FRS 001Q — Sec. 001 — (1 unit) — CRN 55883 — T 11:00-11:50am — 125 Wellman
Topics in Earthquake Engineering Research

Instructor: Ross Boulanger, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering

Description: This seminar will explore earthquake engineering research, including: case studies of recent large earthquakes and their impacts on societies, the role of research in reducing earthquake hazards, the NSF- sponsored Earthquake Engineering Centers, the newly established George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Research (NEES), the process of research (from fundamental discovery to application), a case study of the evolution in our understanding and design approaches for a specific earthquake engineering problem, and the role of public policies. The goal of this seminar is for students to develop a broad awareness of earthquake engineering research and how it serves society.

Format: The seminar will meet for one hour each week. Seminars will be primarily comprised of group discussions and individual presentations that are structured around assigned readings or topics requiring independent study. There will be one field trip (2 to 3 hours) to the NEES geotechnical centrifuge facilities at UC Davis. Weekly assignments will require library or internet searches in preparation for presentations or discussions in the seminars. Grading: Letter grade based on oral and written assignments (65%) and active participation in seminar discussions (35%).

About the Instructor: Professor Boulanger is a member of the faculty in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research has been mainly in geotechnical earthquake engineering with emphases on liquefaction and its remediation, seismic soil-pile-structure interaction, and seismic response of earth structures. More information on his background and interests is given at http://cee.engr.ucdavis.edu/faculty/boulanger/.