Understanding and developing seismic analysis and design methodologies to mitigate the impact of earthquakes on infrastructure, buildings, bridges, and pipelines (water, sewer, gas, and oil). Developing analytical relationships that support decision-making and advance the state-of-the art in design codes, a key to future sustainability and durability.
Our research relies heavily on our world-class geotechnical centrifuge facility and a 1g shaking table for structural system testing. The geotechnical centrifuge facility, one of the largest in the U.S. and among the top 20 in the world, has in-flight 2-D shaking and robotic testing capabilities. Both the centrifuge and the shaking table are the major experimental components of CEES (Center for Earthquake Engineering Simulation), a School of Engineering Interdisciplinary Research Center (see Center for Earthquake Engineering Simulation).