News Prior to 2011
- 12/18/10 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2010/110 - Seismic Performance Assessment and Probabilistic Repair Cost Analysis of Precast Concrete Cladding Systems for Multistory Buildings
- 12/18/10 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2010/108 - Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard in California
- 12/17/10 – PEER leads Global Ground Motion Prediction Equations development for GEM
- 12/14/10 – Just Released: 2010 PEER Ground Motion Database – Beta Version
- 12/01/10 – PEER/ATC 72-1 report released about nonlinear modeling of tall buildings
- 12/01/10 – Newly released NEHRP Seismic Design Technical Briefs No. 3 & No. 4
- 12/01/10 – EERI has a Post Graduation Internship Position Open
- 11/12/10 – Testing for the Nonductile Concrete Grand Challenge Project gets media attention
- 11/10/10 – OpenSees Upgrades and launch on NEEShub
- 11/09/10 – Request for Proposals: PEER TSRP-2010-01
- 11/08/10 – New publication posted: PEER 2010/04 Application Guide for the Design of Flexible and Rigid Bus Connections between Substation Equipment Subjected to Earthquakes
- 10/29/10 – Nearly 100 users attend OpenSees Days 2010
- 10/29/10 – Video now posted: SEMM Seminar: Integrated Project Delivery Spawns Innovation – A Case Study
- 10/28/10 – Winners of PEER/NEES Concrete Column Blind Prediction Contest 2010
- 10/25/10 – RFP from NRC: Earth Pressures on Deep Foundation Walls during Seismic Events
- 10/22/10 – Senior Research Fellow Appointment in Mechanical and Civil Engineering at the California Institute of Technology
- 10/21/10 – Call for Abstracts: 9th Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering
- 10/15/10 – Faculty Position in Geotechnical Engineering at University of California, Irvine
- 10/12/10 – Research Opportunities at Tongji University China for Graduate Students applying to NSF East Asia And Pacific Summer Institutes
- 10/12/10 – STESSA 2012: Behaviour of Steel Structures in Seismic Areas – Santiago, Chile – January 9-11, 2012
- 10/04/10 – Briefing on New Zealand Canterbury Earthquake
- 10/01/10 – Video now posted: NGA East: SSHAC Workshop 1 – Critical Issues and Data Needs
- 09/23/10 – PEER/UC Berkeley sponsored Seminar by Professor Maria E. Moreyra Garlock – Félix Candela: Strength and Elegance in Structural Engineering
- 09/15/10 – PEER Interns win awards at NEES REU Young Researcher Symposium
- 09/14/10 – Video now posted: PEER/UC Berkeley sponsored Seminar by Professor Deierlein: Damage Resistant Braced Frames with Controlled Rocking and Energy Dissipating Fuses
- 09/14/10 – 10 undergrads participate in 2010 PEER Summer Internship Program
- 09/13/10 – PEER sponsors researchers to study Canterbury Earthquake in NZ
- 09/09/10 – Call for Abstracts – Performanced-Based Engineering Minisymposium at COMPDYN 2011)
- 09/09/10 – Vitelmo V. Bertero to be awarded Doctor Honoris Causa by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
- 09/09/10 – PEER/UC Berkeley sponsored Seminar by Professor Deierlein: Damage Resistant Braced Frames with Controlled Rocking and Energy Dissipating Fuses
- 08/24/10 – NSF East Asia And Pacific Summer Institutes For U.S. Graduate Students – Application Open
- 08/19/10 – Requests for Proposals for the NGA East Project
- 08/17/10 – Concrete Column Blind Prediction Contest 2010
- 08/12/10 – Successful NEES Grand Challenge Corner Beam-Column Joint Tests at UC Berkeley
- 08/12/10 – OpenSees Days 2010: September 02, 2010
- 08/10/10 – PEER’s server will be offline for scheduled maintenance on Saturday, August 14 from 1 to 5 PM.
- 08/10/10 – ROSE School Prize 2010 awarded to Vitelmo V. Bertero
- 07/19/10 – Build Change Jobs and Consulting Opportunities for Haiti
- 07/08/10 – Abstract submission extended until Friday July 16, 2010 for Eurodyn 2011
- 06/18/10 – Quake Summit 2010 – Website and Registration now open!
- 06/14/10 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2010/106 – Verification of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis Computer Programs
- 05/27/10 – Successful Demonstration of New Isolated Bridge System at UCB Shaking Table
- 05/24/10 – Free Demonstration of New Isolated Bridge System at UCB Shaking Table
- 05/17/10 – 2010 Summer Internship Opportunity for Master’s Students with FM Global & PEER
- 05/12/10 – EERI Post Graduation Internship Program – Now Accepting Applicants for Summer 2010
- 05/10/10 – Job Announcement: FM Global seeks Entry Level and Senior Research Scientists
- 05/10/10 – PEER Researchers Moehle and Bray to participate in Chile Earthquake Debate hosted by EERI NC Chapter on May 19
- 05/10/10 – The Huixian Earthquake Engineering Scholarship
- 04/29/10 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2010/105 – Structural Engineering Reconnaissance of the April 6, 2009, Abruzzo, Italy, Earthquake, and Lessons Learned
- 04/28/10 – Lecture: Protecting the World’s Most Vulnerable Communities from Earthquakes – May 10, Palo Alto, CA
- 04/23/10 – Briefing: Haiti Four Months Later – May 5th, San Francisco, CA
- 04/20/10 – NSF Webcast: Learning from Haiti on April 27, 2010
- 04/19/10 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2010/103 – Post-Earthquake Traffic Capacity of Modern Bridges in California
- 04/19/10 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2010/101 – Rocking Response of Bridges on Shallow Foundations
- 04/19/10 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2010/01 – Structural Response and Cost Characterization of Bridge Construction Using Seismic Performance Enhancement Strategies
- 04/13/10 – May 7, 2010 LA Tall Building Seismic Design Council Conference: Design Showcase
- 04/01/10 – Chile EERI/PEER Reconnaissance Briefing files posted
- 03/19/10 – Chile EERI/PEER Reconnaissance Briefing at UCB and by Webcast on Tuesday March 30, 2010
- 03/18/10 – Save The Date! 2010 NEES/PEER Joint Annual Conference, Thursday-Saturday, October 7-9, 2010, San Francisco, California
- 03/17/10 – PEER Students participate in Successful Young Researcher Activities at the 2010 CUEE Conference in Tokyo, Japan
- 03/17/10 – AIR-Worldwide SF Office seeks Principal Engineer for Engineering Analysis and Research
- 03/16/10 – PEER Signs Major Contract with California Earthquake Authority (CEA) Following-up on NGA West Project
- 03/15/10 – PEER sends researchers to investigate damage from Feb 27, 2010 Chile Earthquake
- 02/19/10 – The February 27, 2010 Chile Earthquake: Preliminary earthquake strong motion records and response spectrum available
- 02/19/10 – 2010 Haitian Earthquake – NSF RAPID Funding Opportunity: Dear Colleague Letter NSF 10-024
- 02/19/10 – Video Now Posted: Dr. Silvia Mazzoni – Recent developments in BuildingTcl to assist in modeling, analysis and assessment of seismic response response using OpenSees
- 02/19/10 – GEER Report Now Available: January 9, 2010 Offshore Northern California Earthquake
- 02/19/10 – Deadline March 1st: Travel Grant Application Due for Students, Early Academics, and Early Professionals to attend 9USN/10CCEE Conference
- 02/16/10 – Opportunity to help the Concrete Coalition in San Francisco on Saturday Feb 27th
- 02/02/10 – Next Generation Attenuation for CEUS (NGA-East) “Sigma” Workshop – Berkeley, California.
- 01/29/10 – PEER’s server will be offline for scheduled maintenance on Sunday, January 31 from 1 to 6 PM.
- 01/29/10 – PEER 2009 Undergraduate Interns receive awards for their research projects
- 01/22/10 – Preliminary Reconnaissance Presentation about Haiti Earthquake by Eduardo Fierro on Jan 26 at UC Berkeley
- 01/21/10 – PEER’s Haiti Earthquake website now available with recent images & data from researchers in Haiti
- 01/20/10 – Professor Deierlei n is selected as one of ENR’s “Top 25 Newsmakers of 2009″
- 01/19/10 – Request for Proposals: GEM Risk Global Components
- 01/14/10 – NGA Awarded Outstanding Earthquake Spectra Paper of 2008
- 01/12/10 – Preliminary Observations from the Ferndale Area Earthquake of Jan 9, 2010
- 01/11/10 – Applications Due March 15 for 2010 Asia-Pacific Summer School in Smart Structures Technology
- 12/22/09 – Hugh Donald McNiven, professor emeritus of civil and earthquake engineering, died on December 7, 2009
- 12/17/09 – Next Generation Attenuation for CEUS (NGA-East) – Request for Technical Proposals for Development of Ground Motion Prediction Equations for Central & Eastern US – Deadline to submit technical proposals: January 29, 2010
- 12/10/09 – 2009 PEER Annual Meeting: Presentations now available for download
- 12/10/09 – 2009 3AESE: Presentations now available for download
- 12/10/09 – 2009 Loma Prieta Earthquake Commemorative Symposium: Presentations and video now available for download
- 12/02/09 – Next Generation Attenuation for CEUS (NGA-East) “Sigma” Workshop on February 10, 2010
- 11/13/09 – Sept 30, 2009 Western Sumatra Earthquake: Reconnaissance Briefing on Dec 2, 2009 at Stanford
- 11/12/09 – Yousef Bozorgnia becomes PEER’s Executive Director
- 11/05/09 – Recon Team Discovers: Community Education and Evacuation Planning Saved Lives in Sept. 29 Samoan Tsunami
- 11/04/09 – AIR-Worldwide SF Office seeks Principal Engineer for Engineering Analysis and Research
- 11/02/09 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2009/02 – Improving Earthquake Mitigation through Innovations and Applications in Seismic Science, Engineering, Communication, and Response
- 9/22/09 – National Science Foundation East Asia And Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students – 2010 Application Now Open
- 9/14/09 – COSMOS Technical Session on Practical Application of the new ASCE 7-10 Required Procedures for Determining Site Specific Ground Motions
- 9/11/09 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2009/103 – Performance Evaluation of Innovative Steel Braced Frames
- 9/10/09 – USGS Mendenhall Research Fellowship Program accepting applicants–due Nov 9, 2009
- 9/08/09 – Deierlein and his team complete E-Defense testing of Self-Centering Rocking Steel Frame
- 9/04/09 – Posted: Excel File All NGA Models – PEER – September 2009
- 9/04/09 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2009/102 – Liquefaction and Nonliquefaction Case Histories from the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake
- 9/01/09 – PEER 2009 Undergraduate Interns receive awards for their research projects
- 8/11/09 – Earthquakeretrofit.org website launched to track risk reduction progress since 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake
- 7/23/09 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2009/01 – Evaluation of Ground Motion Selection and Modification Methods: Predicting Median Interstory Drift Response of Buildings
- 7/21/09 – July 23, 2009 Seminar: Seismic Performance and Post-Earthquake Resilience of Highway Systems: Berkeley, California
- 7/10/09 – Institute of Engineering Mechanics in China launches 2009 Young Researcher Exchange Program
- 7/10/09 – Register for OpenSees Days August 27-28 2009: User & Developer Workshops
- 6/29/09 – 160 attend Caltrans-PEER Seismic Research Seminar
- 6/26/09 – Posted: Caltrans & PEER Seismic Research Seminar videos
- 6/25/09 – Call for Abstracts: 7th International Bridge Engineering Conference – Improving Reliability and Safety – Restoration, Renewal and Replacement
- 6/24/09 – PEER Reports 2005/09 and 2006/05 Receive SEAONC Award of Excellence
- 5/20/09 – Call for Papers for the 3rd International Conference on Advances in Experimental Structural Engineering
- 5/15/09 – Call for Nominations for the 2009 SP Prize For Excellence in the Practice of Geotechnical Engineering
- 5/13/09 – PEER Researchers Kramer and Mayfield awarded 2009 ASCE Norman Medal
- 5/04/09 – New PEER Report Published: PEER 2008/09 – NGA Model for Average Horizontal Component of Peak Ground Motion and Response Spectra
- 4/17/09 – EERI/PEER Reconnaissance Team investigates M 6.3 L’Aquila, Italy Earthquake
- 4/07/09 – PEER Students attend CUEE Conference and Visit E-Defense Shaking Table in Japan
- 3/30/09 – USGS solicits applications for Earthquake Research Grants
- 3/30/09 – Earthquake in Northern California: *Morgan Hill, Mw 4.3* March 30, 2009
- 3/26/09 – Registration now available for OpenSees Parallel Workshop 09 – May 22, 2009
- 3/24/09 – Caltech earthquake engineering post-doctoral scholar position available
- 3/24/09 – 2009 Summer Internship Program for Undergraduates – now accepting applications
- 3/23/09 – New PEER Report Published – PEER 2008/104: Experimental and Analytical Study of the Seismic Performance of Retaining Structures
- 3/23/09 – PEER students sponsored to attend EERI’s Liquefaction Seminar
- 3/17/09 – Job Opportunities: NIST seeking applicants for Earthquake Engineering Research Team Leader and Earthquake Engineer Positions
- 3/16/09 – Register for the 27th Annual GeoEngineering Distinguished Lecture Series At UC Berkeley on May 8, 2009
- 02/20/09 – ANCER Releases Inaugural Newsletter
- 02/26/09 – FREE Registration to EERI Seminar about Soil Liquefaction Available from PEER
- 02/26/09 – PEER has developed a Collaborative agreement with Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan
- 02/20/09 – PEER to host commemorative event for 20th Anniversary of Loma Prieta Earthquake
- 02/04/09 – University of Washington College of Engineering to Honor Ray Clough
- 01/26/09 – SEAOC 2009 Convention – Call for Abstracts
- 01/23/09 – Call for Abstracts for the 9th US National & 10th Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering
- 01/23/09 – 2009 ANCER Workshop – First Announcement and Call for Papers
- 12/12/08 – New PEER Director Follows Merge of PEER and UC Berkeley’s EERC
- 12/02/08 – Major Research Contract Signed to Develop Next Generation Attenuation Models for Central
- 11/17/08 – In Remembrance of George W. Housner
- 11/10/08 – Impressive Response to PEER Transportation Systems Research Program RFP
- 10/29/08 – Five US Engineers recognized as “Legends of Earthquake Engineering”
- 10/29/08 – Employment opportunity with the USGS National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project, Golden, CO
- 10/29/08 – Jennings steps down, Kutter elected as new Chair of PEER Institutional Board
- 10/29/08 – 2009 Blind Analysis Contest at E-Defense
- 10/28/08 – COSMOS 2008 Technical Session: Call for Posters
- 10/6/08 – OpenSees Days 2008 – Summary Report and Workshop Materials Available
- 9/4/08 – Videos posted from the Wenchuan Earthquake Seminar
- 8/26/08 – Presentations posted from the Wenchuan Earthquake Seminar
- 8/21/08 – Professor Jonathan P. Stewart receives the 2008 ASCE Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize
- 8/21/08 – Professor Jonathan P. Stewart leads Reconnaissance team in Greece to investigate the June 8th earthquake
- 8/12/08 – August 18, 2008: Wenchuan Earthquake Seminar
- 7/30/08 – PEER Sponsors Students to attend EERI Seminar about Deep Foundations
- 7/30/08 – Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake in Los Angeles, July 29, 2008
- 7/22/08 – Wenchuan Earthquake: Observations & Photos from University of California Reconnaissance Team
- 7/16/08 – Gregory Fenves to be Dean of Engineering at University of Texas at Austin
- 7/11/08 – Miyamoto releases reconnaissance report on the May 12, 2008 China Earthquake
- 7/1/08 – NCREE issues reconnaissance report on the May 12, 2008 China Earthquake
- 6/20/08 – Current Issue of Earthquake Spectra focused on NGA models is published
- 6/17/08 – Tall Building Initiative Signs Contract with CSSC and CalEMA for Research Project
- 6/10/08 – FREE Registration to EERI Seminar about Deep Foundations Available from PEER
- Quick Reconnaissance Report: Magnitude 7.9 Earthquake in Eastern Sichuan, China
- PEER hosts “roundtable discussion” with Leslie Robertson for students
- New FEMA 461 Publication about Testing Protocols for Performance Based Design
- USGS releases 2008 US National Seismic Hazard Maps: Maps, Open-File Report 2008-1128 (PDF file – 15.5 MB)
- PEER announces addition of new Outreach Director
- Professor Jack Moehle Awarded ACI’s Arthur J. Boase Award
- PEER announces addition of new Outreach Director
- Professor Jack Moehle Awarded ACI’s Arthur J. Boase Award
- NGA-East Workshop on May 13, 2008
- PEER Director Jack Moehle is Elected as a Member of EERI Board of Directors
- Concrete Coalition Received Funding From FEMA
- Hurricane Katrina: Lessons for Earthquake Risk Reduction
- Yousef Bozorgnia, PEER Associate Director, has joined the Board of the EERI Northern California Chapter as a new Director
- Job Opportunity – PEER Outreach Director position available
- Experimental and Computational Assessment of In-Span Hinge Diaphragms in Concrete Box-Girder Bridges
- With NRC funding, PEER initiated a comprehensive multidisciplinary program: NGA-East
- PEER Testing Underway on Caltrans-Design Bridge Column
- Building Pakistan’s Capacity in Earthquake Engineering (PDF file – 19.6 MB)
- Peer Director Testifies on Earthquake Damage Potential (PDF file – 1 MB); Read MediaNews story
- PEER’s Summer Interns Assist with Key Research Projects
- PEER NGA Models Are Subject of Sacramento Bee Article (PDF file – 965 KB)
- Call for Papers: 6th National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways (PDF file – 124 KB)
- PEER Celebrates 10 Years of Funding by the NSF
- NEES Grand Challenge Researchers Receive 2007 SEAONC Award of Merit
- Moehle and Elwood Receive ACI’s Siess Award for Excellence in Structural Research
- 2007 Blind Analysis Contest By E-Defense Announced (PDF file – 100 KB)
- PEER Cited as “Primary Earthquake Engineering Arm of the State of California” by the CSSC
- Oregon State University Wins 2007 Seismic Design Competition
- 2007 Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake, Field Reconnaissance Report
- Disaster Plan Relying on Ferries Floated
- PEER NGA Models Are Subject of Sacramento Bee Article (PDF file – 965 KB)
- 2007 Blind Analysis Contest By E-Defense Announced (PDF file – 100 KB)
- Call For Papers: Earthquake Spectra’s Special Issue on NGA
- Call for Papers: Sixth International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering and Symposium in Honor of Professor James K. Mitchel
- Call for Papers: 6th National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways (PDF file – 124 KB)
- PEER’s Summer Interns Assist with Key Research Projects
- NEES Grand Challenge researchers receive 2007 SEAONC Award of Merit
- April 1 Deadline Fast Approaching for PEER and REU Summer Internships
- Next Generation Ground Motion Attenuation (NGA) – Presented by Dr. Yousef Bozorgnia
- CSMIP Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
- Kleinfelder, Inc. Becomes an Official BIP Member
- Strong Future for PEER Announced at Annual Meeting
- Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) Receives $3.6 Million NSF NEES Grand Challenge Grant
- Register Today for PEER’s Annual Meeting, January 19-20, 2007
- Better Than the Real Thing: Virtual Earthquakes in Berkeley
- E-Defense/NEES Testing
- Faculty Positions Available
- Call for Papers
- Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is releasing updated reports on Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) Models
- PEER Signs 5-Year Contract With PG&E
- COSMOS 2006 Technical Session, Co-Sponsored by PEER, Scheduled for Nov. 17th
- PEER Leads Tall Building Initiative
- PEER-Sponsored Lifelines Researcher, Brian Chiou, Receives Roberts Best Paper Award
- Mahin Receives Best Paper Award at Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways
- SGH Joins PEER
- Scenes from PEER’s Open House
- OpenSees Days 2006
- PEER Offices Relocate to Davis Hall at University of California, Berkeley
- Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is releasing interim reports on Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) Models
- ABC News Covers Research on New Isolation Bearings
- PEER Director Moehle Receives Honorary Membership
- Are you prepared for the next Big One?
- Announcing a New PEER Publication!
- PEER and NEESit announce: OpenSees Days 2006
- The Fourth World Conference on Structural Control and Monitoring (4WCSCM)
- 5th National Seismic Conference on Bridges and Highways
- University of Washington Wins Seismic Design Competition
- PEER is awarded $2,250,000 contract from Caltrans
- Jack P. Moehle named EERI’s Distinguished Lecturer for 2005
- 150 U.S. Graduate Students Embark on Research Experiences in East Asia and Australia
- PEER names new Director of Communications
Oregon State University Wins 2007 Seismic Design Competition
Of the 14 competing student teams, Oregon State University took first place in the 4th Annual Seismic Design Competition for Undergraduates, jointly sponsored by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER), Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Mid-America Earthquake (MAE) Center and MCEER. The event, held during the EERI Annual Meeting, February 7-10, in Los Angeles, was an opportunity to demonstrate performance-based, cost-effective seismic design. Read more.2007 Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake, Field Reconnaissance Report | Report 537 KB Field Reconnaissance on the Damage of Transportation Facilities in the 2007 Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake | Report 2.46 MB
GEER Team Responds to Niigata-Ken-Oki Earthquake of July 16
A select group of GeoEngineering Earthquake Reconnaissance (GEER) Association members, including PEER representatives, along with EERI LFE and ASCE TCLEE teams, will prepare a unified report on the effects of the Niigata-Ken-Oki Earthquake that occurred on July 16, 2007. Also involved will be other U.S. organizations such as the NRC, the NSF Earthquake Engineering Research Centers, and state organizations. This effort will be coordinated with the appropriate Japanese authorities and earthquake engineers. The team is composed of both senior and junior geo-engineers including Robert Kayen (team leader) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Scott Ashford of Oregon State University (OSU); Scott Brandenburg of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA); Brian Collins of USGS; Steve Dickenson of OSU; and Yohsuke Kawamata of OSU. An effort was made to bring in members who had not been supported on recent NSF-supported reconnaissance efforts, while ensuring that some with experience in recent post-earthquake reconnaissance efforts in Japan were included. Questions concerning this report may be directed to Rob Kayan of USGS at rkayen@usgs.gov, or Jonathan Bray of the University of California, Berkeley, at bray@ce.berkeley.edu.Disaster Plan Relying on Ferries Floated
by Erik N. Nelson
MEDIANEWS STAFF Article Launched: 08/11/2007 03:02:19 AM PDT SAN FRANCISCO — Officials invoked the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the MacArthur Maze meltdown and Hurricane Katrina in their testimonials Friday for the idea of a waterborne emergency response system for the Bay Area. Transportation officials all the way up to Caltrans Director Will Kempton testified at the San Francisco Ferry Building for a state Senate select committee that included Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch. Torlakson is the author of Senate Bill 976, which directs the Bay Area Water Transit Authority to focus on operating a regional water transit system and coordinating the system’s emergency response in the event of a disaster such as a major earthquake or terrorist attack. Until the replacement of the eastern span of the Bay Bridge — closed for a month after the 1989 quake — is expected to be completed in 2013, the existing 71-year-old span will remain vulnerable to failure in another earthquake, warned Jack Moehle, director of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center at UC Berkeley. A major temblor along the Hayward fault could also cripple BART and cause devastation on par with the 1995 Kobe, Japan, earthquake, which killed thousands, collapsed expressways and shut down railways and port facilities. “We will be reminded that the Bay that defines our region also divides us,” said Jim Wunderman, president of the Bay Area Council of major business executives. On the other hand, those same waters could also reunite the area with a coordinated use of ferries, he said. But assembling an adequate emergency water transit system could take 30 years if done in a “business-as-usual way,” he added. “We need money and we need it soon,” Wunderman told Torlakson. “We need to act now as if the emergency had already happened,” to avoid the kind of ineffectual response that doomed New Orleans residents after Hurricane Katrina. The council is backing a major expansion of ferry service in the Bay Area intended to provide alternative transportation during an emergency. The plan calls for new ferries, floating docks and other facilities and equipment totaling as much as $1.6 billion. Even though the area’s transportation arteries rebounded from Loma Prieta fairly quickly, that likely won’t be the case in a stronger, closer quake, Moehle said. “The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, I believe, lulled Bay Area residents and officials into thinking they can survive ‘the Big One.’ The Loma Prieta earthquake was not the Big One,” Moehle said. Many of the area’s freeways are on what could literally be called shaky ground — Bay flats that were filled in and are now subject to liquefaction, Moehle said. He said that although watercraft are capable of transporting medics, firefighters and commuters after a disaster, such transportation will need reliable land access — not just boats and docks but also roads leading to those docks. Bill McCammon, former Alameda County fire chief, praised the value of centralized control of a water transit system during a disaster, but he cautioned that the Water Transit Authority needs to closely coordinate with local emergency services managers to make sure the system will meet their needs. Kempton, the Caltrans director, said a water transit system would be helpful during a disaster. “You can’t be too prepared in an emergency,” Kempton said. In addition, having a larger network of ferries would help keep people moving when there is no disaster, he said outside the hearing room. “There’s no question that there will be damage to the transportation structures in the Bay Area and we will need to respond quickly,” he said. “The water isn’t going to go away when there’s an earthquake.” “The more transportation facilities we have, the better the functioning of the overall system,” he said.Call For Papers: Earthquake Spectra’s Special Issue on NGA
The journal Earthquake Spectra will be publishing a special issue on results obtained from the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) project. Papers are invited on the ground motion prediction equations developed through the NGA project, the characteristics of the database developed during the project, the simulation exercises conducted to support the development of the prediction models, and other related subjects. All papers should be submitted through the Earthquake Spectra manuscript submission web page at http://eqs.peerx-press.org/cgi-bin/main.plex. When the manuscript is uploaded, authors must select “Special Issue on NGA” from the drop down list for special issues. The cover letter accompanying your manuscript should clearly indicate that the paper is being submitted for review and possible publication in the NGA special issue of Earthquake Spectra. All papers to be reviewed for the special volume must be received by July 1, 2007. We expect to have preliminary review decisions by September 2007 and final decisions on revised papers by December 2007. The special volume should appear in print in March 2008. Papers without a clear link to the NGA project will not be reviewed for this special issue. Questions regarding paper content or submission procedures should be directed to the Guest Editors for the special volume, Jonathan Stewart (jstewart@seas.ucla.edu), Ralph Archuleta (ralph@crustal.ucsb.edu), or Maurice Power (mpower@geomatrix.com). Prospective authors are encouraged to send abstracts of their articles by email to the guest editors prior to formal manuscript submission so that the suitability of the paper topic to the special issue can be evaluated.Call for Papers: Sixth International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering and Symposium in Honor of Professor James K. Mitchell
Arlington, VA (USA) – August 11-16, 2008 http://www.6icchge2008.orgINVITATION FOR PAPERS FOR NEW THEME
Papers are invited on the New Theme as:
11a. Application of Case Histories in Education; How Case Histories have been incorporated in coursework; How to Conduct Search for Case Histories, and what are the Major Sources, Examples of Specific use/s: Importance of Teaching Case Histories; From Case Histories to Conceptual Models; Importance of Practical Experience of Professors, Use of Case Histories in Teaching Process, Is it possible to Involve Students in Case Histories (i.e. in Engineering Practice)? 11b. Application of Case Histories to Practice; Use of Case Histories to Enhance Practical Geotechnical Engineering; Practice in Different Offices to Achieve this Objective with Examples; Importance of Lifelong Learning; Use of Case Histories in Life Long Learning; Establishing an International Database for Case HistoriesPlease send your abstracts by July 15, 2007. Complete manuscript of paper/s is due by December 1, 2007.
Please send your abstract to: 6icchge@umr.edu. If you have any questions, please contact Shamsher Prakash, Conference Chairman, at prakash@umr.edu. PS - Past proceedings of University of Missouri – Rolla, conferences on Case Histories and Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering conferences are offered on discount to clear inventory. Please visit conference web site to see Table of Contents of available conferences and the order form.PEER’s Summer Interns Assist with Key Research Projects
PEER is hosting five interns at UC Berkeley this summer. These students will learn about earthquake engineering and how to conduct research experiments on civil engineering applications. The students are Veronica Crothers from San Francisco State University; Kristopher Darnell of the University of Texas at Austin; Daniel Lombardi of Syracuse University; Nicholas Trombetta of the University of Virginia; and Orry Zumbiel of the University of Kentucky. Daniel, Nicholas and Orry will work with Professor Jack Moehle; Veronica will assist Professor Steve Mahin; and Kristopher will work with Professor Jonathan Bray. In addition to these interns, there are eight students being hosted at various other PEER core institutions.NEES Grand Challenge researchers receive 2007 SEAONC Award of Merit
NEES Grand Challenge researchers have received a 2007 SEAONC Award of Merit for their work in developing revisions for the new ASCE/SEI 41 standard on seismic rehabilitation of buildings.- - Read the project summary (Word document – 36 KB)
- - View the presentation (PowerPoint document – 5.1 MB)
ASCE/SEI 41 Supplement resulting from seminar series
- - Update to ASCE/SEI 41 Concrete Provisions (PDF file – 1.3 KB)
- - Update to ASCE/SEI 41 Concrete Provisions (Word document – 3.3 MB)
April 1 Deadline Fast Approaching for PEER and REU Summer Internships
The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) Education Program is pleased to offer exciting opportunities for undergraduate students to explore new directions in earthquake engineering studies through the PEER Summer Internship Program and the National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Summer Internship Program. The internship programs are targeted to upper-division students who have completed junior-level courses in engineering or a related field. PEER will consider applicants from other grade levels. The programs are intended to provide research opportunities for undergraduates who have shown an interest in earthquake engineering, demonstrated a high level of academic performance (generally GPA = 3.0 above), and whose presence would enhance the diversity of PEER. Although PEER seeks racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, California law prohibits preferential treatment of individuals or groups on the basis of race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consequently, selection of award recipients is not based on these criteria. Interns will spend ten weeks (400 hours) at a PEER core university working directly with a faculty mentor on a PEER-funded research project directly related to the PEER mission of Performance- Based Earthquake Engineering. Each program runs from May 15 to September 15, with individual schedules to be arranged between interns and their mentors. Interns will receive a stipend of $6,000, which is intended to cover travel to/from the host university, and living expenses. Students will compile technical and anecdotal information throughout the summer and submit a final report by October 1. Students will also present their summer research results by PowerPoint presentation or poster at an undergraduate research symposium. Complete descriptions, eligibility requirements and application instructions for each program can be found on the PEER website, at http://peer.berkeley.edu/. The application deadline is April 1. However, applications will be reviewed as received and will continue on a rolling basis until all internships are awarded. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. For questions, please contact: Linda Nelson PEER Education Program Manager Department of Structural Engineering University of California, San Diego La Jolla, CA 92093-0085 (858) 822-1344 Phone (858) 822-2260 Fax lnelson@ucsd.eduNext Generation Ground Motion Attenuation (NGA) | |
Presented by Dr. Yousef Bozorgnia Associate Director, PEER Center, Berkeley Wednesday, February 21 at Noon Southern California Earthquake Center USC Campus – Zumberge Hall of Science Lunch provided free for So Cal Chapter members $5 for non members Contact Mark Bentien for details and maps RSVP to benthien@usc.edu |
CSMIP Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
The California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (CSMIP) of the California Geological Survey in the Department of Conservation is funding data interpretation projects focusing on the analysis and interpretation of the extensive strong-motion data sets recorded from recent earthquakes. The goal of these projects is to further the understanding of strong ground shaking and the response of buildings and other structures, and to increase the utilization of strong-motion data in improving post-earthquake response, seismic code provisions and seismic design practices. To receive a copy of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ), send e-mail to Judith Arebalos at Judith.Arebalos@conservation.ca.gov or send a request to Data Interpretation Project, California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program, 801 K Street, MS 13-35, Sacramento, CA 95814-3531. Deadline: February 20, 2007, 5:00 p.m. Phone Number: 916-322-3105 Fax Number: 916-323-7778Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) Receives $3.6 Million NSF NEES Grand Challenge Grant
The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) has been awarded a five-year, $3.6 million NEES Grand Challenge grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the collapse potential of older nonductile concrete buildings during earthquakes. These buildings are pervasive throughout the U.S. and other countries, and are considered a high risk. The project will fully utilize the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES). Read More.Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is releasing updated reports on Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) Models:
Next Generation Attenuation Models NGAPEER-Sponsored Lifelines Researcher, Brian Chiou, Receives Roberts Best Paper Award
The James Roberts Best Paper Award was presented to Brian Chiou of the California Department of Transportation at the Fifth National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways, in San Mateo, in September. Read More.Scenes from PEER’s Open House
PEER recently celebrated its move from the Richmond Field Station to Davis Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. View our photo collection…PEER Offices Relocate to Davis Hall at University of California, Berkeley
PEER Offices Relocate to Davis Hall at University of California, Berkeley
Please visit us soon: PEER 325 Davis Hall University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA 94720-1792 Tel.: (510) 642-3437 Fax: (510) 642-1655 Select meetings and special events will take place at the Richmond Field Station. New staff phone numbersPacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is releasing interim reports on Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) Models:
Next_Generation_Attenuation_Models_NGA_July_10_2006ABC News Covers Research on New Isolation Bearings
UC Berkeley’s Earthquake Engineering Research Center ran a series of shake table tests using a three-story tall, braced steel frame to demonstrate the effects of the new type of bearing with a low-friction slider having moderate initial stiffness. Test results will help understand base isolation applications of the PEER performance-based earthquake engineering methodology.PEER Director Moehle Receives Honorary Membership
PEER Director Jack Moehle has been named an honorary member of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California. This designation by the Board of Directors is a special recognition of Moehle’s contribution to the excellence of the structural engineering profession. He was specifically cited for his contributions in education of a generation of structural engineering students; innovative and practical research in a broad range of subjects in earthquake engineering; and leadership and contributions in development of structural engineering codes and guidelines, including the American Concrete Institute Building Code Provisions, and several Applied Technology Council, EERI, and FEMA documents on the seismic assessment, design, repair and rehabilitation of buildings and bridges.Are you prepared for the next Big One?
“NBC Dateline” recently teamed up with Dr. Khalid Mosalam and the University of California, Berkeley’s Earthquake Engineering Research Center to sponsor a unique demonstration that showed an earthquake’s destructive power, and described survival tactics.Announcing a New PEER Publication!
Bracing Berkeley: A Guide to Seismic Safety on the UC Berkeley Campus by Mary C. Comerio, Stephen Tobriner and Ariane Fehrenkamp Department of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley “This short guide to campus seismic projects provides a building case study for major projects with a technical explanation of the engineering problems encountered and the decisions involved in the final retrofit strategy. Additionally, some projects are documented in this guide but not fully described. It is our hope that with this guide in hand, interested architects, engineers, and lay people will make their way through the Berkeley campus and examine the major retrofit projects and newly designed buildings.”-Stephen Tobriner To order a free copy of Bracing Berkeley, contact Janine Hannel by phone at 510-665-3448, FAX at 510-665-3420, or e-mail at janineh@berkeley.edu View entire list of publications from PEER Report SeriesPEER and NEESit announce: OpenSees Days 2006
- – The OpenSees User Workshop – Monday, Aug 14, 2006
- – The OpenSees Developer Workshop – Tuesday, Aug 15, 2006
- – The OpenSees Developer Symposium – Wednesday, Aug 16, 2006
The Fourth World Conference on Structural Control and Monitoring (4WCSCM)
When: July 11-13, 2006 Where: University of California, San DiegoOrganized by the International Association for Structural Control and Monitoring (IASCM). For more information on this event, please visit: http://www.usc.edu/4wcscm