2025 Chapter Meetings
Risk and Reward: Working at the Boundaries of Earthquake Science
By Laurie Baise, PhD, PE, Professor and Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University
EERI, 2025 Joyner Lecture & New England Lecture Series
Thursday, March 13, 2025, 4:30 – 6:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Hybrid Event (In-Person and Virtual)
Address: Verisk Extreme Event Solutions, Lafayette City Center, 2 Avenue de Lafayette, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02111
For registration, please visit: HERE
Award: The Joyner Lectureship is jointly awarded by EERI and SSA to those who have provided outstanding earth science contributions to the theory and practice of earthquake engineering or outstanding earthquake engineering contributions to the direction and focus of earth science research—together with demonstrated skills of communication at the interface of earthquake science and earthquake engineering. The lecture honors the distinguished career of William B. Joyner at the U.S. Geological Survey and his abiding commitment to continuing communication and education at the interface between research findings of earthquake science and the practical realities of earthquake engineering.
For more information about the Joyner Lecture Award, visit the SSA website at: www.seismosoc.org/awards/joyner
Abstract: Working at the boundary of geology, seismology, and earthquake engineering can be both rewarding and challenging. In this lecture, Prof. Laurie Baise will talk about bridging the gap between earthquake engineers and earthquake scientists through geospatial proxies for site effects and liquefaction and the importance of regionally informed models. She will highlight her contributions developing both geospatial liquefaction and site effects models for both global and regional use. In the lecture, she will discuss some of the challenges that were the impetus for these contributions. Challenges related to using geostatistics to interpolate liquefaction potential across Boston led her to explore geological and geospatial approaches to characterizing liquefaction potential. Similarly, her identification of challenges in predicting one-dimensional site response using vertical arrays in Japan and the importance of regional wave propagation in San Francisco Bay led to her work on site response complexity and her recent contributions on geospatial topography derived site and basin terms for ground motion models.
Biography: Laurie Baise has continuously worked at the interface of earthquake science. Baise’s research has spanned earthquake site response, liquefaction, site characterization, regional wave propagation, ground motions models and earthquake damage assessment. Baise’s interest in regional seismic hazard efforts stemmed from her work in the northeastern United States, where she has documented liquefaction and ground-shaking potential throughout New England. Her work as president and founding member of the New England Chapter of EERI and her development of the first earthquake engineering research group at Tufts brought renewed attention to a region where earthquake hazards are often unappreciated. Her work in New England has highlighted the unique characteristics of soil amplification in glaciated terrains and the importance of models that can be adapted to different regional contexts. Baise’s research contributions at the interface of seismology and earthquake engineering include a new approach for predicting liquefaction extent after earthquakes, called geospatial liquefaction modeling. The approach has fundamentally advanced the mapping of liquefaction risk across broad geographical regions. Her work inspired an analogous model for landslides, and the two models are now integrated into the U.S. Geological Survey’s earthquake monitoring systems and by hazard modelers in the insurance industry. She is currently working on comparable geospatial models for site amplification for use in ground motion models and the National Seismic Hazard Maps.
2024 Chapter Meetings
A Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Model for Mainland China
By Yufang Rong, Staff Vice President and Principal Research Scientist, FM, Research Division, Norwood, MA
EERI, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Tuesday, October 8, 2024, 4:00 – 5:00 PM (Eastern Time)
The Zoom Seminar is FREE!
For registration, please visit: HERE
Abstract: We construct a probabilistic seismic hazard model for mainland China by integrating historical earthquakes, active faults, and geodetic strain rates. We delineate large seismic source zones based on geologic and seismotectonic characteristics. For each source zone, a tapered Gutenberg-Richter (TGR) distribution is used to model the total seismic activity rates. We construct a linked-fault model and use GPS velocities to invert for fault slip rates. The TGR a- and b-values are calculated using a new earthquake catalog, while corner magnitudes are constrained using the seismic moment rate inferred from a geodetic strain rate model. For hazard calculations, the total TGR distribution is split into two parts, with smaller (Mw < 6.5) earthquakes being distributed within the zone using a smoothed seismicity method, and larger earthquakes put both onto active faults, based on fault slip rates and dimensions, and into the zone as background seismicity. We select ground motion models by performing residual analysis using ground motion recordings. Site amplifications are considered based on a site condition map developed using geology as a proxy. The resulting seismic hazard is consistent with the fifth-generation national seismic hazard model for most major cities. Biography: Yufang Rong is Staff Vice President and Principal Research Scientist at FM (Factory Mutual Insurance Company). She leads strategic research on earthquake hazards for risk analysis and modeling, aiming to develop cost-effective loss prevention solutions. Yufang joined FM in 2011. Prior to her tenure at FM, she was a Principal Research Scientist at AIR Worldwide (now Verisk) in Boston, Massachusetts. Yufang has published numerous papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings. Beyond her work at FM, she contributes to the scientific community as an Associate Editor for the Seismological Research Letters and a peer reviewer for several scientific journals. Additionally, she has chaired sessions at annual meetings of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the Seismological Society of America (SSA). Yufang holds a Doctorate in Earth and Space Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles, and both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Geophysics from Peking University in China.
Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction: Lessons from Pakistan, New Zealand, Nepal, Albania and Syria
By Jitendra Bothara, Director, Resipro International Engineering Limited
EERI, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Wednesday, July 18, 2024, 5:00 – 6:30 PM (Eastern Time)
The Zoom Seminar is FREE!
For registration, please visit: HERE
Abstract: Disasters—both natural and man-made—pose profound challenges to communities worldwide, significantly disrupting socio-economic structures and daily lives. Every disaster recovery presents specific challenges, yet common elements exist in rebuilding infrastructure and restoring daily life. For example, the M7.8 earthquake in Nepal in 2015 left 3.3 million people without homes, requiring a large effort to rebuild, often in hard-to-reach places with few resources. Similarly, the floods in Pakistan in 2022 meant that recovery plans had to be made for about two million homes spread across a wide area. These events underscore the multifaceted nature of disaster recovery, which extends beyond mere structural rebuilding to encompass socio-political, financial, and technical challenges within culturally specific contexts. Effective disaster recovery programs require a nuanced understanding of affected communities’ unique needs alongside the implementation of customized solutions that facilitate a swift and sustainable return to normalcy. This presentation delves into the recovery initiatives in Pakistan, New Zealand, Nepal, Albania, and Syria, focusing on how local capabilities, international support, governance, and community engagement contribute to resilient outcomes.
Biography: Jitendra Bothara is a Fellow of Engineering from New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering and Nepal Engineers’ Association. He is a Director of Resipro International Engineering Limited, a New Zealand based company. With three decades of experience in seismic engineering and disaster risk mitigation, he has led teams for pre and post-earthquake assessment, as well as post-earthquake reconstruction in many countries. Jitendra has co-authored and published many publications in earthquake engineering, including various building standards, guidelines and manuals, and has helped develop earthquake engineering research facilities. Jitendra has served as advisor to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Government of Nepal and the United Nations Development Programme on DRR, earthquake recovery and reconstruction in Nepal and other countries. He is an ardent believer in identifying linkages between socio-economy and seismic engineering and linking traditional practice and knowledge with modern knowledge and engineering for seismic safety. His interests include translating research and complex engineering concepts into implementation tools and disseminating technology, vernacular and heritage construction, and socio-cultural and economic issues.
Multi-Disciplinary Seismic Resilience Modeling and Community Engagement for Developing Mitigation Policies
By Milad Roohi, Ph.D. , Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
EERI, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 2:00 – 3:00 PM (Eastern Time)
The Zoom Seminar is FREE!
For registration, please visit: HERE
Abstract: Earthquake disasters, as observed in recent events in Turkey, Japan, and Taiwan, have underscored the pressing need for a comprehensive resilience assessment and planning for infrastructure and community systems. This necessitates advanced data-driven and computational modeling techniques and a shift towards multi-disciplinary seismic resilience modeling, which is instrumental for formulating effective mitigation policies. The backbone of this modeling approach is multi-disciplinary data collected at the community level, which enables and informs decisions for mitigation and recovery planning. This presentation introduces a framework that links engineering models with socio-economic models to assess the seismic vulnerability and resilience of built environment and social and economic systems, thereby providing invaluable insights and metrics for decision-makers. These metrics are pivotal in developing effective mitigation policies and enhancing the resilience of communities. The approach is illustrated using real-world case studies of US communities, including Salt Lake County (SLC), Utah, developed through extensive collaborative engagement with SLC officials.
Biography: Dr. Milad Roohi is an Assistant Professor at the Charles W. Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). He is also the director of the Smart Resilient Infrastructure and Urban Systems (SiRIUS) lab. The lab’s research aims to enhance infrastructure and community resilience through multi-disciplinary data, computational models, and emerging technologies. Before joining UNL, Dr. Roohi served as a Senior Scientist at Aon in the Impact Forecasting R&D Center of Excellence, specializing in seismic catastrophe risk modeling for the US and Caribbean region. Dr. Roohi completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the NIST Center for Risk-Based Community Resilience Planning, headquartered at Colorado State University. He received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Vermont, with a focus on seismic structural health monitoring of instrumented buildings. His research has been published in leading civil and structural engineering journals and conferences, and he is actively serving several national and international technical committees.
Liquefaction Mitigation of Loose Coral Sand Beneath Tank Foundations in the Marshall Islands
John Thornley, PhD, PE, D.GE, Vice President, Technical Principal, Geotechnical, Permafrost, and Earthquake Engineering, WSP, Anchorage, Alaska
Co-hosted by EERI, New England Chapter and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University
Friday, January 26, 2024, 3:00 – 4:30 PM (Eastern Time)
Free to attend in-person or virtual
Location: 208 Anderson Hall, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA 02155
Zoom Meeting Link: HERE
Abstract: The results of initial CPT work indicated, based on typical liquefaction screening methods, significant potential for seismically induced settlement. However, coral sand differs substantially from quartz and silica sand, which are the majority of case histories used to develop liquefaction screening methods. Bulk samples of the coral sands were collected and a series of CPT cone calibrations, triaxial and cyclic direct simple shear tests were performed to develop a constitutive framework that was used to understand the liquefaction triggering of coral sand. Findings from the study indicate that the Kwajalein coral sand is less susceptible to liquefaction.
Biography: John Thornley, PhD, PE, D.GE is a Vice President and Technical Principal at WSP in Anchorage, Alaska. He has 18 years of geotechnical and earthquake engineering experience. Recently John was a co-lead for the EERI Learning from Earthquakes Reconnaissance effort for the November 30, 2018, M7.1 Anchorage, Alaska Earthquake. John is currently the chair of the Municipality of Anchorage Geotechnical Advisory Commission and is active in several organizations including ASCE, EERI, and SSA. He has served as field manager of geotechnical studies and prepared recommendations for a variety of infrastructure projects including buildings, roads and airports, large liquefied natural gas and water storage tanks, pipelines, wind and cellular towers, and utilities. As part of John’s work, he has been involved in seismic hazard studies, seismic site response analyses, studies for large infrastructure buildouts, and cold regions and permafrost engineering. His design work includes ground improvement in liquefiable soils, deep and shallow foundations, slope stabilization, retaining structures, and embankments.
2023 Chapter Meetings
California Mandatory Seismic Retrofit Ordinances: How It Started and How It’s Going
Conrad Paulson, PE, SE, Principal
Kari Klaboe, PE, SE, Senior Associate
Robert Kraus, PE, SE, Unit Manager and Senior Associate
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
Los Angeles (Pasadena) / San Francisco (Emeryville), California
EERI, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Wednesday October 25, 2023, 4:00 – 5:30PM (Eastern Time)
For registration, please visit: HERE
Abstract: This presentation will examine not only the current-generation of mandatory seismic retrofit ordinances in both Southern and Northern California, but also will review “legacy” or “mature” retrofit ordinances that came about more than 25 years ago (“what is old is new again”), and will take a look at possible future retrofit ordinances that are currently being proposed or are under development. Aspects of these ordinances related to both structural engineering provisions and administrative requirements will be overviewed. Mandatory timelines to compliance will also be examined. The focus of this seminar is on California, where the resurgence of mandatory seismic retrofit ordinances is taking place.
Biographies:
Conrad Paulson has been with WJE for more than 40 years and was first bit by the “seismic bug” while performing structural analyses related to post-Loma Prieta earthquake damage assessments. Over the years, he has been involved with pre- and post-earthquake assessments, and seismic repair and retrofit projects. Most recently, in his ongoing role as Chair of AISC’s Task Committee 7 on Evaluation and Repair, he led the TC 7 committee as it completed development and issued the first edition of the new standard AISC 342-22: Seismic Provisions for Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Structural Steel Buildings.
Kari Klaboe is a Senior Associate with WJE and has been involved with seismic assessment and retrofit of existing concrete, masonry, and wood-framed buildings since joining WJE more than 10 years ago. Her experience includes seismic retrofit of several wood-framed soft-story structures in California and participation in the development of FEMA P-1100: Vulnerability-Based Seismic Assessment and Retrofit of One- and Two-Family Dwellings. Recently, she was a member of the ACI field reconnaissance team that assessed damaged reinforced concrete buildings following the Turkey earthquakes of February 2023.
Robert Kraus is a Unit Manager and Senior Associate with WJE. In the last 10 years, he has focused on structural design, investigation, analysis, and analytical modeling of various structures, ranging from historic buildings to modern, high-rise construction in varying stages of distress or failure. He has participated in or led damage investigation and seismic related projects, including assessing lifeline structures following the Turkey earthquakes of February 2023. He is the past chair of the SEAONC Existing Building Committee and is involved with development of proposed ordinances for non-ductile concrete and rigid-wall-flexible diaphragm buildings.
Overview of USGS National Seismic Hazard Model Project (NSHMP)
Sean Ahdi, PhD, Research Geophysicist, USGS, Hazards Science Center
Co-hosted by EERI, New England Chapter and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University
Friday October 20, 2023, 3:00 PM, Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join by Zoom: HERE
Meeting ID: 959 0422 7920
Passcode: 423521
Biography: Sean Ahdi is a Research Geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geologic Hazards Science Center in Golden, Colorado. His expertise lies at the intersection of a broad range of interrelated topics across the domains of civil engineering and earth sciences, including geotechnical and earthquake engineering, engineering seismology, near-surface geophysics, and geology and geological engineering. In 2020 Sean joined the team that develops the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model, a product which underpins engineering design and risk assessments performed by practicing engineers to mitigate against seismic hazards nationwide. Sean earned B.S. degrees in Civil Engineering and in Geology/Engineering Geology, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, all at UCLA. Sean has prior work experience at geophysical, civil engineering, and forensic geotechnical consulting firms. He also served as a Lecturer within the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences (EPSS) at UCLA for four years. You can often find Sean trying to explain geology, earthquakes, or tectonics to anyone interested enough to listen.
Hazard Activities and Challenges at the Global Earthquake Model
Marco Pagani, PhD, Seismic Hazard Coordinator, Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation and Adjunct Professor Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management, NTU, Singapore
EERI, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Tuesday July 18, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00PM, Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register for FREE at: HERE
Abstract: The hazard team at the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation develops hazard models and tools for performing probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. Two of the most successful products are the hazard component of the OpenQuake Engine – an open-source software for computing probabilistic seismic hazard and risk – and the Global Mosaic of hazard models. A large community of users currently employs the OpenQuake Engine to complete various analyses, including studies at a national scale and site-specific analyses. The mosaic is a collection of thirty probabilistic hazard analysis input models developed by national agencies, international projects, public and private organizations and GEM. In this presentation, an overview of the main products and activities carried out at GEM in the hazard space, including ongoing projects and future research directions are provided, followed by a discussion on the challenges encountered in hazard modelling.
Biography: Marco Pagani is the Seismic Hazard Coordinator at the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation and adjunct professor at the Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He received a Master’s degree in Geological Sciences and a PhD degree in Earth Sciences from the Università degli Studi di Milano. He has more than 25 years of experience in Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA), PSHA input model building, seismic microzonation and exploratory data analysis. His research interests involve the creation of PSHA input models combining different information and new approaches, the development of PSHA calculation methodologies and their incorporation into openly accessible tools including the OpenQuake Engine. He was involved in several national and international projects dealing with seismic hazard and risk analysis as well as consultancy projects for seismic hazard assessment of critical facilities in Europe, Africa and Asia. As part of his duties, he managed various national and international PSHA projects in South America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Africa. Currently, he is a member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) supervising the creation of the new national hazard maps for New Zealand and, the coordinator of the hazard work package of the European projects METIS and TREAD.
2022 Chapter Meetings
Vibration Monitoring in Buildings and Its Application in Seismic Risk Reduction
Eric M. Hernandez, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Vermont
EERI, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Friday, September 30, 2022, 1:00 – 2:00 PM, Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register for FREE at: HERE
Abstract: Seismic risk as it relates to buildings is a product of the seismic hazard, the structural vulnerability, and the consequences of failure. Monitoring vibrations in buildings before, during and after potentially damaging earthquakes can provide valuable information regarding the structural characteristics of buildings and their vulnerability. In contrast to building codes and regulations, which address the building population as a statistical ensemble, vibration monitoring allows engineers and stakeholders to obtain individualized information about their particular building structure. Information extracted from vibration measurements can be used to improve rapid screening, make better predictions regarding future performance during a potentially damaging earthquake, inform decisions regarding retrofit, and perform rapid post-earthquake assessments which can significantly improve community resilience. In this talk, Prof. Hernandez will present the theoretical foundations of seismic vibration monitoring, ongoing research on the topic, and some real-world applications.
Biography: Prof. Eric M. Hernandez is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Graduate Program Director at the University of Vermont. He specializes in structural engineering and has over 20 years of experience as a researcher, consultant, and educator. He received his BS in Civil Engineering from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena in the Dominican Republic and his MS and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University. His research interests include structural dynamics, inverse problems, earthquake engineering, reliability of engineering systems, and structural health monitoring. Since joining the University of Vermont in 2011 he has received several research grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation. In 2018, he received the inaugural Sweeny Green and Gold Professorship in Civil Engineering. At the University of Vermont, Prof. Hernandez teaches courses in structural analysis, earthquake engineering, and reliability of engineering systems.
A Panel Discussion on Vulnerability of Masonry Buildings Against Ground Shaking in Low to Moderate Seismic Zones
Michael Fillion, PE, SECB, President, Fillion Group, Inc.
Ken Lambert, CSL, CSI, Director of Industry Development & Technical Services, International Masonry Institute
Jitendra Bothara, Director, ResiPro International Engineering Ltd.
Hosted by EERI, New England Chapter
Thursday April 7, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 PM, Eastern Time (US and Canada)
For registration, please visit: HERE
Please join us for an open discussion on URM. The event will begin with a brief introduction of a topic by each speaker followed by discussion and questions. The speakers and their topics are…
- Ken Lambert – Building inventory in New England and history of masonry code requirements in New England.
- Mike Fillion – History of addressing Seismic Hazards of URM buildings in the Massachusetts State Building Code and how we got to the current provisions.
- Jitendra Bothara – Seismic safety of URM buildings – New Zealand Approach.
Multi-Hazard Parametric Catastrophe Bond Trigger Design for Subduction Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Katsuichiro Goda, Western University, Ontario, Canada
EERI, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Tuesday January 25, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register for FREE at: HERE
Abstract: This study presents trigger design methods and performance evaluations of multi-hazard parametric catastrophe bonds for mega-thrust subduction earthquakes and tsunamis. The catastrophe bonds serve as alternative disaster risk financing tools for insurers and reinsurers as well as municipalities and governments. Two types of parametric catastrophe bond trigger are investigated. A scenario-based method utilizes available earthquake source-based information, such as magnitude and location, whereas a station-intensity-based method can be implemented when seismic and tsunami hazard monitoring systems are in place in a region. The case study results, focusing on wooden buildings in Miyagi Prefecture, in Japan indicate that the station-intensity based trigger methods outperform the scenario-based trigger methods significantly. Incorporating seismic and tsunami hazard information from multiple recording stations results in smaller trigger errors. The station-intensity-based methods are applicable to building portfolios at both municipality levels and regional levels. The work is published in Earthquake Spectra (doi: 10.1177/8755293020981974).
Biography: Dr Katsuichiro Goda is an Associate Professor and a Canada Research Chair in Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. His research is focused on catastrophic earthquake-related multi-hazard risk management from economic and societal viewpoints. His research interests are broad and multidisciplinary, and cover a wide range of academic fields, including engineering seismology, earthquake engineering, tsunami engineering, and decision-making under uncertainty. In 2012, his professional expertise was recognized through a prestigious 2012 Charles F. Richter Early Career Award given by the Seismological Society of America and a Humboldt Research Fellowship Award for experienced researchers by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He received the 2017 IASSAR Early Achievement Research Award given by the International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability.
2021 Chapter Meetings
Lifeline Infrastructure System Functional Recovery and Operability
Dr. Craig Davis, Ph.D., PE, GE, 2021 EERI Distinguished Lecturer
Followed by a Panel Discussion
Panelists:
Dr. Craig Davis, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Dr. Stephen Potts, Geologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Tirzah Shakespeare, Public Utilities Engineer, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
Wednesday November 10, 2021, 2:30-4:00 PM (Eastern), 11:30 AM-1:00 PM (Pacific)
Register for FREE at: HERE
Abstract: Historically, seismic design and building codes have focused primarily on ensuring safety in the event of an earthquake, with less attention to the state of structures and infrastructure systems in the aftermath. However, an increasing focus on resiliency in recent years has brought new attention to the concept of designing for functional recovery: a post-earthquake state in which capacity is sufficiently maintained or swiftly restored to support pre-earthquake functionality. As detailed in the January 2021 FEMA/NIST report “Recommended Options for Improving the Built Environment for Post-Earthquake Reoccupancy and Functional Recovery Time,” this means considering not only safety and recovery time for buildings, but ensuring recovery-based design, upgrade, and maintenance of a lifeline infrastructure systems as well. In this webinar, co-hosted by the EERI New England Regional Chapter and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Student Chapter, EERI 2021 Distinguished Lecturer Craig Davis will present a short lecture on Lifeline Infrastructure System Functional Recovery and Operability, followed by a live panel with speakers from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. They will speak on the role, preparedness, and plans of their organizations to mitigate damage and restore service of critical lifeline systems after a disaster, and join Dr. Davis for a Q&A session with the webinar audience.
Biography: In his three-decade-long career at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Dr. Davis worked as the Departmental Chief Resilience Officer, Seismic Manager, and Geotechnical Engineering Manager, and developed a comprehensive L.A. Water System resilience program. He has served on professional committees, including the Building Seismic Safety Council, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, and ASCE Infrastructure Resilience Division. Dr. Davis has published more than 150 technical papers and investigated numerous earthquakes.
Davis has been honored with the ASCE 2016 Le Val Lund Award for Practicing Lifeline Risk Reduction, the 2020 Charles Martin Duke Lifeline Earthquake Engineering Award, and the EERI Distinguished Lecture Award. The annual Distinguished Lecture Award is awarded to EERI members to recognize and encourage communication of outstanding professional contributions of major importance for earthquake hazard mitigation.
Determination of Undrained Strength for Contractive Coal Combustion Residuals for Seismic Assessment
Seda Gokyer Erbis, Ph.D., P.E. & Ryan Lavorati, M.Sc., P.E., Geocomp
EERI, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Wednesday October 20, 2021, 1:00 – 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Register for FREE at: HERE
Abstract: The evaluation of slope stability for Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) impoundments is becoming increasingly important as multiple failures involving undrained behavior of granular materials have recently occurred. Seismic loading is a load case where undrained behavior can be triggered that causes a rapid increase in mobilized shear stress or a rapid decrease in effective stress if contractive saturated materials are present. This rapid loading can trigger liquefaction within a CCR layer which would require considering the residual shear strength for the CCR material. Undrained strength parameters for CCR materials can be highly variable. Cone penetration tests (CPTs) are simple and relatively inexpensive, however CPT measurements is an indirect
measurement which must be converted to strength through semi-analytical-empirical correlations. Such correlations are reasonably well understood for natural clays and sands but there exists only limited correlation data for CCR materials. To improve our understanding of the shear strength of CCR materials, a program was developed to collect CPT data from five CCR impoundments and companion “undisturbed” tube samples for laboratory strength testing Laboratory testing was done to measure both monotonic and post-cyclic undrained strength in direct simple shear devices. All the laboratory tests showed contractive behavior. CPT data were also used to estimate the peak and residual strength of the CCR material using available correlations. Generally, reasonable agreement was obtained by the two independent approaches but with significant scatter. This study summarizes the approaches used to apply Best Applicable Practices to make a reliable determination of peak and residual undrained shear strength of CCR materials and provides recommendations on improving available methods to determine undrained shear strength of contractive materials.
Biographies: Seda Gokyer Erbis is a Project Engineer/Assistant Project Manager for Geocomp Corporation – Massachusetts Consulting Group. She has been with Geocomp for six years, holding a doctoral degree in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. She has been leading the project management and technical efforts for one of Geocomp’s largest consulting projects on seismic assessment of coal ash impoundments. She has over seven years of experience in geotechnical earthquake engineering, especially in advanced laboratory testing. She has authored and co-authored several publications in peer-reviewed ASCE and ASTM journals and conference proceedings.
Mr. Lavorati is a Project Engineer at Geocomp Corporation – Massachusetts Consulting Group. He is responsible for a range of project activities including geotechnical design, laboratory testing, data management, computer-based modeling, field investigations, and project management. He has been involved with different aspects of engineering work, from litigation review to design analysis to information research. He has extensive modeling experience in a variety of geo-structural and presentation software packages, including AutoDesk, GeoStudio, Rocscience, DEEPSOIL, and FLAC, amongst many others.
Assessing the Influence of Epistemic Uncertainties on Earthquake Loss Estimates for California
Edward (Ned) H. Field, Research Geophysicist, USGS
EERI, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Tuesday April 27, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)
The Zoom Seminar is FREE!
For registration, please visit: HERE
Abstract: To aid in setting scientific research priorities, we assess the potential value of removing each of the epistemic uncertainties currently represented in the US Geological Survey California seismic-hazard model, using average annual loss (AAL) as the risk metric of interest. Given all the uncertainties, represented with logic-tree branches, we find a mean AAL of $3.94 billion. The modal value is 17.5% lower than the mean, and there is a 78% chance that the true AAL value is more than 10% away from the mean, and a 5% chance that it is a factor 2.1 greater or lower than the mean. We quantify the extent to which resolving each uncertainty improves the AAL estimate. The most influential branch is one that adds additional epistemic uncertainty to ground motion models, but others are found to be influential as well, such as the rate of M ≥ 5 events throughout the region. We discuss the broader implications of our findings, and note that the time dependence caused by spatiotemporal clustering can be much more influential on AAL than the epistemic uncertainties explored here.
Biography: Edward (Ned) Field has been a research geophysicist with USGS since 2000. He specializes in the development of earthquake-forecast models, which are one of the two main modeling components used in modern seismic-hazard analysis (the other being ground-motion models). His focus area has mainly been California, which due to an abundance of scientific talent and data constraints, has enabled the forging of state-or-the-art methodologies. Ned has led the development of the Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3), representing both multi-fault ruptures and spatiotemporal clustering (e.g., aftershocks); the relevance of both these effects was dramatically exemplified in a recent sequence of damaging earthquakes in New Zealand. These forecast models influence a variety of risk mitigation activities, including building codes and catastrophe models used by insurance industry. Important themes he is focused on nowadays include: a better quantification of uncertainties; the use of more physics-based approaches; and the need to add “valuation” to verification and validation protocols. Ned has also led the development of OpenSHA, which is an open-source, and platform-independent computational framework for conducting seismic hazard analysis, which supports loss modeling as well. He is also an active member of the planning committee of the Southern California Earthquake Center.
Are Small Earthquakes a Big Deal?
Julian J Bommer, Senior Research Investigator, Faculty of Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College, London
Friday February 5, 2021, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada), Virtual Event
Tufts CEE Seminar Series and Joyner Lecture at The New England Chapter of EERI Present
Abstract: Earthquake engineering has traditionally focused on protecting society against the effects of large magnitude earthquakes but in recent years there has been increasing interest regarding the impact of smaller earthquakes. This has been driven partly by the occurrence of some low-magnitude earthquakes that have been cause unexpected levels of damage and particularly by the heightened concern regarding earthquakes of anthropogenic origin. The lecture begins by re-visiting the often-misunderstood rationale behind the exclusion of smaller magnitude earthquakes from probabilistic seismic hazard analysis as being related to the risk posed by such events. A number of case histories of small magnitude events reported to have caused damage are then reviewed, highlighting in each case the specific factors contributing to the impact and in some cases arguing that the impact may have been exaggerated. This is followed by a global analysis of small-to-moderate magnitude earthquakes to ascertain the likelihood of these resulting in damage and/or injury. As well as looking at the smallest magnitude earthquakes that have caused structural damage, the question of the smallest magnitudes required to trigger liquefaction is also addressed. The lecture concludes with some insights regarding if and when smaller earthquakes should be a concern as well as discussing the challenges associated with modelling the resulting hazard and risk that such events can pose.
Please Register for Seminar: HERE
Lecture Flyer (PDF)
2020 Chapter Meetings
| Earthquake Drain Mitigation of Seismic Damage: Research and Practical Applications |
| Antonios Vytiniotis, Ph.D., P.E., Managing Engineer at Exponent |
| Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Thursday December 3, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)The Zoom Seminar is FREE! For registration please email Debra McKnight (Debra.Mcknight@tufts.edu) |
| Abstract: Soil liquefaction is an important design consideration. A technique finding increasing use due to its simplicity and low cost is mitigating liquefaction using earthquake drains (EQ-Drains). EQ-Drains are perforated vertical plastic conduits that function by accelerating the dissipation of excess pore water pressures. This seminar will describe general characteristics of EQ-Drains and present the results of state-of-the art research for the design and use of EQ-Drains. The presentation will discuss coupled pore pressure-deformation dynamic finite element analyses of liquefiable soils improved with EQ-Drains. It will discuss coupling of the soil domain with simpler structural models incorporating advanced dynamic p-y springs. It will finally discuss the use of fragility analysis to understand the seismic risk of geostructural components. The seminar will include detailed comparisons with centrifuge and field experimental testing as well as practical applications for practitioners. EQ-Drains, if designed and installed correctly, can provide a cost-effective means to combine the benefits of both strength- and drainage-based liquefaction mitigation. |
| Biography: Dr. Vytiniotis has background in structural and geotechnical engineering, geotechnical earthquake engineering, and numerical analysis. He has worked on numerous projects in more than 20 states and multiple countries, assisting project owners, law firms, utility companies, insurance companies and developers. His analyses consist of assessing soil improvement, soil-structure interaction, effects of vibrations and vibration isolation, construction defects, premises code compliance, dam safety, landslides, LNG and diesel tank condition assessments, API tank inspections, assessing wind turbine failures, causation of MSE wall failures, effects of adjacent construction, soil heave or settlements, frost-induced effects on soils, pipeline installation, effects of soil movements on pipelines, water intrusion, flooding, scour and backfill quality. Dr. Vytiniotis has performed research and consulting work on the seismic response of pile-supported wharves, seismic slope stability, the effectiveness of prefabricated vertical drains (earthquake drains) and soil densification in reducing liquefaction risk, the effect of gravel drains in amplifying seismic accelerations, and numerical simulations of centrifuge experiments. He also has research experience in constitutive soil modeling and evaluating settlements in soft soils associated with staged levee construction. He is also a member of Geo-Institute’s Deep Foundation and Computational Geotechnics committees. |
Approaches to Modeling Ergodic Seismic Site Response in Central and Eastern North America
Grace Parker, U.S. Geological Survey, Earthquake Science Center
Tufts CEE Seminar Series and The New England Chapter of EERI Present
Friday November 13, 2020 12:00pm Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Virtual Event
The seminar focuses on the Next Generation Attenuation East project resulting in a suite of ground motion models for central and eastern North America.
Grace Parker is a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Science Center in Moffett Field, California. She holds a B.S. in Applied Geophysics (2014) and a PhD in Civil Engineering (2018) from the University of California Los Angeles. Her research interests are in earthquake ground motion and seismic hazard, with a particular focus on model development, nonergodic site response, and applications to earthquake early warning systems.
| Functional Recovery: What it Means to Design for Community Resilience |
| 2020 EERI Distinguished Lecturer David Bonowitz (M.EERI, 1994) |
| Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, New England Chapter, Lecture Series
Tuesday September 15, 2020, 4:00 – 5:30 PM (Eastern Time) |
| Abstract: This lecture will focus on the emerging concept of functional recovery as a basis for earthquake-resistant design. Designing buildings and infrastructure for limited downtime – or an acceptably quick functional recovery – is not new, but it is receiving new attention through state and federal legislation, and showing new feasibility through research and technology. Most intriguing is the recognition that designing for functional recovery is a necessary tool for achieving community-wide earthquake resilience. And if progress is to be measured at the community level, functional recovery will also be a matter of public policy. The lecture will look at the roles EERI members can play in shaping this thinking into design practice with four sets of questions: definitional, technical, policy, and implementation. |
| Biography: The EERI Distinguished Lecturer for 2020 is Mr. David Bonowitz (M. EERI, 1994). He is an appointed member of the new Federal Emergency Management Agency-National Institute of Standards and Technology working group on Functional Recovery of the Built Environment and Critical Infrastructure. He is a co-author of “Functional Recovery: A Conceptual Framework,” an EERI white paper, and lead author of “Resilience-based Design and the NEHRP Provisions”. Mr. Bonowitz is also a Fellow Member of Structural Engineers Association of Northern California and Structural Engineers Association of California, and past chair of the National Council of Structural Engineers Association Existing Buildings and Resilience committees.
The Distinguished Lecture Award recognizes EERI members who have made outstanding contributions to earthquake risk reduction. The award encourages communications and dialogue on important and timely topics. |
2018 Chapter Meeting
Lecture Meeting
Lecture Title: “Life Safety in the City, There is More to Life Than Not Being Crushed”
Speaker: 2017 EERI Distinguished Lecturer Lucy Jones, PhD (M. EERI, 2001)
Date: Thursday May 10, 2018
Time: 5:30– 7:00 PM
Location: AIR Worldwide, 131 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA 02116
Attendance Limited, For RSVP email ekianirad@air‐worldwide.com
Abstract: The Resilience by Design program adopted by Los Angeles to address earthquake vulnerabilities brought together the earth science, earthquake engineering and public policy professions and worked with hundreds of community organizations to get approval for sweeping seismic resilience legislation. The process elucidated the disconnect between what well-informed members of the community and local governments understand about the earthquake risk and the goals and objectives of mitigation measures like building codes, and what has been implemented in most communities. Since their inception, building codes have been based on a principle that safety is the only valid concern of government. If an owner chooses to build a building that is a total financial loss, that is his prerogative but he cannot kill someone in the process. A key factor is that building codes consider buildings in isolation with impacts only on their owners and tenants. But the reality of a major earthquake is that the failure of a building impacts the whole community through economic disruption, population decreases, and cascading failures of engineered and social systems. This talk will explore a conceptual framework for creating a building code that reflects the realities of earthquake losses and the social dynamics of shared economic decisions.
2017 Chapter Meeting
Lecture Meeting
Lecture Title: “Seismic Hazard Assessment and Monitoring of Tall Buildings”
Speaker: Nafi Tokzos, Professor, MIT
Date: Friday May 12th, 2017
Time: 3:00 to 4:30 pm
Location: MIT Green Building(#54); 2nd Floor; Room 54-209
2016 Chapter Meetings
Lecture Meeting
Lecture Title: “Development and Implications of a Procedure for Estimating Vs30 for Use as an Alternative to the Method Used in the ASTM Standard”
By Alfredo Urzua, Ph.D, Adjunct Professor at Boston College, Founder of Prototype Engineering, Inc.
Date: August 31, 2016 (Wednesday evening)
Time: 6:00– 8:00 PM
Location:Weston Observatory, 381 Concord Road, Weston, MA 02493
Following Dr. Urzua’s presentation, interested members are invited to attend a guided tour of the observatory.
Biography: Dr. Urzua is an adjunct professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences department at Boston College and is the founder of Prototype Engineering, Inc. in Winchester, MA. He received his Ph.D. from MIT from the Department of Civil Engineering for his work on analyzing permanent displacement from cyclic loading of foundations. His interests include geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, reliability engineering, and groundwater flow.
Lecture Meeting
Lecture Title: “Designing for Collapse Resistance in Moderate Seismic Regions”
By Eric Hines, Ph.D, P.E., Principal at LeMessurier, Professor of Practice at Tufts University
Date: May 12, 2016 (Thursday evening)
Time: 6:00– 7:00 PM
Location: AIR Worldwide, Inc. 131 Dartmouth, Boston, 02116
2015 Annual Meeting – Boston
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)
67th Annual Meeting
Theme: “Old Cities, New Earthquakes”
March 31-April 3, 2015
Park Plaza Hotel, Boston, MA
Meeting information and registration http://2015am.eeri-events.org/
Submit poster abstracts https://www.eeri.org/cohost/registration/2015-eeri-am-poster-abstract
Local contact Scott Civjan <Civjan@ecs.umass.edu>
Download the Brochure: 2015_AM_Brochure_3R
Become a sponsor: EERI 2015 Annual Meeting Sponsor Packet