Introduction

Earthquake engineering (EE) is an integration of multidisciplinary knowledge in several areas of basic sciences and science-based engineering with the goal of reducing the seismic risks to socioeconomically acceptable levels.

The multidisciplinary nature of EE makes it very difficult to cover the details of all the scientific and engineering aspects involved in modern EE in a single course. Therefore, in this course the intention is to focus on the practical aspect of EE to help the students using this course in their profession.

Also, for the first time, the subject of the non-structural seismic bracing as a new area in EE has been added with the hope of creating more job opportunities for the students.

Dr. Amin Ghafooripour, the professional engineer and academic faculty at Santa Clara University in California, with more than 25 years working experience will teach this exclusive course.

The course is presented through video tutorials and multimedia content within the Moodle virtual platform, with exercises like tests and practical cases.

Objectives

The main objective of the course is to teach the practical earthquake engineering to the engineers. It is expected that at the end of this course the student should be able to use this course in the professional practice in two different way as explained below:

• Promote an understanding of the earthquake engineering, seismicity, and effective parameters of the earthquake activities.
• Promote the criteria of the seismic analysis and design.

Limited places.

Module 1: Introduction to Earthquake Engineering and Seismology

• • Definitions, Seismicity, tectonics
  • Fault, magnitude, intensity, EQ waves
  • Different level of performance

Module 2: Seismic design requirements

• • • Practical requirement for a seismic
    • Resistant building based on ASCE7-16/EC8
    • Criteria of the Equivalent Static method

Module 3: Linear Static Seismic Lateral Force Procedure

• • • Equivalent static Method
    • ASCE7-16 and EC8             

Module 4: Seismic lateral force on non-structural components -ASCE7-16/EC8  

• • • Calculate the seismic force for the non structural components such as ceiling, mechanical, electrical etc     

Module 5: Seismic design in practice

• • • Design with over strength factor
    • Drift and deflection control
    • Response modification factor and ductility

Module 6: Dynamic Analysis Of multidegree of freedom structures. Criteria of Spectral analysis. CQC, SRSS

• • Dynamic analysis criteria with the target of introduction of the required parameters to use computer software

Amin Ghafooripour

Amin Ghafooripour, PhD., PE, M. ASCE, SEI, SEONC, AWC, ASEE, UIA – Dr. Amin Ghafooripour is a faculty at Santa Clara University and the president of Padir Consulting Engineers in California, the United States of America.

Also, he is the Director of Outreach at ASCE SEI San Francisco Chapter and member
of the SEAONC Continuing Education committee.

His academic and professional projects have taken him to 24 different countries in Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Japan and have earned him nearly 25 years of experience in teaching, researching, and engineering design in the United States, United Kingdom, Netherland, Norway, Denmark, Iran, and UAE.

He is an accomplished proactive engineer with combined international experience in Structural Engineering for Buildings, Offshore oil platforms, Bridges and Industrial projects. His academic background has given him the knowledge of theories to unlock the irregular problems.

Dr. Ghafooripour is a member of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), SEAOC, SEI, AWC, ASEE, and UIA, Amin is also an ORCID and Thomson Reuters registered researcher.

He is experienced in guiding the research projects, mentoring, and instructing undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, teaching courses in a wide range of structural/civil engineering topics. His academic and professional design background has given him valuable insight into the irregular structural problems of the building and industrial projects. Dr. Ghafooripour has received several awards and certifications for his professional design work and academic research and management from US, UK, Netherland, Denmark, Norway, and Iran, including the Excellent Academic Management and Researcher of the Year awards. He has patented four inventions and published over 90 papers.

Dr. Amin Ghafooripour’s educational philosophy:
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

All of our courses are offered 100% online, through our intuitive Virtual Campus. Topics are taught through:

• – Videos
• – Interactive multimedia content
• – Live classes
• – Texts
• – Case studies
• – Evaluation exercises
• – Additional documentation

The content is updated in each new course edition, so that knowledge is acquired around the latest news and state-of-the-art geotechnical engineering technology.

One of the most interesting aspects of our courses is the use of live videoconferences, in which teachers and students interact in a continuous exchange of knowledge and problem solving. In addition to this, students can make use of the platform’s forum, a meeting point where they can interact with teachers and other students.

A tutoring system will also be established by email, which will resolve any possible doubts about the course, and which will serve as a point of connection for students with specific questions on each module.

Students can also download all course documentation, including texts, videos, video conferences and exercises.

Prerequisites:

The students are supposed to have the knowledge of Statics, Strength of material, Structural analysis.

This course is designed for:

• – Practitioners involved in the various aspects of structural design or construction.
• – Design engineers who are supposed to design the structure.
• – Design engineers who are designing the non-structural seismic bracing (mechanical, electrical, ceiling, equipment – bracing and anchorage) or would like to open a new area of seismic design in their career.
• – Those engineers who are engaged with structural analysis with computer software and would like to have advancement on dynamic/modal analysis of structures.

At the end of the course, and as accreditation of knowledge acquired and of the technical and practical training, students who correctly complete the corresponding evaluation tests of the geotechnical engineering course will obtain an academic certificate issued by Ingeoexpert. This digital certificate is protected by Blockchain technology, making it unique and tamper-proof, thus enabling companies to verify its authenticity.

It can also be downloaded by students, forwarded by email and shared on social networks, as well as embedded on any website. You can see an example here.

By the end of the course, its primary goal will be achieved by enabling the students to:

1. Calculate the equivalent earthquake force using static method for the real projects as the requirement for all projects.
2. Calculate the seismic force for the non-seismic components, this area creates job opportunity for those students who are working in industry, high-rise, or any project such as data centers, hospitals, factories, power plants and important buildings that non-structural components like mechanical, electrical, equipment etc. requires seismic bracings.
3. Calculate and understand the dynamic analysis with the introduction of the required parameters for the computer software. This chapter gives idea on modal analysis and how the software work.
4. Compute the deflection of trusses, beam and frames using energy methods.
5. Understand the meaning of inelastic behavior, response modification factor, drift requirements, and the overstrength factor.