INSTRUCTOR: 
Finley A. Charney, Ph.D., P.E., F. ASCE

Purpose and Background

The ASCE 7-10 Minimum Loads Standards and the 2012 International Building Code specify that seismic resistant design is required for most building structures in the United States. Effective use of these documents requires a thorough understanding of the principles of earthquake engineering, from ground motion seismology, to risk assessment, to structural dynamics, to inelastic behavior, to design and detailing. The purpose of this seminar is to provide this understanding to practicing professional engineers that have little or no previous training in earthquake engineering. While other seismic seminars focus on the design aspect of earthquake engineering, the purpose of this seminar is to concentrate on the fundamentals. The course begins with a historical and philosophical review of earthquake engineering and seismic code development, followed by an overview of the latest code approaches to seismic resistant design. These code approaches are then broken down into their basic components, and a detailed step- by-step explanation is provided on how and why each component was developed. The seminar includes a variety of detailed examples that explain the fundamentals as applied to the ASCE 7-10 and 2012 IBC seismic load requirements. Also included is a concise overview of the seismic design requirements of ACI 318-11 and ANSI/AISC 341-10.

Whenever possible, the material is taught by example. The powerful NONLIN and EQ-Tools computer programs, developed by FEMA for earthquake engineering education, serve a prominent role during the first day of the course. To maximize your ability to continue to learn about earthquake engineering, detailed reference material is provided for each slide presented in the seminar. The course also gives you the latest information on earthquake engineering materials available on the internet.

Seminar Benefits

Learn the history and philosophy of seismic code development in the United States

Obtain a complete understanding of the most recent building code provisions (2012 International Building Code, ASCE 7-10 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures).

Receive a copy of Version 8.0 of the powerful NONLIN computer program, used for visualizing earthquake ground motion data and for performing linear and nonlinear dynamic analysis of simple structures. This new version of NONLIN contains an updated database of recorded ground motions as well as advanced tools for selecting and scaling motions for analysis.

Receive a detailed reference list, including internet sites, for continued learning after the seminar

Learning Outcomes

Explain how earthquakes are generated and describe the effects of ground motions on the built environment

Illustrate how ground motions are measured and explain how ground shaking is transformed into response spectra and equivalent lateral loads

Use the principles of structural dynamics to explain the seismic load analysis procedures used in modern building codes

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of seismic resistant systems in steel or reinforced concrete

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Learning objectives are achieved through case studies, computer demonstrations and classroom discussion.

Who Should Attend?

Structural Engineers, Architects, Building Officials, and Professionals in related fields interested in learning about the principles and practice of earthquake engineering will benefit from this course.

Course Outline

TIME: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

DAY 1

Course Introduction
Earthquake Ground Motions and Their Effects
Seismic Hazard Analysis
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Introduction to Structural Dynamics

DAY 2

Inelastic Behavior of Structures
Overview of IBC 2012/ASCE 7-10 Seismic Load Provisions
Seismic Load Analysis Examples
Seismic Resistant Steel Structures
Seismic Resistant Reinforced Concrete Structures
Special Topics