Seismic
Engineering
Earthquake-resistant design, base isolation, structural health monitoring, and the science of protecting structures from seismic forces.
Seismic engineering sits at the intersection of geoscience, structural mechanics, and public safety. From the development of performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) to the deployment of smart isolation systems in supertall buildings, LoadBearing covers the full spectrum of seismic practice — from code development to post-earthquake field investigation.
Seismic Articles
Tokyo's New Seismic Spine: 350m Tower Uses Triple Pendulum Bearings
Obayashi Corporation unveils the structural system behind the Shinagawa Nexus Tower, featuring a world-first triple-pendulum base isolation array capable of accommodating 1.2m of horizontal displacement.
Noto Peninsula Recovery: Lessons from Japan's Latest Seismic Event
One year on from the M7.6 earthquake, Japanese engineers report on retrofit performance, soil liquefaction patterns, and community resilience strategies for coastal settlements.
Collapse Fragility of Pre-1980s RC Frames: New Research Quantifies Retrofit Benefits
Incremental dynamic analyses show that BRB retrofit reduces median collapse fragility by a factor of 3.2 to 4.7 for non-ductile concrete frames.
EU Adopts EN 1998-1:2024 — What Changes for Practising Engineers
A practical guide to the key changes in the revised Eurocode 8, including the shift to performance-based design and the new site classification system.
Self-Centering Steel Frames: From Research to Commercial Practice
Post-tensioned rocking steel frames are moving from laboratory to construction sites, with three projects now completed in New Zealand and Chile.
The Cascadia Subduction Zone: Engineering for a Magnitude 9 Event
With a major Cascadia event overdue, engineers in the Pacific Northwest are confronting the gap between current code requirements and actual seismic risk.
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