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Earthquake Engineering Group

Develops, advances, and deploys measurement science for earthquake hazards reduction for buildings and infrastructure lifelines in ways that enhance public safety, community resilience, and economic security.

The Earthquake Engineering Group carries out mission functions as lead federal agency for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and to improve codes, standards, and practices for buildings and lifelines; support development and commercial application of cost effective and affordable performance-based seismic engineering tools; and conduct disaster and failure studies to reduce the risk of earthquake hazards to buildings, lifelines, fire protection systems, and building occupants.   Carries out measurement science research and services to support mission functions as may be necessary; promotes implementation of earthquake risk reduction measures; supports national construction safety teams; and leads planning, coordination, and other statutory functions for NEHRP. 

NEWS AND UPDATES

Projects and Programs

Building-Level Seismic Performance Assessment

Ongoing
Objective: To better understand the seismic performance of buildings designed in areas of medium-to-high seismicity and to identify ways to create enhanced performance through low-damage approaches, improved code provisions, and improved analysis procedures. What is the Problem? Despite progress

Collapse Assessment of Buildings under Seismic Loading

Completed
Objective - To evaluate the collapse probabilities of a suite of steel buildings for a series of increasingly severe earthquake ground motions, and to compare these probabilities to the collapse objective presumed in ASCE/SEI 7. The probabilities of collapse will be determined using the methodology

Publications

Assessing Structural Performance Using Energy

Author(s)
Kevin K F Wong
Buildings in seismic regions are designed to sustain significant damage during major earthquakes with collapse. Traditional linear design procedures use a force

Awards