U.S.-Japan Joint Seminar: Advanced Stability and Seismicity Concepts for Performance-Based Design of Steel and Composite Structures

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

0093083 Leon This award supports the participation of American scientists in a U.S.-Japan seminar on advanced stability and seismicity concepts for performance-based design of steel and composite structures to be held in Kyoto, Japan from July 24-27, 2001. The co-organizers are professors Roberto Leon of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Professor Eiichi Watanabe of the Kyoto University in Japan. The last decade has witnessed some of the most damaging earthquakes to urban areas in the last century. Beginning with the 1994 Northridge and 1995 Kobe Earthquakes, and concluding with the 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) and Kocaeli (Turkey) ones, these events have exposed the vulnerability of both older and modern construction to near-field ground motions, and reinforced the need to mitigate and limit direct and indirect economic damage from earthquakes. These earthquakes have led to extensive research efforts in both the U.S. and Japan. The seminar will focus on advances in the state-of-the-art achieved in the last six years, with major emphasis on achievements resulting from (a) experiences of, and research subsequent to the Northridge, Hanshin, Kocaeli, and Chi-Chi earthquakes and (b) the development of performance-based specifications for seismic design of steel and composite structures. The final output from the workshop will be a monograph that discusses the current state-of-the-art in seismic design of steel building, and identifies weaknesses and voids in current American and Japanese practices. It will also focus attention on new technologies that are promising for improving seismic performance. Seminar organizers have made a special effort to involve younger researchers and postdocs as both participants and observers. The exchange of ideas and data with Japanese experts in this field will enable U.S. participants to advance their own work, and will set the stage for future collaborative projects. Dissemination of information on the seminar will be available on the World Wide Web.