting projects.  Seven statistically significant parameters are incorporated in the MLR model.  Those parameters along with viable ranges of values developed from case-history data, are: MW (6.4 to 8.0); R (horizontal distance from site to seismic source zone) (0.5km to 60km); W (free-face ratio) (0% to20%); S (ground slope) (0% to 6%), T15 (thickness of liquefiable layer with (N1)60 < 15)) (1 m to 16 m); F15 (average fines content within T15 layer) (0% to50%); D5015 (average mean grain size within T15 layer) (0.074 mm to 10 mm).  Application of the MLR procedure with parametric applied values within these ranges yields predicted displacements within a factor of 2 of measured lateral spread displacements.  This degree of accuracy is acceptable for most engineering applications and is as good as can be expected from analyses of observed field.  Extrapolation to parametric values beyond these ranges adds uncertainty to predicted displacements.  Some issues Dr. Youd will discuss include influence of fines content on displacement, use of CPT as well as SPT to define MLR parameters, influence of sediment type and age on susceptibility to lateral spread susceptibility.

Bio:

Education:

  • BES Civil Engineering, 1964, Brigham Young University
  • Ph.D. Civil Engineering, 1967, Iowa State University
  • Post Doctoral Study, 1975-1976, Imperial College of Science and Technology, London

Honors:

  • Member of the National Academy of Engineering (2005)
  • Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (2006)
  • Honorary Member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (2009)
  • H. Bolton Seed Medal, ASCE (2002)
  • ISU Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering (PACE) award (2011)

Experience:

From 1967 to 1984, Dr. Youd was a Research Civil Engineer with U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California where he conducted studies in earthquake engineering with emphasis on liquefaction and ground failure.  In 1984, Dr. Youd joined the Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty at Brigham Young University where he taught courses in geotechnical and earthquake engineering and continued his research on liquefaction and ground failure.

Dr. Youd has conducted post earthquake reconnaissance investigations following 20 major earthquakes on 5 continents.  He led US Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) reconnaissance teams and edited reconnaissance reports following the 1993 Hokkaido, Japan and 1999 Kocaeli, Turkey earthquakes.  He has performed subsurface investigations at many sites affected by liquefaction and has instrumented several sites likely to liquefy during future earthquakes.

He has developed widely used procedures for mapping liquefaction hazard, evaluating liquefaction resistance and estimating lateral spread displacement potential.  Dr. Youd has authored or coauthored more than 170 papers published in the geotechnical literature.

Dr. Youd retired from BYU on December 31, 2003, but continues:

  • Research and writing on liquefaction
  • Expert consultant on projects involving liquefaction hazard
  • Professional activities including serving on committees and providing peer reviews for papers and research proposals

Dr. Youd lives in Orem, Utah.  He and his wife, Denice, are parents of five children, grandparents of 17 and great grandparents of 4.

 

Jonathan D. Bray, Ph.D., P.E., NAE
Faculty Chair, Earthquake Engineering Excellence, University of California, Berkeley
Seismic Slope Displacement Procedure for Shallow Crustal Earthquakes

Abstract: A new seismic slope displacement procedure is developed, which estimates shear-induced displacement for earth structures or natural slopes due to shallow crustal earthquakes along active plate margins. The proposed procedure utilizes 6711 two-component horizontal ground motion recordings from the updated NGA-West2 database to better capture this key source of uncertainty in assessing seismic performance. The fully coupled, nonlinear seismic slope displacement model captures the important influence of the system’s yield coefficient ky, its initial fundamental period Ts, the ground motion’s spectral acceleration at a degraded period of the slope taken as 1.3Ts, earthquake magnitude as a proxy for duration, and PGV and fault-normal effects for near-fault pulse motions. The procedure provides seismic slope displacement estimates consistent with observations from field case histories. A procedure for selecting the seismic coefficient used in pseudostatic slope stability analyses, which is consistent with an allowable seismic displacement threshold, is also presented. These procedures can be implemented rigorously within a probabilistic framework or used deterministically to evaluate the shear-induced component of seismic slope displacement.

Bio: Jonathan Bray, Ph.D., P.E., NAE is the Faculty Chair in Earthquake Engineering Excellence at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Bray is a registered professional civil engineer and has served as a consultant on important engineering projects and peer review panels. He has authored more than 350 research publications on topics that include liquefaction and its effects on structures, seismic performance of earth structures, earthquake ground motions, and earthquake fault rupture propagation. He created and led the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association. Dr. Bray is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering and has received several honors, including the Terzaghi Award, Ishihara Lecture, Peck Award, Joyner Lecture, Middlebrooks Award, Huber Research Prize, Packard Foundation Fellowship, and NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award.

 

Lawrence Burkett
Senior Structural Designer, Maffei Structural Engineering
Soil and foundation modeling in structural engineering practice

Abstract: From the perspective of structural engineering practice, this presentation will discuss key issues in modeling soil flexibility and soil structure interaction.  Using examples from actual building designs, Lawrence will address:

  • Representation in structural analysis of vertical and lateral soil flexibility, the circumstances in which such flexibility should be modeled, and the consequences of including the soil flexibility
  • Site response analysis using linear and nonlinear methods, including explicit finite element modeling of the soil

Examples will include the new San Francisco International Airport air traffic control tower and the design of concrete core wall buildings.  The presentation will also focus on how to interpret results and incorporate them into the design process.

Bio: Lawrence Burkett has 14 years of experience in the seismic design, evaluation, and retrofitting of steel and concrete structures, with expertise in performance-based and advanced methods.  Lawrence has applied his expertise to the design and peer review of new tall buildings on the west coast, including the lead role in the 45% design of the new control tower at San Francisco International Airport.  He has authored several technical publications including the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) seismic evaluation and retrofit design example for unreinforced masonry buildings published in FEMA P-2006.  Lawrence was a winner of the 2010 PEER/NEES Concrete Column Blind Prediction Contest, for the most accurate structural analysis predicting the failure characteristics of a full-scale concrete structure tested on the UCSD shake table.

 

Ahmed Elgamal
Professor, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California, San Diego
Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Spreading: Ground Deformation and Effects on Embedded Foundations

Abstract: Insights gained from experimental observations will be presented. Recorded data sets from a series of experiments are analyzed collectively to document and track the evolution of lateral loading on deployed pile foundations. Ground and pile lateral displacement as well as excess pore pressure are discussed. It is observed that some of the highest pile lateral loads occur at the initial stages of lateral deformation, as the excess pore pressures approach the level of liquefaction. Thereafter, lateral load might decrease with further shear strength reduction and deformation in the liquefied stratum. For such scenarios, lateral ground deformation that continues to accumulate due to the shaking process may not always result in significantly larger loads on the embedded pile foundation.

Bio: Ahmed Elgamal is a Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Currently, he is serving as the School of Engineering Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. Earlier, he chaired the Department of Structural Engineering (2003-2007). He received his Ph.D. in 1985 from Princeton University. In 1997, he joined UCSD after a post-doctoral appointment at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), and faculty positions at RPI and Columbia University in New York.

His areas of research interest include liquefaction and effects on the built environment, large-scale soil-structure experimental and computational simulation, sustainability in Geomechanics, Information Technology (IT) applications, and system-identification procedures. He is author and co-author of over 300 technical publications. Over the years, he has consulted and provided professional services in the general areas of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering for a number of national and international organizations. During 2010-2019, he served as Editor-in-Chief, Journal Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering.

 

W.D. Liam Finn
Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia
Estimating Lateral Spreading in a Probabilistic Ground Motion Environment

Abstract: Broadly speaking there are two approaches in common use for estimating the extent of lateral spreading in liquefiable ground during earthquakes. The first approach is exemplified by Youd et al (2002). They assembled an extensive database of lateral spreading observations and based on this they developed regression equations for the prediction of the extent of lateral spreading based on geotechnical profile data and the magnitude and distance of the triggering event. The second approach is based on cyclic shear strains developed in laboratory test specimens having a range of factors of safety against liquefaction. The lateral displacements in the field are calculated from the shear strains. Idriss and Boulanger (2008) give very lucid descriptions of the various strain based approaches. Both approaches have one thing in common, they are both deterministic and need adjustments in application, when used with probabilistic seismic ground motions. This paper shows two ways of making these adjustments, based the deaggregation method introduced by Finn and Wightman (2007) for assessing liquefaction potential in a probabilistic environment.

Bio: Click here for Dr. Finn’s bio.

 

Kevin W. Franke, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE
Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brigham Young University
Probabilistic Lateral Spread Hazard Analysis: A Performance-Based Approach to Predicting Lateral Spread Displacements

Abstract: Engineers commonly use empirical or semi-empirical lateral spread displacement prediction models in geotechnical design. However, confusion can occur when multiple potential seismic sources exist and/or the likelihood of various displacements occurring at the site of interest is desired. Franke and Kramer (2014) presented a performance-based assessment method for lateral spread that considers multiple potential seismic sources in a probabilistic framework to generate a lateral spread displacement hazard curve. This method is powerful, but requires a significant volume of probabilistic calculations that can be difficult for engineering practitioners to apply on routine projects. Ekstrom and Franke (2016) later presented a simplified, map-based approximation of the performance-based lateral spread method that is readily applicable on even the most routine of projects. This presentation will review and summarize these performance-based methods for predicting lateral spread displacements and their associated likelihood. The presentation will also demonstrate how these methods can be used to identify locations requiring additional site characterization in projects involving long linear infrastructure such as a pipeline (Franke et al. 2017).

Bio: Kevin W. Franke is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brigham Young University. Kevin received his BSCE from Utah State University in 2004, his MSCE from University of Washington in 2005, and his Ph.D. from Brigham Young University in 2011. Kevin’s principal research focus relates to geotechnical/earthquake engineering. Kevin and his students are currently developing performance-based (i.e., probabilistic) methods for dealing with soil liquefaction and its associated hazards. Additionally, Kevin is an investigator in the Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS), which is currently the only NSF-sponsored research center for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Kevin’s research focus in the Center deals with new and improved applications of small (UAVs) in monitoring infrastructure and performing post-disaster reconnaissance.

Prior to his current position at BYU, Kevin worked for 6 years as a professional civil engineering consultant for Kleinfelder, Inc. and URS Corporation. Kevin contributed to multiple significant projects throughout the western and central US, including Kennecott Utah Copper tailings impoundment, facilities at Los Alamos National Labs, California High Speed Rail, North Torrey Pines Bridge seismic retrofit, I-15 Corridor Reconstruction in Utah County, Sacramento Area Flood Control Levee Evaluations/Improvements, Levee improvements in New Orleans, Roscoe Wind Farm in Texas, Legacy Parkway in Utah, and multiple schools and hospitals throughout CA, OR, and WA.

Kevin is married to Ruby since 2000, and they have 6 children: Shari (16), Chad (14), Abby (12), Julie (10), Russell (8), and Eve (6). They also have a successful family YouTube channel called “8 Passengers” that currently has more than 2,200,000 subscribers and receives over 900,000 video views per day worldwide.

 

Professor Christian Ledezma
Associate Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Liquefaction-induced lateral spreading for large-magnitude subduction earthquakes in areas with short source-to-site distances

Abstract: Prof. Youd’s well-known equation for prediction of liquefaction-induced lateral spread displacement relies on key elements of the problem, namely, geometry, soil properties, and ground motion intensity. The latter is based on two parameters (ranges of values from case-history data shown in parenthesis): moment magnitude Mw (6.4 to 8.0) and the horizontal distance from site to seismic source zone R (0.5 km to 60 km). In Chile, the direct application of this equation to large-magnitude subduction earthquakes is difficult not only because of the lack of data for earthquakes with Mw > 8.0 but, more importantly, because there are sites, such as those located in Chile, for which R is zero. If these values are directly used in the equation, the results tend to be unrealistically large when compared against field observations, even with the incorporation of the R* and R0 terms from Youd et al. (2002). In this talk, some preliminary recommendations are presented for discussion with respect to the complexity of the rupture process in such large-magnitude subduction events, and the closeness of sites located right above the rupture surface.

Bio: Christian Ledezma is an Associate Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC). He has a BS and an MS degree from that same university, and an MS and a Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently the vice-president of ACHISINA, Chile’s Association of Earthquake Engineering, and an active member in the discussion and elaboration of Chilean seismic codes. At PUC, he teaches courses in geotechnical earthquake engineering and deep foundations. He currently serves PUC as an elected member of the School of Engineering Council. Dr. Ledezma has conducted post-earthquake reconnaissance investigations following the last three major Chilean earthquakes (Maule 2010 Mw8.8, Iquique 2014 Mw8.2, and Illapel 2015 Mw8.4), and the Mw7.1 Puebla 2017 Mexico earthquake.

 

Professor Manasori Hamada
Professor Emeritus, Waseda University

Strategies for The Enhancement of Earthquake- and Tsunami- Resistance of Industrial Parks in The Water-Front Area

Abstract: Industrial parks in the water-front areas have been repeatedly damaged by strong earthquake motions, high tsunamis, soil liquefaction and its induced ground displacement. Heavy damages to industrial parks by future earthquakes and tsunamis could make huge and serious impacts on the safety of the local societies and the living of the people. Furthermore, the damage might affect the economic activities of the nation, and its effect may expand world.

Therefore, the enhancement of earthquake- and tsunami- resistance of industrial parks has been recognized as one of most critical national issues for the preparedness against future natural disasters in Japan.

The speaker will review the damage by past earthquakes and tsunamis, and introduce an on-going national project by the Japanese government for the resilience- enhancement of industrial parks in the water-front areas around the highly populated ueban areas, such as Tokyo and Osaka.

Bio: Masanori Hamada is recognized as a well-known researcher for the earthquake engineering of critical infrastructures. He had engaged in the earthquake resistant design and the construction of bridges, dams, port and harbor structures, and nuclear power plants at Taisei Corporation (1968~1983) after receiving M. Eng. at University of Tokyo.

As a Professor of Marine Civil Engineering Dept. of Tokai University (1983~1994) as well as Civil and Environmental Engineering Dept. of Waseda University (1994~), he conducted researches on earthquake and tsunami resistant structures, and contributed to development of technologies and strategies for natural disaster mitigation. He also have carried out the investigation into the damage caused by natural disasters in the world, and based on these research results he recommended the strategies and the practices for disaster reduction for the governments and local societies.

As the President of Japan Society of Civil Engineers (2006~2007), of Institute for Social Science Society (1997~1999), and of Japan Association for Earthquake Engineering (2009~2010), he established cooperative and collaborative relationships with experts and researchers in oversea countries in order to reduce the natural disasters in the world, particularly in the Asian Region. Dr. Hamada organized many international research teams for reduction of natural disasters and has promoted those activities.

He chaired the Committee on International Cooperation for Natural Disaster Mitigation as a member of the Science Council of Japan, and issued the recommendations for the international assistances by the Japanese government, the public organizations, universities, and private sectors.

He established a non-profit organization of “Engineers Without Borders, Japan” after the 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami as the president of the organization. He has been supporting the restoration and reconstruction works, and natural disaster educations by dispatching senior engineers and experts to the affected areas in China, Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Turkey.

He inaugurated the chairman of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center in 2014, which was established in 1998 by 31 member countries in the Asia according to an United Nations General Assembly Resolution during the International Decade (1990~1999) for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). He led the ADRC’s activities on information sharing on the natural disasters in the world and on the policies for the recovery and reconstruction of the affected areas.

One of the specific topics of his researches in earthquake engineering field is soil liquefaction- induced large ground displacements and its caused damage to lifeline systems. He promoted an internationally joint research on this theme, and developed the design method and construction technologies to protect lifeline facilities, civil engineering structures and buildings against soil liquefaction and large ground displacements.

He authored and co-authored 5 technical books and more than 100 academic papers, and applied the research results to the practice for the mitigation of earthquake and tsunami disasters.

He established the Institute for Disaster Mitigation of Industrial Complex in 2014 and has promoted a national project for the enhancement of earthquake-and tsunami-resistance of industrial parks in water-front areas of Japan.

 

Juan M. Mayoral
Professor Researcher, Institute of Engineering, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Coupled site, topographic, and soil-structure interaction effects in seismic-induced slope displacements

Abstract: Seismic waves can significantly amplify in firm soil with abrupt geometric changes due to topographic effects. Moreover, nonlinearities associated with soil layering, and geometrical interactions of the incoming waves can lead to changes in frequency content and duration within the slope. This talk presents the results of a numerical study aiming at establishing the impact of site, topographical, and soil structure interaction effects in seismic-induced lateral slope displacements on cemented silty sands. The effect of a 12-story building placed on top of the hill is also considered in the case study. Both subduction and normal earthquakes were considered in the analyses. The performance of the building-hill system was evaluated for this event, using finite difference models developed with the program FLAC3D. From the numerical study, the seismic response of the slope was evaluated, accounting for the site and topographical effects, as well as the seismic building-foundation-hill interaction in the distribution of factors of safety (i.e. capacity over demand), and ground deformations (i.e. lateral and vertical displacements) during the event. To establish the accuracy of the numerical model, the damage predicted by the numerical simulation in the building and the hill slope during the 2017 was compared with the post-earthquake reconnaissance observations. To study the effects of the frequency content, seismic intensity, and duration in the distribution of factor of safety and slope deformation patterns, the building-hill seismic response was further studied for subduction and normal events, considering target uniform hazard spectra with a return period of 250 years. From the results gathered in here, a clear dependency of the expected damage (i.e. lateral displacements) on the hill slope as a function of the seismogenic zone (i.e. subduction or normal) was observed.

Bio: Civil and Geotechnical Earthquake Engineer with 26 years of experience in geotechnical engineering and earthquake engineering projects, related to strategic infrastructure design, numerical modelling of geo-materials, earthquake engineering, seismology, and instrumentation. His experience ranges from conventional geotechnical engineering projects to highly specialized analyses of seismic soil-structure interaction and other earthquake engineering problems conducted for high-profile projects across the world. Dr. Mayoral has participated on geotechnical studies, foundation design, soil exploration and laboratory testing, and performed geotechnical field work supervision for high-end research projects. In addition, he has performed dynamic response analyses of earth dams, natural soil deposits, and manmade fills, including liquefaction risk assessment. In the area of seismic soil-structure interaction, Dr. Mayoral has analyzed foundation systems of LNG tanks, buildings, bridges, tunnels, tunnel shafts, underground structures, earth, tailing, and hardfill-dams, urban overpasses, metro lines, harbours, airport facilities, including runways, control towers and terminals, among others. In the area of structural engineering, he has conducted structural analysis of radial gates for gravity dams, intake towers, and concrete dams. In the area of seismology, he has been involved in seismic hazard assessments studies, and in particular the seismic microzonation of the Texcoco lake area. Recently, Dr. Mayoral participated as one of the leaders of the GEER-UNAM Reconnaissance team of the 19 September 2017 Mw7.1 Puebla-Mexico City Earthquake. He currently works as a researcher at the Institute of Engineering, UNAM, and as external consultant for several private companies. He has authored and co-authored more than (200) publications in scientific journals, conference proceedings, books and technical reports.

 

John S. McCartney, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
Professor and Department Chair, Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego
Limiting Values on Seismic Compression of Unsaturated Soils

Abstract: This presentation will focus on the seismic compression of unsaturated soil layers during earthquakes. Lessons learned from cyclic simple shear tests on unsaturated sands under both drained and undrained conditions will be summarized. Drained tests permit isolation of the effects of matric suction on the seismic compression, which was found to provide a restraining effect on volume change in the funicular region of the soil-water retention curve. Undrained tests permit evaluation of the combined changes in pore air and pore water pressure for specimens with different initial degrees of saturation, along with the effects of changing effective stress state. The results from the cyclic simple shear tests were extrapolated using different models to understand possible limits on the amount of seismic compression under different drainage conditions, with the goal of developing simplified design tools to estimate worst-case scenarios of seismic compression under different magnitudes of shaking events. 

Bio: John S. McCartney is a Professor in the Department of Structural Engineering at the University of California San Diego, specializing in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. His research interests include unsaturated soil mechanics, geosynthetics engineering, and energy geotechnics. He has received several research awards, including the Walter L. Huber Research Prize from ASCE in 2016, the Arthur Casagrande Professional Development Award from ASCE in 2013, the J. James R. Croes medal from ASCE in 2012, the DFI Young Professor Award in 2012, the NSF Faculty Early Development (CAREER) Award in 2011, and the IGS Award and Young IGS Award from the International Geosynthetics Society in 2018 and 2008, respectively. He is currently the president of the North American Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS-NA). He is an editor of ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (JGGE), and is active on the editorial boards of several other geotechnical journals. He received BS and MS degrees in civil engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2003 and a Ph.D. degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007.

 

Gilberto Mosqueda, Ph.D.
Professor, Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego
Response of Seismically Isolated Structures subjected to Beyond Design Basis Shaking

Abstract: Seismic isolation has been proven as an effective strategy to protect critical facilities including Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) from the damaging effects of horizontal earthquake ground shaking. The increased flexibility and resulting elongation of the natural vibration period of the structure leads to significant reductions in acceleration and forces transmitted to the structure above the isolation level at the expense of large lateral displacements in the isolation system.  These large lateral displacements need to be accommodated by the isolation bearings while sustaining the weight of the structure above. Further, the isolated structure requires a large horizontal clearance at the basement level that is often limited by a moat wall that can also function as a hard stop for the isolation system. In the case of shaking beyond design basis earthquake, there is a potential for impact of the isolated structure to the moat wall with backfill, or failure of the bearings, that can be a significant safety concern. Through a combination of numerical and experimental studies, the stability of seismic isolation bearings and the effects of moat wall impact on the response of seismically isolated NPPs is evaluated. Experimental research includes hybrid simulation with testing of full scale seismic isolation bearings under combined three-dimensional seismic loads and shake table testing to evaluate pounding forces.  The experimental data is being used to develop models able to capture the behavior of nuclear power plants for beyond design basis shaking.

Bio: Gilberto Mosqueda is a professor in the Department Structural Engineering at the University at California, San Diego. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, M.S from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and B.S. from the University of California, Irvine, all in civil engineering. He received the NSF CAREER award in 2008 and is currently on the editorial board for the journal Earthquake Spectra. The focus of his research is in the area of structural and earthquake engineering, particularly on understanding and improving the seismic performance of structural and nonstructural systems under seismic loads. Recent research has examined the seismic response of structural systems under extreme loads including the collapse of steel structures and limit states in seismic isolation system using hybrid simulation. He has participated in various reconnaissance mission following earthquakes around the world.  Most recently he was a co-leader for the team organized by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute to investigate damage from the 2017 Puebla-Morelos Earthquake in Mexico.

 

Tom O’Rourke
Thomas R. Briggs Professor of Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University
Next Generation Hazard Resilient Infrastructure

Abstract: The resilience of underground infrastructure to large ground deformation depends on the ability of pipelines, cables, and conduits to accommodate the geometric nonlinearities in soil by changing shape through axial elongation/compression, flexure, and rotation at joints. This lecture focuses on the development of the next generation hazard resilient infrastructure through large-scale testing and analytical and numerical modeling. Professor O’Rourke will describe how eight new pipeline and conduit systems have been developed and commercialized using a protocol of large-scale tests and fault rupture experiments that define and confirm performance under extreme conditions of ground deformation. The development and validation of analytical and numerical models for soil-structure interaction will be described. Fault rupture response spectra for seismic resistant (DI) ductile iron pipelines are presented that quantify and compare the performance of DI pipelines with push-on, restrained, and restrained axial slip joints at any orientation of the pipeline relative to the fault rupture plane under strike-slip faulting conditions. Next steps in the development of hazard resilient infrastructure are discussed, which include the incorporation of smart sensor technologies and signal processing.

Bio: Tom O’Rourke is the Thomas R. Briggs Professor of Engineering in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University. He is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, Distinguished Member of ASCE, International Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Member of the Mexican Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He authored or co-authored over 390 technical publications, and has received numerous awards for his research. His research interests cover geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, underground construction technologies, engineering for large, geographically distributed systems, and geographic information technologies and database management.

 

Robert Pyke, Ph.D., G.E.
Consulting Engineer
Improved Computation of Potential Lateral Spreading Displacements in Earthquakes

Abstract: For some time there has been great emphasis on the use of simplified methods for analyzing various phenomena in earthquake geotechnical engineering. Since these simplified methods were developed using simple parameters to define the soil properties and either limited time histories or broad averages of ground motion parameters, they include large uncertainties and show large scatter in the results.

This presentation outlines and illustrates an improved procedure for calculating earthquake-induced displacements associated with the phenomena of lateral spreading. Lateral spreading is the term that is widely used to describe the phenomenon whereby even a relatively flat slope, or horizontal ground adjacent to an open face, can move laterally because of liquefaction of the underlying soils.

There are two simplified procedures that are currently used in practice. Both are largely empirical procedures that rely on a number of case histories. The Youd, Hansen and Bartlett (2002) procedure uses SPT blowcounts as an indicator of the soils apparent relative density and the Zhang et al. (2004) procedure uses CPT tip resistance for the same purpose. Both show very wide scatter in the observed displacements to the point where one might reasonably question the usefulness of the procedures for forward prediction.

The procedure described in this paper is more complex and demanding of resources, but it is still simplified relative to a full three-dimensional analysis of site response using a soil model that computes permanent strains caused by complex cyclic loadings. The initial applications of the procedure suggest that it yields much more reasonable results and provides much greater insight into the problem than the existing simplified methods.

The procedure requires the use of cyclic simple shear tests to determine the permanent shear strains that develop in representative samples when a cyclic shear stress is applied to a test specimen consolidated with an initial shear stress. Site-specific design acceleration histories are then input to a one-dimensional nonlinear site response analysis which uses a soil model such as that described by Pyke (1979) that allows the development of permanent shear strains, even when the soil element is subjected to a symmetrical cyclic shear stress.

Use of the procedure is illustrated by an example from a large land development project on which it was found that the potential for significant lateral spreading could be controlled by overconsolidation of the natural alluvial material underlying an extensive fill.

Bio: Dr. Pyke was born and raised in Australia and received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Sydney. He then worked for the Commonwealth Department of Works in Canberra on various water resource projects before attending graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley, he conducted original research for his Ph.D. under the guidance of the late Professor Harry Seed and formed a close relationship with Professor Seed, with whom he subsequently worked on a number of consulting assignments. Since 1977 Dr. Pyke has worked principally as an individual consultant on special problems in geotechnical and earthquake engineering.

Dr. Pyke’s primary academic interest is the study of site response and the behavior of soils under cyclic loadings. He has participated in a number of joint academic-industry research and development projects involving these subjects including the 1993 EPRI study that included the development of standard modulus reduction and damping curves, and the later comparison of nonlinear site response analysis programs led by Professor Jon Stewart of UCLA. His Ph.D. thesis was entitled “Settlement and Liquefaction of Sands Under Multi-Directional Shaking” and contains data that until recently has never been written up in a form that makes it more accessible to practicing engineers. However, that data is now embedded in a new multi-directional, nonlinear, effective stress site response program called TESS2. TESS2 also allows improved computation of potential lateral spreading displacements using an updated version of the HDCP soil model that Dr. Pyke first published in 1979.

 

Jose I. Restrepo
Professor, Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego
Modeling and Design Issues in Reinforced Concrete Wall Buildings

Abstract: The collapse of the Alto Rio building during the 2010 Maule earthquake in Chile prompted the need to review the analysis, design and detailing of tall buildings reinforced with reinforced concrete walls. Current methods of design tend to underpredict the lateral displacement and shear force demands in these types of buildings.  Such underpredictions were also observed in a test program on reinforced concrete walls which made use of the UC San Diego Large High Performance Outdoor Shaking Tables. This presentation will discuss the difficulties in modeling of wall buildings and will present key results of a blind prediction carried out to observe the community predictive capabilities. The presentation will also highlight the main finding of the analysis carried out to understand the collapse of the Alto Rio buildings.

Bio: Jose I. Restrepo is a Professor in Structural Engineering at UC San Diego. Professor Restrepo was lead structural engineer for the NEES UC San Diego Large High-Performance Outdoor Shake Table, the largest in the United States and second largest worldwide. There he has been leader or collaborator for several landmark large or full-scale experiments, including the testing of a full-scale 7-story bearing wall building. Prof. Restrepo is a fellow of the American Concrete Institute. He has received the Chester Paul Siess Award by the American Concrete Institute, the Charles C. Zollman, Martin Korn and Leslie D. Martin Awards from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, the James Cooper Award from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and the Alfred Noble Award and the Charles Pankow Award of  the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dr. Restrepo also holds an adjunct faculty position at the International School for the Reduction of Seismic Risk at the University of Pavia, Italy.

 

Kyle Rollins
Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brigham Young University
Evaluation of lateral spread prediction equations for M8+ earthquakes

Abstract: Because earthquakes larger than Mw8 are relatively rare, empirical models for predicting lateral spread displacement have not been calibrated for larger magnitude events. In this paper, lateral spread case histories from the Mw8.8 Maule Chile earthquake and the Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake are used to help understand the strengths and weaknesses of various empirical models for predicting lateral spread displacements. Predictions from empirical models commonly used in engineering practice are compared with measured displacements. In addition, recommendations for improving the accuracy of these models are suggested. The model that best matched the measured displacements used local attenuation relationships to predict ground motions rather than simple magnitude and distance terms.  In contrast, models that used magnitude and distance directly often predicted unreasonably large displacements for subduction zone earthquake where the horizontal distance to the zone of energy release was often zero over large areas. Nevertheless, soil properties such as the T15 thickness, the fines content, and the mean grain size were useful in predicting displacement. Models that used shear strains typically over-predicted measured displacements but using a depth-based reduction factor improved accuracy. Similarly, current CPT-based empirical equations generally over-predicted measured displacements.

Bio: Kyle Rollins received his BS degree from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.  After working as a geotechnical consultant, he joined the Civil Engineering faculty at BYU in 1987 following after his father who was previously a geotechnical professor. His research has involved geotechnical earthquake engineering, deep foundation behavior, bridge abutment behavior, collapsible soils and soil improvement techniques. ASCE has recognized his work with the Huber research award, the Wellington prize, and the Wallace Hayward Baker award. In 2009, he was the Cross-Canada Geotechnical lecturer for the Canadian Geotechnical Society. He received the Jorj Osterberg Award from the Deep Foundations Institute in 2014.

 

Lisheng Shao, Ph.D., P.E., G.E.
Chief Engineer, Hayward Baker, Inc. Western Region
Soil Mixing Improvement for Bridge Abutment under Seismic Loads

Abstract: Soil mixing improvements have been widely used to mitigate soil liquefaction and lateral spreading hazards, to increase foundation bearing capacity, reduce settlement, and improve slope stability, etc. This presentation provides an outline of design procedures and a case history, West Dowling Bridge Abutments improvement and performance during the Anchorage earthquake on November 30, 2018.

Bio: Dr. Shao serves as the chief engineer of Hayward Baker, Inc. Western Region, in charge of ground improvement design, analysis, quality control, and technology development. His work focused on liquefaction mitigation, soft soil improvement under heavy building structures, excavation support, and dam rehabilitation, by vibro stone columns, soil mixing, jet grouting, micropiles, compaction grouting, fracture grouting and permeation grouting, etc. He joined Hayward Baker, Inc in 1997.

He is a Professional Engineer and Geotechnical Engineer registered in California, North Carolina, Hawaii, and Alberta. He received his Ph.D. degree in 1995 from North Carolina State University. He has published over 50 technical papers in geotechnical engineering.

 

Jonathan P. Stewart, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
Bridge Foundations and Lateral Spreads: Case History and Analysis Guidelines

Abstract: Two parallel adjacent river-crossing bridges performed differently in response to strong shaking (peak ground acceleration ~0.27g) and liquefaction-induced lateral spreading during the 2010 M7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake. A railroad bridge span collapsed, whereas the adjacent highway bridge survived with one support pier near the river having modest flexural cracking of cover concrete, and a second that settled approximately 50 cm. Cone penetration and geophysical test results are presented along with geotechnical and structural conditions evaluated from design documents. An equivalent-static beam-on-nonlinear-Winkler foundation analysis accurately predicts observed responses when liquefaction-compatible inertia demands are represented as spectral displacements that account for resistance from other bridge components. Pier columns for the surviving bridge effectively resisted lateral spreading demands in part because of restraint provided by the superstructure. Collapse of the surviving bridge is predicted when liquefaction-compatible inertial demands are computed for the individual bent in isolation from other components, and are represented by forces instead of displacements. The poor performance of the settled pier column resulted from bearing capacity failure in a thin liquefiable layer at the shaft tip.

Bio: Click here to read about Dr. Stewart.

 

Ikuo Towhata
Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
Earthquake-induced landslides

Abstract: Earthquake is one of the most important causes of slope failure. One peculiar point about it is that the seismic effect on slope is associated with other causative mechanisms of slope failures and the joint effect triggers the slope failure. Due to this reason, it is not easy to demonstrate the special feature of earthquake-induced landslides probably except that the slope instability is initiated near the mountain summit where seismic energy is focused, inducing strongest shaking. This is in contrast with other kinds of slope failure that start at the knick point where the slope gradient changes.

An interesting cause of landslide related with earthquake was recognized in 1966 in Matsushiro, Japan, where earthquake swarm continued for more than one year. This swarm was associated with boiling of significant amount of water from deep depth. This water came out of magma intrusion, became light when resolved gas evaporated after pressure reduction, came up towards the surface, reduced the effective stress in potential seismic faults, caused many small earthquakes as a consequence and induced distortion at the ground surface. Uplift of the ground surface induced many cracks at the surface and, consequently, landslide occurred at Makiuchi site. Finding this landslide, the author became interested in the effect of water boiling or artesian water pressure on slope stability.

The author encountered seismically-induced slope disaster in which failed slopes had been undergoing artesian pressure. The negative effects of the artesian water pressure are increased probability of landslide under gravity as mentioned above, higher liquefaction potential because of reduced effective stress, and easier lateral flow over long distance due to reduced effective stress and shear resistance.

Considering these issues, the author is developing a methodology to assess the risk of combined disaster under artesian pressure and seismic effects.

Bio:
Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo

Distinguished Visiting Professor, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, India, till December 2016
JICA Expert, IIT Hyderabad, India, till March 2017
President of Japanese Geotechnical Society 2014-2016
Vice President for Asia, ISSMGE 2013-2017

Education:

  • Bachelor of Engineering: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo, March, 1977
  • Master of Engineering: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo, March, 1979
  • Doctor of Engineering: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo, March, 1982


Academic Experiences:

  • 1982.4.1-1982.9.30 Research Associate, University of Tokyo.
  • 1982.10.1-1983.10.31 Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia.
  • 1983.11.16-1985.4.22 Lecturer, University of Tokyo.
  • 1985.4.23-1987.4.22 Assistant Professor, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok.
  • 1986 – Associated Faculty of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.
  • 1987.4.23-1987.7.31 Lecturer, University of Tokyo.
  • 1987.8.1-1994.7.15 Associate Professor, University of Tokyo.
  • 1989 – Associated Research Fellow at the Public Works Research Institute, Ministry of Construction.
  • 1994.7.16-2015.3.31 Professor, University of Tokyo
  • 2016.6 Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
  • 2015.4.1-Present Visiting Professor, Kanto Gakuin University, Yokohama, Japan
  • 2016.7.25-12.19 Distinguished Visiting Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Also working for three private sectors: Director of Tohata and Associates (architectural office), Chair of Seirin-sha Company (real estate management) and Technical Advisor for Chuo Kaihatsu Corporation (geotechnical consultant)

Affiliations and Memberships:

  • Member of the Japanese Geotechnical Society
  • Life member of the Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society
  • Member of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
  • Fellow Member of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers
  • Member of the Japan Association for Earthquake Engineering
  • Member of the Japan Landslide Society
  • Honorary Member of the Nepal Geotechnical Society
  • Associate Member of Science Council Japan (2014-2020)
  • Life Fellow of the Indian Geotechnical Society
  • Fellow of the Japan Federation of Engineering Societies
  • 2009-2012    Vice President, Japan Association for Earthquake Engineering
  • 2013-2017     Vice President for Asia, International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
  • 2014-2016     President, Japanese Geotechnical Society

Awards:

  • 1985 – Japanese Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Award for the Best Paper by Young Authors
  • 1985 – Awarded by the Minister of Education for the best performance in education by correspondence (in the field of electric engineering.)
  • 1997 – Japanese Geotechnical Society, Award for the Best Paper of the Year 1996
  • 1998-1999 – Shamsher Prakash Research Award, USA, of Soil Dynamics.
  • 2000 – Japanese Geotechnical Society, Award for Distinguished Research Products
  • 2000 – One of the best twelve papers out of 600 at GeoEng2000 Conference at Melbourne
  • 2004 – Japanese Geotechnical Society, Award for the Best Paper of the Year 2003
  • 2009 – Japan Society of Civil Engineers; Best book publication award
  • 2015 – Japanese Geotechnical Society; Technological development award
  • 2016 – Seelye Fellowship, University of Auckland, New Zealand
  • 2018 – Shamsher Prakash ISET Award 2018 for Significant Contribution in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, the Indian Society of Earthquake Technology
  • 2019 – Ishihara Lecturer, International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

Fields of Major Interest:

  1. Deformation characteristics of cohesionless soils.
  2. Dynamic analysis of earth structures during earthquakes.
  3. Permanent displacement of ground caused by seismic liquefaction.
  4. Soil improvement by densification and grouting
  5. Microscopic Observation of Granular Behavior of Sand Subjected to Shear
  6. Dynamics of landslide and debris flow.
  7. Mechanical Properties of Municipal Waste Ground
  8. Seismic performance-based design of geotechnical structures
  9. Mitigation of rainfall-induced slope instability
  10. Geotechnical contribution towards solution and decommission of Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant that was damaged by tsunami in 2011

Recent Activities:

  • Recovery and retrofitting for future of infrastructures (residential islands, river levees and Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant) that were damaged by the 2011 Tohoku gigantic earthquake; liquefaction and nuclear disaster.
  • International consulting on seismic safety of dams and embankments.

Publications:

More than 400 English papers in international journals and conferences, including a comprehensive book on geotechnical earthquake engineering:

Ikuo Towhata (2008) Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, ISBN 978-3-540-35782-7, Springer Verlag – Berlin Heidelberg.

Seven interesting papers in Towhata’s life by personal choice:

  1. Ishihara, K. and Towhata, I. (1980) One-dimensional soil response analysis during earthquakes based on effective stress method, Journal of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo (B), Vol. XXXV, No. 4, pp. 655-700 (computer code for numerical analysis).
  2. Towhata, I. and Ishihara, K. (1985) Shear work and pore water pressure in undrained shear, Soils and Foundations, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 73-84 (experimental verification of unique correlation between excess pore water pressure development and accumulated strain energy).
  3. Towhata, I. and Ishihara, K. (1985) Modelling soil behaviour under principal stress axes rotation, of 5th Int. Conf. Numerical Methods in Geomechanics, Nagoya, Japan, Vol. 1, pp. 523-530 (constitutive model not based on elasto-plasticity formulation).
  4. Towhata, I., Orense, R.P. and Toyota, H. (1999) Mathematical principles in prediction of lateral ground displacement induced by seismic liquefaction, Soils and Foundations, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 1-19 (closed-form solution of lateral flow of liquefied subsoil based on Lagrangean equation of motion).
  5. Itoh, T., Towhata, I., Kawano, Y., Kameda, M., Fukui, S., Koelsch, F. and Yonai, Y. (2005) Mechanical properties of municipal waste deposits and ground improvement, XVIth International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Osaka Vol. 4, pp. 2273-2276 (similarity of mechanical behaviors of municipal solid waste and soil).
  6. Tamari, Y. and Towhata, I. (2003) Seismic soil-structure interaction of cross sections of flexible underground structures subjected to soil liquefaction, Soils and Foundations, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 69-87 (seismic earth pressure on retaining walls).
  7. Towhata, I., Taguchi, Y., Hayashida, T., Goto, S., Shintaku, Y., Hamada, Y. and Aoyama, S. (2017) Liquefaction perspective of soil ageing, Geotechnique, Vol. 67, No. 6, pp. 467-478 (case history studies on increase of liquefaction resistance of soil with age).

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Joseph Wartman
H.R. Berg Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington
Regional-Scale Forecasting of Coseismic Landslide Displacement

Abstract: Moderate-to-large magnitude earthquakes typically trigger thousands to tens-of-thousands of coseismic landslides over regions exceeding 10,000 km2. These landslides can severely impact the built, social and natural environments by producing, mobilizing, and transporting debris, denuding slopes, and burying roadways and other critical infrastructure. Landslide hazards have traditionally been analyzed at the site-specific scale. However, there is a growing interest, particularly in the policy realm, in assessing seismic landslide hazards over large spatial scales. A key benefit of regional-scale analysis is that it can capture “system-level” performance and spatial propagation of risk within a region. This aspect is essential when considering the effects of landslides on geographically distributed critical infrastructure systems, which are highly susceptible to damage from slope failures. This talk will describe a new physically-based coseismic landslide hazard assessment method, called the multimodal method, to forecast coseismic displacement of slopes across large regions. Several case studies will be presented illustrating how this method can inform seismic risk assessment.

Bio: Joseph Wartman directs the Natural Hazards Reconnaissance Facility (known as the “RAPID”) at the University of Washington, where he is the H.R. Berg Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. A former editor of the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, he is the author of over 100 professional articles on geologic hazards. In addition to his technical publications, Wartman’s essays and op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, the Seattle Times, and the Conversation, among other mainstream media venues. He is the recipient of several research honors awards including, most recently, the Geologic Society of America’s Burwell Award in engineering geology.

 

Nozomu Yoshida
Professor, Research Advancement and Management Organization, Kanto Gakuin University
Professor Emeritus, Tohoku Gakuin University

Simplified Method to Evaluate Liquefaction-Induced Flow

Abstract: Two topics are presented.

At first, fundamental concept of the analysis of liquefaction-induced flow. In the past, it is recognized as a stability criteria, in which post liquefaction behavior is classified into, for example, unlimited flow or limited flow; sometimes it is written as flow and non-flow, or liquefaction and limited liquefaction. It is shown that actual post liquefaction phenomena cannot be explained by this criteria. Then two different criteria are proposed; the one is stability criterion and the other is deformation criterion, and prediction of displacement is possible because of the latter criterion.

Based on deformation criterion, stress-strain curve is modeled into bi-linear model whose shape are either convex or concave depending on soil type. The stiffness of the stress-strain curve is evaluated by laboratory test and by back analysis of the earthquake damage. Here we focused on the final stage of the deformation after liquefaction at which there is no inertia force. They analysis are made by the switch on gravity analysis or layer construction analysis.

A new elastic-plastic stress-strain models are developed for both liquefied and nonliquefied layers for this analysis. In addition, method how to escape hourglass instability is discussed.

Finally, a case study is shown by which proposed method have sufficient accuracy.

Bio:
Education:

  • 1972 – Graduated from Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University
  • 1974 – Obtained a degree of Master of Engineering from Kyoto University
    (Earthquake Resistant Structure Section of Disaster Prevention Research Institute)
  • 1977 – Completed the academic studies and satisfied the residence requirements as partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Engineering, Kyoto University
  • 1985 – Granted a degree of Doctor of Engineering by Kyoto University
    Thesis “A study on the elastic-plastic behavior of steel braces”


Work Experiences:

  • 1977–1979 – Research Fellow, Earthquake Resistant Structures Section of Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University
  • 1979–2002 – Sato Kogyo co., Ltd.
  • 2002–2005 – Oyo Corporation
  • 2005–2017 – Tohoku Gakuin University
    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • 2017–           – Kanto Gakuin University
    Research Advancement and Management Organization

Read more

 

Katerina Ziotopoulou, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis
Numerical modeling of ground deformations at Balboa Blvd. in the 1994 Northridge earthquake

Abstract: Developing the ability to predict liquefaction-induced ground deformation and its effects on infrastructure is key in our ability to prepare for future earthquake events. During the 1994 Northridge earthquake, ground deformation caused the breakage of water and gas pipelines at the Balboa Blvd., which produced craters and fire. Such unexpected failures typically lead to conservative design approaches to prevent similar consequences. This presentation will focus on the numerical simulation of the Balboa Blvd. case history, where significant earthquake-induced ground deformations were observed. The availability of soil, ground motion, and post-earthquake damage records, will be presented and utilized as a validation basis of Nonlinear Deformation Analyses (NDAs). Results will be presented from NDAs on stochastic realizations of interlayered sand and clay stratigraphy estimated from available CPT data. The realizations are produced using a transition probability geostatistical approach, representative soil properties are selected by statistical examination of the properties estimated from the CPT data, and the constitutive models PM4Sand and PM4Silt are used for the sand-like and clay-like materials respectively. Computed lateral displacements will be compared to field observations. These comparisons illustrate that a realistic representation of the site and the dynamic loading conditions can be important for evaluating potential deformations in this site, and could inform future decision-making.

Bio:  Katerina Ziotopoulou joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of California, Davis in August of 2016. Prior to this appointment, she was an Assistant Professor at the Charles E. Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech for two years. She received her Ph.D. and MS degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and her undergraduate Diploma degree in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece. Currently, her research focuses on the numerically and experimentally studying ground failure due to liquefaction during earthquakes and its mitigation. Her goals are to: (a) improve our understanding of the response of liquefiable soil-structure systems, (b) perform reliable numerical simulations, and develop and deliver usable numerical simulation tools, and through these (c) facilitate advances in the performance-based design across a range of geosystems. Her work is currently funded by the National Science Foundation, the Center for Biomediated and Bioinspired Geotechnics, the Transportation Research Board, and Caltrans. In parallel, she is also working on developing mentoring practices and tools focused on promoting and supporting underrepresented groups.

2nd Kenji Ishihara Colloquium Series on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering

“Seismic Lateral Displacements”

Thursday & Friday, August 22-23, 2019
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA

The second of this colloquium series, honoring Professor T. Leslie Youd, will focus on seismic lateral displacements and will take place at San Diego State University on Thursday & Friday, August 22-23 from 8am to 5pm. The topics that will be presented on during the colloquium are oriented towards geotechnical engineers, structural engineers, engineering geologists, architects, civil engineers, researchers, and students. 22 speakers, consisting of geotechnical and structural engineers, set to present at this colloquium include Prof. T. Leslie Youd, Prof. Kenji Ishihara, Prof. Thomas O’Rourke, Prof. Liam Finn, Prof. Jonathan Bray, Prof. Masanori Hamada, and other engineers and professors from the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Chile.

Registration includes breakfast, lunch, and refreshments during the breaks.

Click here for information on each speaker and their presentations.

Click the image on the right to view event flyer.

 

 

 

 

 

PROGRAM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22

Opening Ceremony

Registration and Breakfast7:00am8:00am
EERI8:00am8:05am
CGS8:05am8:10am

Session 1 – Moderator: Dr. James Gingery

Dr. Robert PykeImproved Computation of Potential Lateral Spreading Displacements in Earthquakes8:15am8:40am
Prof. Kevin FrankeProbabilistic Lateral Spread Hazard Analysis: A Performance‐Based Approach to Predicting Lateral Spread Displacements8:40am9:05am
Prof. Juan MayoralCoupled Site, Topographic, and Soil‐Structure Interaction Effects in Seismic‐Induced Slope Displacements
9:05am9:30am
Discussion Panel9:30am10:00am
Break10:00am10:30am
Prof. Kyle RollinsEvaluation of Lateral Spread Prediction Equations for M8+ Earthquakes10:30am10:55am
Prof. Nozomu YoshidaSimplified Method to Evaluate Liquefaction‐Induced Flow10:55am11:20am
Prof. Christian LedezmaLiquefaction‐induced Lateral Spreading for Large‐Magnitude Subduction Earthquakes in Areas with Short Source‐to‐Site Distances11:20am11:45am
Discussion Panel11:45am12:15pm
Lunch Break12:15pm1:25pm

Session 2 – Moderator: Alvaro Celestino

Prof. Jose RestrepoModeling and Design Issues in Reinforced Concrete Wall Buildings1:25pm1:50pm
Prof. Gilberto MosquedaResponse of Seismically Isolated Structures subjected to Beyond Design Basis Shaking1:50pm2:15pm
Lawrence BurkettSoil and Foundation Modeling in Structural Engineering Practice2:15pm2:40pm
Discussion Panel2:40pm3:10pm
Break3:10pm3:40pm
Prof. Ikuo TowhataEarthquake-induced landslides3:40pm4:05pm
Prof. Joseph WartmanRegional-Scale Forecasting of Coseismic Landslide Displacement4:05pm4:30pm
Discussion Panel4:30pm5:00pm

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23

Session 3 – Moderator: Dr. Jorge Meneses

Registration and Breakfast7:00am8:00am
Prof. Jonathan BraySeismic Slope Displacement Procedure for Shallow Crustal Earthquakes8:15am8:40am
Prof. Liam FinnEstimating Lateral Spreading in a Probabilistic Ground Motion Environment8:40am9:05am
Prof. Thomas O'RourkeNext Generation Hazard Resilient Infrastructure9:05am9:30am
Discussion Panel9:30am10:00am
Break10:00am10:30am
Prof. Masanori HamadaStrategies for the Enhancement of Earthquake- and Tsunami‐Resistance of Industrial Parks in the Water Front Area10:30am10:55am
Prof. Kenji IshiharaFundamental Laws of Deformations in the Mechanics of Granular Soils10:55am11:20am
Prof. Leslie YoudFactors Controlling Lateral Spread11:20am11:45am
Discussion Panel/Recognition Plaque for Prof. Youd11:45am12:15pm
Lunch Break12:15pm1:25pm

Session 4 – Moderator: Prof. Ikuo Towhata

Prof. Katerina ZiotopoulouNumerical Modeling of Ground Deformations at Balboa Blvd. in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake1:25pm1:50pm
Prof. Ahmed ElgamalLiquefaction‐Induced Lateral Spreading: Ground Deformation and Effects on Embedded Foundations1:50pm2:15pm
Prof. Jonathan StewartBridge Foundations and Lateral Spreads: Case History and Analysis Guidelines2:15pm2:40pm
Discussion Panel2:40pm3:10pm
Break3:10pm3:40pm
Dr. Lisheng ShaoSoil Mixing Improvement for Bridge Abutment under Seismic Loads3:40pm4:05pm
Prof. John McCartneyLimiting Values on Seismic Compression of Unsaturated Soils4:05pm4:30pm
Discussion Panel4:30pm5:00pm

VENUE
San Diego State University
Room: Hardy Tower 140
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182
Click here for an interactive map of the venue.
Click here for parking information. Please park in Parking Structure 12, 7, or 3.

REGISTRATION
Click here to register for the colloquium.

LODGING
Click here for a list of hotels near San Diego State University.
Click here for an additional list of a series of hotels (Hotel Circle) located ~12 minutes driving distance from the venue.

TRANSPORTATION
Click here for a transportation map from Hotel Circle to the venue.
Transportation to and from the venue can also be utilized through Uber or Lyft.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Chair: Dr. Jorge Meneses
Janna Bonfiglio
Alvaro Celestino
Maryam Motamed
Tasneem Sadeque
Elainey Fetene
Athul Parayancode
Metehan Gumustekin

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dr. Jorge Meneses at jmenesesl@gmail.com.

 

USGS Software Tools for Site-Specific Ground Motion Hazard Analysis

A One-Day Short Course

Nicolas Luco, Research Structural Engineer, U.S. Geological Survey
Peter Powers, Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey
Jorge Meneses, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, RMA Group, Inc.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019, 8:00am–5:00pm
San Diego State University

Click the image on the right to view event flyer.


PURPOSE

This short course will demonstrate software tools from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for site-specific ground motion hazard analysis, and will provide an opportunity for feedback from earthquake engineering users. The most recent edition of the ASCE 7 Standard (Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures) requires site-specific ground motion analysis formany more structures than did the prior edition. For example, site-specific hazard analysis shall be performed for structures on Site Class D and E sites with S1 greater than or equal to 0.2g, with some exceptions (see Section 11.4.8 of ASCE 7-16). The new site-specific requirements are expected to be part of the 2019 California Building Code.


MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

Dr. Nicolas Luco

Nicolas Luco is a Research Structural Engineer with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Golden, Colorado. He serves as a liaison between the USGS National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Seismic Subcommittees for the ASCE 7 and 41 Standards, among other building code committees. Prior to joining the USGS in 2004, he was a Senior Analysis Engineer with the catastrophe risk modeling company AIR Worldwide Corporation. He earned his PhD and BS in civil/structural engineering, and an MS in statistics, from Stanford University; his MS in civil/structural engineering is from the University of California, Berkeley.

 

 

 

Dr. Peter Powers

Peter Powers is a research and development geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey. Peter started his career as a geologist and worked in both the mining and tech sectors before attending the University of Southern California, from which he received a PhD in geophysics and seismology. He began his time at the USGS in 2008 as a Global Earthquake Model (GEM) post-doc and developer of OpenSHA and the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast version 3 (UCERF3). He now develops software and tools to support updates to USGS national hazard models and related research.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jorge Meneses

Dr. Jorge Meneses is a Principal Geotechnical Engineer with RMA Grop, Inc. and has more than 30 years of consultancy, project management, research, and teaching experience, in both private industry and research institutions in the field of geotechnical and earthquake engineering. He has been involved in numerous projects serving as a technical lead in geotechnical earthquake engineering and foundation engineering across the country and various markets including water, nuclear, transportation, high rise buildings, energy, schools, hospitals, commercial and industrial. Dr. Meneses frequently acts as a peer reviewer for technical conferences and technical journal publications, is a guest speaker for domestic and international conferences, and has published more than 60 technical publications. He is currently a part-time faculty member in the graduate school of San Diego State University. He is the President and Founder of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) San Diego Chapter, California Seismic Safety Commissioner, Member of the EERI Board of Directors, Honorary Chair of the ASCE Geo-Institute San Diego Chapter, ex-Member of the ASCE 7-16 (Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures) and member of the ASCE 1 (Geotechnical Analysis, Design, Construction, Inspection and Monitoring of Nuclear Safety-Related Structures) Committees, member of the Industry Advisory Board, Department of Structural Engineering (University of California San Diego), member of the Academy of Geo-Professionals, and a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

 

PROGRAM

TimeTopic
8:00am–9:00amRegistration and Breakfast
9:00am–9:15amWelcome and Overview of Program
9:15am–9:45amASCE 7-16 Site-Specific Ground Motion Requirements
Jorge Meneses
9:45am–10:45amUSGS Unified Hazard Tool and NSHMP-HAZ Web Services for Site-Specific Hazard Curves and Deaggregation
Peter Powers
10:45am–11:00amMorning Break
11:00am–12:00pmUSGS NSHMP-HAZ Code for Site-Specific Analysis
Peter Powers
12:00pm–1:00pmLunch
1:00pm–1:30pmUSGS Risk-Targeted Ground Motion Calculator
Nico Luco
1:30pm–3:00pmUSGS Resources for Deterministic Ground Motion Calculation
Nico Luco and Peter Powers
3:00pm–3:15pmAfternoon Break
3:15pm–4:00pmUse of USGS Software for ASCE 7-22 Ground Motions
Nico Luco

4:00pm–4:30pmOther USGS Software, including OpenSHA and Seismic Design Web Services
Nico Luco and Peter Powers
4:30pm–5:00pmDiscussion of Future USGS Software


VENUE
San Diego State University
Room: Hardy Tower 140
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182
Click here for an interactive map of the venue.
Click here for parking information. Please park in Parking Structure 12, 7, or 3.

REGISTRATION
Click here to register for the event.

LODGING
Click here for a list of hotels near San Diego State University.
Click here for an additional list of a series of hotels (Hotel Circle) located ~12 minutes driving distance from the venue.

TRANSPORTATION
Click here for a transportation map from Hotel Circle to the venue.
Transportation to and from the venue can also be utilized through Uber or Lyft.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Dr. Jorge Meneses
Janna Bonfiglio
Alvaro Celestino
Maryam Motamed
Tasneem Sadeque
Elainey Fetene
Athul Parayancode
Metehan Gumustekin

ASCE EERI Joint Luncheon

THE PROMISE OF SMART MATERIALS IN EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT DESIGN

Tuesday, February 26th, 2019
11:30am-1:30pm
Hilton San Diego Mission Valley
San Diego, CA

Join EERI in a joint luncheon with ASCE San Diego Section, featuring guest speaker Dr. Reginald DesRoches, EERI 2018 Distinguished Lecturer. The presentation will discuss the use of smart materials in bettering structural performance against seismic activity.

For members of EERI and ASCE = $35.00
For non-members = $45.00
For public agency workers = $20.00
For students or lifetime members = $15.00

For more information, click the images below to view event flyers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REGISTRATION
Click here to register for the luncheon.

VENUE
Hilton San Diego Mission Valley
901 Camino Del Rio South
San Diego, CA 92108

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018 December Dinner Meeting

EARTHQUAKE INSURANCE

Monday, December 10th, 2018
6:00pm-8:30pm
San Diego State University, Faculty-Staff Club
San Diego, CA
Free Parking

The topic of this dinner meeting is “Earthquake Insurance” with two distinguished speakers: Ms. Janiele Maffei, California Earthquake Authority, and Andrew Tran, Swiss Re. Further information on the talks and brief biographies of the speakers are presented below.

For members of EERI, ASCE, SEOSD, SDAG, AIA = $35.00
For non-members = $40.00

Click image on right to view event flyer.


REGISTRATION
Click here to register for the meeting.

 

PRESENTATIONS

CEA Earthquake Insurance for Homeowners, by Janiele Maffei

In 1996, the California Legislature went one step further and created the California Earthquake Authority (CEA)—a not-for-profit, publicly managed, privately funded entity. CEA places a high priority on educating California homeowners and renters about how to stay safe during an earthquake, and how to reduce the risk of earthquake damage and loss.

The CEA’s Chief Mitigation Officer developed earthquake guidelines which created statewide retrofit standards that are used to reduce earthquake damage in single-family dwellings. The CEA Mitigation Department manages multiple projects focused on expanding mitigation resources to homeowners and technical professionals; these projects also support the mitigation-related insurance-premium discount for CEA policyholders.

About 76 percent of California residential property insurance companies offer CEA earthquake policies. By selling our policies exclusively through these participating insurance companies, CEA has become one of the largest providers of residential earthquake insurance in the world.

Natural Catastrophe Gap, by Andrew Tran

At Swiss Re, our vision statement is “We make the world more resilient”: one area of focus is Natural Catastrophe Protection Gap.  Improved science and granular data along with sophisticated risk and financial models; we are taking steps to close the protection gap.

 

SPEAKERS

Janiele Maffei, Chief Mitigation Officer, California Earthquake Authority, Sacramento, CA

As Chief Mitigation Officer of the CEA, Janiele Maffei is responsible for planning and directing the statewide residential retrofit program; leading the processes of developing and promoting educational programs that stress the importance of mitigation; collaborating with academic institutions, and industries to promote and support mitigation research and activities; and other actions that promote seismic mitigation and support mitigation-related insurance-premium discount for CEA policyholders.

Ms. Maffei also serves as the Executive Director of the California Residential Mitigation Program, a Joint Power Authority of the CEA and Governor’s Office of Emergency Services since its inception in August 2011. She is a registered structural engineer who has worked in the earthquake engineering industry for over 36 years. Her experience includes the design of new building structures and seismic strengthening of existing structures. Ms. Maffei earned her AB in Architecture and M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.

Ms. Maffei served on EERI director board from 2012 to 2018. She worked on the organizing committee of the 2010 EERI Annual Meeting in San Francisco. She is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of California and served on their Board from 1995-1997. She participated in post-earthquake reconnaissance investigations following the Loma Prieta, Northridge, and South Napa earthquakes.

Andrew Tran, Senior Vice-President, Swiss Re

Andy is a Senior Vice President and Head Property Underwriting for US Core Partners Group at Swiss Re.   One of his main responsibilities is to manage the underwriting of the Property reinsurance treaty portfolio.  Outside of Swiss Re, Andy serve the as a commissioner on the California Seismic and Safety Commission and vice chairman of the Extreme Events Committee as part of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Since joining Swiss Re in 1996, he has held many lead roles including pricing property and casualty reinsurance business, managing loss reserve estimates, and financial reporting including actuarial opinions.  And prior to joining Swiss Re, Andy was with Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and Sullivan Brokerage Companies.

Andy graduated from the University of California of Los Angeles with a BS in Applied Mathematics and Science. He is an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society (ACAS), a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).

 

VENUE
Faculty-Staff Club
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182

PARKING INFORMATION
Parking is free for attendees. Please park in Levels 1 & 2 (bottom two levels) of Parking Structure 1, which can be seen on SDSU’s interactive map or on Google Maps.

Directions to Parking Structure 1 and the Faculty-Staff Club:
From Interstate 8 East, take Exit 10 at College Avenue. Proceeding south, turn right at the stoplight onto College Avenue. Then, turn left at the next stoplight–as you turn, you will see Parking Structure 1 immediately on your right. The entrances to Levels 1 & 2 will also be on your right; please park on these two floors.

Take the elevator to Level 6. Then, cross the bridge at Level 6 and climb the set of stairs that run next to the Education and Business Administration Building (which will be on your left). Cross the street and proceed to the Faculty-Staff Club.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Chair: Dr. Jorge Meneses
Janna Bonfiglio
Alvaro Celestino
Maryam Motamed
Tasneem Sadeque

Kenji Ishihara Colloquium Series on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering

“Seismic Settlements”

Friday, August 24, 2018
San Diego State University, Hardy Memorial Tower (HT-140)
San Diego, CA

The first of this colloquium series will focus on seismic settlements and will take place in the Hardy Memorial Tower at San Diego State University on Friday, August 24 between 8 AM and 5 PM. The topics that will be presented on during the colloquium are oriented towards geotechnical engineers, structural engineers, engineering geologists, architects, civil engineers, researchers, and students. Speakers, that include geotechnical and structural engineers, set to present at this colloquium include Prof. Jonathan Bray, Prof. Kohji Tokimatsu, Prof. Youssef Hashash, Prof. Susumu Yasuda, Craig Comartin, Stephen Harris, and other engineers and professors from the US and Japan.

Registration includes breakfast, lunch, and refreshments during the breaks.

Click here for information on each speaker and their presentations.


PROGRAM

Opening Ceremony

Refreshments/Registration7:00am8:00am
EERI8:00am8:05am
GI8:05am8:10am

Session 1 – Moderator: Anthony B. Court, SE, SEAOC Fellow

Prof. Youssef Hashash (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)Numerical Modeling and Simulation of Seismic Settlements in Dense Sands8:15am8:40am
Prof. Scott M. Olson (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)Semi-empirical estimates of shaking-induced settlement in saturated coarse-grained soils with or without a structure8:40am9:05am
Break9:05am9:10am
Prof. John S. McCartney (University of California, San Diego)Role of Unsaturated Soil Mechanics in the Prediction of Seismic Compression9:10am9:35am
Prof. Shideh Dashti (University of Colorado Boulder)Physics-Informed Semi-Empirical Probabilistic Models for Predicting Building Settlement and Tilt on Liquefiable Ground9:35am10:00am
4 speakersDiscussion Panel10:00am10:30am
Break10:30am10:45am
Prof. Edward J. Cording (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)Damage criterion for buildings subjected to lateral displacement and differential settlement10:45am11:10am
Craig D. Comartin, SE (CDComartin, Inc.)Structural effects of large seismically induced permanent ground displacement11:10am11:35am
Stephen Harris, SE (Simpson Gumpertz & Heger)ASCE 7-16 provisions on seismic settlements for liquefiable sites11:35am12:00pm
Lunch Break (Provided)12:00pm1:00pm
3 speakersDiscussion Panel1:00pm1:30pm

Session 2 – Moderator: Dr. Jorge Meneses

Prof. Jonathan D. Bray (University of California, Berkeley)Simplified Assessment of Liquefaction-Induced Building Settlement 1:30pm2:00pm
Prof. Kohji Tokimatsu (Tokyo Soil Research Co., Japan)Liquefaction-induced Settlement and Tilting of Buildings with Shallow Foundations from Centrifuge Experiments2:00pm2:30pm
SpeakersDiscussion Panel2:30pm3:00pm
Break3:00pm3:15pm
Garrett Fountain, PE, GE (Tensar International)Geogrid-Stabilized Gravel Rafts to Mitigate Liquefaction-Induced Differential Settlement3:15pm3:40pm
Dr. James R. Gingery (Hayward Baker, Inc.)Ground Improvement to Mitigate Seismic Settlement of Buildings3:40pm4:05pm
Prof. Susumu Yasuda (Tokyo Denki University, Japan)Ground improvement design procedure to mitigate liquefaction-induced settlement of buildings4:05pm4:30pm
Discussion Panel4:30pm5:00pm


VENUE
San Diego State University
Hardy Memorial Tower, Room HT-140
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182
Click here for an interactive map of the venue.
Click here for parking information. Please park in Parking Structure 12, 7, or 3.

REGISTRATION
Click here to register for the colloquium.

LODGING
Click here for a list of hotels near San Diego State University.
Click here for an additional list of a series of hotels (Hotel Circle) located ~12 minutes driving distance from the venue.

TRANSPORTATION
Click here for a transportation map from Hotel Circle to the venue.
Transportation to and from the venue can also be utilized through Uber or Lyft.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Chair: Dr. Jorge Meneses
Vice-Chair: Prof. Julio R. Valdes
Janna Bonfiglio
Alvaro Celestino
Metehan Gumustekin
Lydia Marshall
Federick Pinongcos
Tasneem Sadeque

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dr. Jorge Meneses at jmenesesl@gmail.com.

 

Speaker Information: Kenji Ishihara Colloquium Series on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering

“Seismic Settlements”
Speakers and Abstracts

Professor Youssef Hashash
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Numerical Modeling and Simulation of Seismic Settlements in Dense Sands

Abstract: The seismic performance of structures constructed on compacted, dense sands depends on the cyclic shear stress – shear strain – volumetric strain response of the underlying soil. Dense natural or compacted coarse-grained soils are not expected to liquefy during an earthquake. However, a thick granular deposit may experience accumulated volumetric strains due to seismic loading resulting in nontrivial total and differential settlements of structures. In these situations, reliable estimations of seismic settlements are essential for assessing the effects of earthquakes on the safety and serviceability of the structures.

This presentation describes results of series of numerical simulations using nonlinear three dimensional finite element analyses, to estimate the seismic settlements measured with depth in dynamic centrifuge tests conducted on dense, saturated sand under multi-directional seismic loading conditions with and without structure (free-field). The numerical simulations use a general, three dimensional effective stress soil model (I-soil) to describe important aspects of dense sands including small-strain nonlinearity, hysteretic damping, shear induced volumetric (contraction – dilation) behavior in terms of strains and excess porewater pressures, and effective mean stress dependency of the stress – strain behavior. I-soil uses distributed element plasticity (DEP) framework and does not require kinematic hardening rule. Thus, the mathematical formulation and numerical implementation is simple and efficient. The model is implemented in a transient dynamic finite element analysis software that uses explicit time integration. Model validation and input calibration utilized results from an extensive laboratory testing program (using cyclic direct simple shear testing), empirical relations developed for modulus reduction and damping curves, and one-dimensional nonlinear site response analyses for free-field centrifuge tests. The calibrated model is, then, used in 3-D SSI simulations. The results show that the simulations reasonably represent settlements measured under seismic loadings having various intensity levels for with and without structure cases. In addition, run times for full scale, 3-D SSI analyses are on the order of a couple of hours per broad band ground motion.

 

Professor Scott M. Olson
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Semi-empirical estimates of shaking-induced settlement in saturated coarse-grained soils with or without a structure

Abstract: Settlement of saturated, sandy soils during earthquakes is a pervasive problem, particularly when liquefaction is triggered. Structures are particularly vulnerable to damage resulting from shaking-induced settlements, as recently demonstrated by the dramatic economic losses resulting from shaking- and liquefaction-induced settlements of multi-story frame structures and one- to two-story residences during the 2010-11 Canterbury earthquake sequence. Despite the magnitude of the problem, empirical and semi-empirical methods to estimate shaking-induced settlements largely have been limited to free-field conditions (i.e., outside of the soil region affected by normal and shear stresses imposed by a structure) under idealized undrained or drained conditions. A few recent studies have focused on shaking-induced settlements of structures, and provide valuable insights for understanding the influence of structures on these settlements.

In this presentation, we will describe the development and validation of new, consistent semi-empirical models for estimating shaking-induced vertical strains and settlements in the free-field and below structures. The new models focus on partially drained conditions that commonly occur during earthquake shaking, use shear wave velocity or penetration resistance to capture soil state and compressibility, and use various intensity measures to capture seismic demand. Specifically, we simplified the calculations into three components: (1) settlement during shaking; (2) reconsolidation settlement after shaking; and (3) a punching/rocking mechanism when buildings are present. The models apply to a wide range of realistic field conditions involving liquefiable and non-liquefiable saturated sandy soils with shear wave velocity ranging from about 50 to 300 m/s and Arias intensities ranging from about 0.1 to 3.0 m/s. Data for the models were obtained from a dynamic centrifuge testing program (involving uni- and multi-directional shaking) and a thorough review of 1g shaking-table tests, dynamic centrifuge tests, and well-documented free-field and building settlement case records.

Bio: Scott M. Olson, PhD, PE is an associate professor in the CEE Department at the University of Illinois, where he joined the faculty in 2004. Prior to joining the faculty at Illinois, Scott worked in practice for about seven years for Woodward-Clyde Consultants and URS Corporation. Prof. Olson has researched static and seismic liquefaction for over 20 years, and has been involved in dozens of research and consulting projects involving geotechnical earthquake engineering including seismic hazard; site response; liquefaction; slope stability, and ground modification. Dr. Olson’s other research interests include laboratory/centrifuge testing, paleoliquefaction, insitu testing, geohazard analysis, and soil-foundation-structure interaction. From these activities, Scott has published over 120 journal papers, conference articles, and reports, and has received numerous awards for his research and teaching. Scott serves in various capacities for the Geo-Institute, USUCGER, and the Transportation Research Board (TRB), and remains active in consulting with clients in the civil infrastructure, power, transportation, and mining industries. He is a licensed professional engineer in Missouri.

 

Professor Shideh Dashti
University of Colorado Boulder
Physics-Informed Semi-Empirical Probabilistic Models for Predicting Building Settlement and Tilt on Liquefiable Ground

Abstract: This presentation introduces predictive models for the seismic settlement and tilt of shallow-founded structures on liquefiable ground based on an integrated observational, experimental, numerical, and statistical approach. Effective liquefaction mitigation requires an improved understanding of the consequences of liquefaction on structures. The state of practice typically involves estimating building settlement using empirical procedures for free-field conditions, which have been shown to be unreliable and inappropriate through previous case histories and physical model studies. To address this problem, first, a series of centrifuge experiments were performed to evaluate the dominant mechanisms of deformation near shallow-founded structures. Second, experimental results were used to evaluate the predictive capabilities of 3D, fully-coupled, nonlinear, dynamic finite element analyses of soil-structure systems in OpenSees. Third, a numerical parametric study (exceeding 63,000 simulations) was used to identify the most optimum Intensity Measures for permanent building settlement and tilt as well as the functional form of predictive models. And finally, a case history database helped validate and refine the models, accounting for field complexities not captured numerically or experimentally. This integrative approach yielded a set of procedures that are the first to consider variations in soil layering and geometry, foundation and structure properties (in 3D), soil-structure interaction, and total model uncertainties—all of which are necessary to realize the benefits of performance-based seismic design in evaluating and mitigating the liquefaction hazard.

Bio: Dr. Shideh Dashti is a faculty member in Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU). She obtained her undergraduate degree at Cornell University and graduate degrees at the University of California, Berkeley. She worked briefly with ARUP (New York City) and Bechtel (San Francisco) Geotechnical groups on several engineering projects in the US and around the world involving the design of foundation systems, slopes, and underground structures and tunnels. Her research team at CU studies: the interactions and interdependencies among different infrastructure systems during earthquakes and other types of disasters; the seismic performance of underground structures; and consequences and mitigation of the liquefaction hazard facing structures in isolation and in dense urban settings.
URL: https://shidehdashti.com

 

Dr. James R. Gingery
Hayward Baker
Ground Improvement to Mitigate Seismic Settlement of Buildings

Abstract: Ground improvement has a long history as a mitigation strategy for seismically induced settlement of building foundations.  Experience has shown that seismic performance of structures supported by ground improvement has generally been good.  But good performance depends on the sound design practices that target performance criteria.  In this presentation, the basic shear- and volume-related mechanisms of seismic settlement will be reviewed.  Various methods of ground improvement, including aggregate piers, soil mixing, rigid inclusions, compaction grouting and jet grouting, will be reviewed with respect to their ability to counteract the various seismic settlement mechanisms.  Key issues related to design of ground improvement for seismic settlement mitigation will be reviewed.  Recent work on methods to account for the reinforcing effect on volumetric seismic settlements will be discussed.  This information will be presented with an eye toward the implications of major changes in ASCE 7-16 for design of foundations on liquefiable ground.

Bio: Dr. James Gingery is a Chief Engineer in Hayward Baker, Inc.’s western region.  He has over twenty years of experience in geotechnical and earthquake engineering for water, energy, transportation, industrial/commercial and residential projects.  Dr. Gingery specializes in seismic hazard characterization and mitigation, particularly liquefaction, slope stability, surface fault rupture and soil-structure interaction.  He also has worked extensively in soft ground engineering and underground construction.  He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from San Jose State University, an M.S. in Geotechnical Engineering from U.C. Berkeley and a Ph.D. focused on geotechnical earthquake engineering from U.C. San Diego.  Dr. Gingery as a 2015 recipient of the Shamsher Prakash Price for Excellence in the Practice of Geotechnical Engineering.

 

Garrett Fountain, PE, GE
Tensar International
Geogrid-Stabilised Gravel Rafts to Mitigate Liquefaction-Induced Differential Settlement

Abstract: While guidance documents for both California and New Zealand already recommend geogrid-stabilized gravel rafts as a shallow ground improvement method to mitigate liquefaction-induced settlement, they lack a design method to tailor the solution to site-specific conditions. In this presentation, a new design method will be described to address this need and which will also be used to explain the effectiveness of this ground improvement technique. Case studies of stabilized gravel rafts subjected to the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence will also be presented.

Bio: Mr. Fountain is a 1999 Civil Engineering graduate from the University of Arizona with an emphasis in geotechnical engineering.  His professional engineering licenses include the states of Arizona, Nevada, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and Wyoming.  Additionally, Garrett is licensed as a Geotechnical Engineering in the states of California and Oregon.  He has over 20 years of geotechnical engineering and construction experience.  As Tensar’s West Area Engineer Garrett provides engineering support for Tensar’s regional managers and key clients in the application of geosynthetics and value engineering.  Additionally, Garrett assists in numerous research and testing programs on various transportation and foundation projects.  Garrett is based out of San Diego, California.

 

Professor Susumu Yasuda
Tokyo Denki University, Japan
Ground improvement design procedure to mitigate liquefaction-induced settlement of buildings
Abstract: 
A design procedure to mitigate liquefaction-induced settlements on buildings is presented along with some case histories in Japan. The design procedure includes definition of the allowable settlement and tilting of buildings, delineation of the area and depth of ground improvement, and finally selection of the ground improvement method. Case histories on new and existing buildings in Japan will be presented and discussed.

Bio:
 Dr. Susumu Yasuda is professor of civil and environmental engineering and vice president at Tokyo Denki University. He was born in Hiroshima in 1948. He received his B.S. in civil engineering from Kyushu Institute of Technology, and his Dr. of Engineering in civil engineering from University of Tokyo in 1975. Following his Dr. of Engineering, he worked at Kiso-jiban Consultants Co. as a geotechnical consulting engineer. He joined Kyushu Institute of Technology in 1986, and then moved to Tokyo Denki University in 1994. His main research interest is in soil liquefaction during earthquakes. He visited many countries to investigate the damage due to liquefaction. He was the Vice President of the Japanese Geotechnical Society in 2006 to 2007 and the President of Japan Association for Earthquake Engineering from 2013 to 2014. In the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, he was the chairman of the Asian Technical Committee (ATC) No.10 on Urban Geo-informaticsman in 2002 to 2006 and the chairman of the ATC No.3 on Geotechnology for Natural Hazards in 2006 to 2010. Now, he is the Vice President of Tokyo Denki University.

 

Professor Jonathan D. Bray
University of California, Berkeley
Simplified Assessment of Liquefaction-Induced Building Settlement

Abstract: Significant settlement and damage may occur due to liquefaction of soils beneath shallow-founded buildings. Liquefaction-induced settlement of buildings on shallow foundations requires evaluation of shear-induced, volumetric-induced, and ejecta-induced ground settlement mechanisms. There are simplified procedures available for estimating volumetric-induced settlement, which are largely due to post-liquefaction one-dimensional reconsolidation settlement for free-field conditions. However, there are few well-established simplified procedures for estimating shear-induced building settlement due to liquefaction. Nonlinear dynamic soil-structure interaction (SSI) effective stress analyses can capture this mechanism (e.g., Luque & Bray 2017). It is the basis for a recently developed procedure by Bray & Macedo (2017) for estimating the shear-induced component of liquefaction-induced building settlement. The liquefaction-induced building settlement (LBS) index characterizes the cyclic shear strain potential of the soils underlying the structure to estimate shear-induced liquefaction building settlement. The Bray & Macedo (2017) procedure is shown to provide estimates of liquefaction-induced building settlement consistent with those observed. Thus, it offers engineers a reliable simplified procedure for estimating liquefaction-induced building displacements. The Bray & Macedo (2017) simplified procedure is discussed and applied to a field case history to provide insights in this talk.

 

Professor Kohji Tokimatsu
Tokyo Soil Research Co., Japan
Liquefaction-induced Settlement and Tilting of Buildings with Shallow Foundations from Centrifuge Experiments

Abstract: In order to examine relative importance of key parameters affecting liquefaction-induced settlement and tilting of buildings with shallow foundations, centrifuge experiments were made.  It is shown that: (1) The liquefaction-induced relative settlement and tilting of shallow foundations tend to increase with increasing contact pressure and ground settlement, and with decreasing groundwater table and thickness of the non-liquefied crust; (2) The tilt angle of the building also tends to increase with increasing eccentric mass and distance ratio; and (3) The safety factors against vertical load and dynamic overturning moment are key indicators to estimate liquefaction-induced damage to buildings with rigid shallow foundations.

Bio: Kohji Tokimatsu is a Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Institute of Technology and currently serves as an Executive Managing Director, Tokyo Soil Research Co., Ltd. Tokimatsu’s research area lies principally in geotechnical earthquake engineering with emphasis on liquefaction and its remediation, seismic soil-pile-structure interaction, and geotechnical and geophysical site characterization; through advanced dynamic field and laboratory testing, dynamic full-scale and centrifuge shaking-table experimentation, and earthquake reconnaissance together with theoretical and numerical studies. Major awards were received for outstanding technical papers from JGS, in 1988 and 2006, and from AIJ in 2003, as well as the Thomas A. Middlebrooks Award, ASCE, conferred in 2006.  In 2009 he was awarded the Prize for Science and Technology, by MEXT for the significance of his contributions to geotechnical earthquake engineering research.

 

Professor Edward J. Cording
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Damage criterion for buildings subjected to lateral displacement and differential settlement

Abstract: Current distortion and damage criterion for buildings subjected to ground movements is summarized, and examples are provided showing the effects of lateral and vertical ground movement on buildings, based on field observations, and numerical and physical modelling.

Boscardin and Cording (1989) developed a relationship for masonry building damage due to lateral strain and angular distortion for a deep beam, extending the work of Burland and Wroth (1974) for differential settlement of masonry walls with window penetrations modeled as beams with high E/G ratios.   The relationship was correlated with observations of damage due to excavation- and tunneling-induced ground movements and with relationships developed over the past 60 years for buildings settling under their own weight, displacing laterally due to deep mine subsidence, and displacing vertically and laterally due to urban excavation and tunneling.  Damage levels were based on observations of masonry structures.

The Boscardin and Cording relationship for lateral strain and angular distortion has been updated, with minor modification of boundaries, and expressed in terms of the state of strain at a point (Cording, et. al. 2001, 2010). The boundaries between damage zones are constant values of maximum principal extension strain.  The relationship can be used to represent the average state of strain in the bottom or top of a structural bay, for infill or cladding, or finished walls in a frame structure, as well as for a masonry beam.

Subsequent to the Boscardin and Cording work, observations have been made of excavation- and  tunneling-induced damage to a number of different types of  masonry structures, and results have been correlated with numerical and physical modelling of masonry structures.

Bio: B Sc Geology, Wheaton College, 1960.
M Sc, PhD, Civil Engineering, University of Illinois 1963, 1967.
Design, construction, analysis of 120-ft- dia. rock caverns in weak, stress slabbing tuft, Nevada.
1965-67 US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, & U.S.A.E. Command, Vietnam.

Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Civil & Environmental. Engineering, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Teaching and research in geotechnical engineering with emphasis on the observation and analysis of rock and soil behavior on engineering projects, utilizing the field as the laboratory in the areas of rock mechanics and engineering geology, soil-structure interaction, underground construction.

Field observation & analysis of ground behavior and stability of slopes, excavations, deep mountain & shallow urban caverns and tunnels in rock 

Conducted instrumentation program for Washington Metro Phase 1 construction of station cavern in rock, braced excavations, and shield tunnels,Assessment and control of tunneling- and excavation-induced ground movements. Field observations, and numerical and physical modeling of building distortion, lateral strain, and damage due to excavation and tunneling. Developed building distortion/damage criterion.

Geotechnical Consultant: Recent Projects include:
New York City: Long Island Railroad East Side Access Project: siting and initial design recommendations for terminal in rock caverns beneath Grand Central Terminal; 2nd Avenue Subway; evaluation of rock cavern and tunnel ground and support condition; Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Construction: construction of No. 7 line TBM tunnels and station caverns; THE Partnership: design of Trans-Hudson tunnels in soil and station caverns in rock.
Toronto Transit Commission: Control of ground movements for Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) tunneling at shallow depth beneath York University building’; Feasibility of large diameter tunnels for running tunnels, stations, and cross-overs on the Scarborough line.
Port Mann, B. C Water Tunnel: Construction of 60-m-deep shafts & EPB tunnel beneath Fraser R.

Current Projects include:
LA Metro Tunnel Advisory Panel: design & construction of transit tunnels & underground stations.
Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project, Seattle Tunnel Partners: Ground monitoring & control of 17.5-m-diameter EPBM during tunneling beneath downtown Seattle.
DC WATER Tunnel Review Panel. design & construction of Blue Plains, Anacostia River, and Northeast Boundary, Potomac River tunnel projects.
California High Speed Rail Project: Technical Advisory Panel.

Honors:
Member, National Academy of Engineering, 1989;
ASCE Martin S. Kapp Award;
Moles Non-member Award for Outstanding Achievement in Construction, 2003;
ASCE Geo Institute Harry Schnabel Award for Career Excellence in Earth Retaining Structures,
Outstanding Educator Award, UCA of SME, 2012;
Beaver’s Engineering Award for Outstanding Achievement in Heavy Engineering Construction, 2013
Fellow, American Rock Mechanics Association, 2013.

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Stephen Harris, SE
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
ASCE 7-16 provisions on seismic settlements for liquefiable sites

Abstract: ASCE7-16 includes specific provisions for design of structures on liquefiable sites.  The liquefaction provisions require design for seismic settlements computed considering MCEg ground motions.  Most of the seismic provisions in ASCE7 are based on providing life-safe facilities under the design earthquake, which is defined as 2/3 of the risk-adjusted MCE.  These new provision differ, as they are based on the higher level of ground shaking, but with a reduced performance expectation of avoiding collapse.  As such, the provisions explicitly allow inelastic structural behavior.  This presentation includes an overview of the new provisions, a discussion of the limitations on the use of shallow foundations, and description of the design requirements for shallow and deep foundation systems on liquefiable sites.

Bio: Stephen Harris has practiced structural engineering for over 30 years and is a principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. He is a graduate of the University of California at Davis and a registered Structural Engineer.  His experience includes design of new structures, seismic strengthening of existing structures and design of pile foundation systems.  His pile foundation designs include the 49ers Levi’s Stadium, three new buildings for Facebook in Menlo Park, the new SFO Control Tower, and Google’s new Charleston East Facility in Mountain View.  Other noteworthy projects include the seismic upgrade of the War Memorial Veterans Building in San Francisco, the expansion, remodel, and seismic upgrade of the J. Paul Leonard & Sutro Library at San Francisco State University, and design of the 29-story 199 Fremont office building in San Francisco.

 

Craig D. Comartin, SE
CDComartin, Inc.
Structural effects of large seismically induced permanent ground displacement

Abstract: This presentation addresses the behavior of structures subject to large seismically induced permanent horizontal and vertical displacements.  Such displacements can occur as the result of fault movement or land sliding beneath structures.  Examples of observations in past earthquakes illustrate concepts of basic behavior mechanisms.  The structural consequences of these characteristic mechanisms are idealized for structural analysis and design purposes.  General application for displacements hazards is discussed.  Several examples of new design and retrofit of major structures are reviewed.  These include:

  • Anchorage Courthouse, Supreme Court of Alaska
  • California Memorial Stadium, University of California, Berkeley
  • Bowles Hall, University of California, Berkeley

Bio: Craig Comartin is a graduate of Santa Clara University (BSCE 1971) and the University of California, Berkeley (MSCE 1973). He has been a practicing Structural Engineer in seismically active regions of the world for over forty years.  He is the engineer of record for structures in California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Alaska, and the Marianas Islands.  He consults on construction projects and collaborates with researchers throughout the world.  Clients include the Bay Area Rapid Transit System, Stanford University, and the University of California, Office of the President, as well as the Berkeley, Davis, UCLA, Santa Cruz, and UCSF campuses.  He has lead investigations of past earthquakes in Guam, Japan, Iran, and Turkey. For the last 25 years, he has focused on the development and application of performance-based design (PBD) to earthquake engineering.  He is responsible to the initial development and incorporation of foundation-structure interaction into seismic analysis and design.  He has also developed and applied procedures for accommodating large permanent seismically-induced displacements beneath structures to avoid collapse. Craig is the founding director of the Concrete Coalition, a grassroots program of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, to improve the safety of existing concrete buildings worldwide.  He is a former President and Honorary Member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.  He is an Honorary Member of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California.

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