Structural Seismic Engineering

Structural engineering studies the loads and stresses of man-made structures so they can be designed to resist the many forces that might cause a collapse. If a structure is in an earthquake, a few seconds of powerful ground motion will be a bigger stress than many years of normal use. Structural seismic engineering has to be included in the design of any structure that is built in an earthquake zone.

Also called earthquake engineering, structural seismic engineering tries to predict how seismic forces will affect a structure, and prevent them from causing a collapse that will create a great deal of damage and (possibly) injuries. Some of the elements considered are ground motion characteristics, soil dynamics, and the behavior of structures. Government building codes are also accounted for.

Tests for Structural Seismic Engineering
Engineers use mathematical models to design and predict the behavior of a structure in an earthquake. They also use software that simulates all the forces that a building will be subject to when the ground shakes. A real-world test is often also used. An earthquake simulator, or "shake table," can move just like a real earthquake. Some of these tables hold as much as 50 tons, so full-sized houses can be placed on them. After the test, engineers will analyze how the structure fared.

Structural seismic engineering is an essential part of making buildings safe in earthquake-prone areas. It must be part of any engineering design when the structure will be placed where it is likely to experience seismic stress. For more information, contact The KPA Group at www.thekpagroup.com.