• Introduction to the causes of earthquakes, to engineering seismology and to earthquake engineering. Earthquake magnitude and earthquake intensity. Magnitude and intensity scales.
• Seismic hazard and seismic risk. Their quantification.
• Characteristics of strong earthquake motions
• Elastic response and design spectra.
• Brief review of elastic modal analysis for lumped mass MDOF systems. Response spectrum analysis
• Inelastic earthquake response of SDOF systems. Ductility, ductility factors and behavior ( or response reduction) factors, inelastic response and design spectra.
• Inelastic earthquake response of MDOF systems: Plastic hinge nodel, inelastic dynamic analyses , static pushover analyses
• Principles of modern earthquake resistant design, modern codes.
• Special topics of earthquake engineering.
• New technologies, seismic base isolation.

• Dynamics of Structures: Theory and applications to earthquake engineering. By A. Chopra, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall.
• Eurocode 8 (CEN-Brussels)
• Handout notes by the instructor
• Various published articles

Prerequisites

• Design of reinforced concrete linear elements.
• Design of steel structural components.
• Design of steel structures.
• Design of reinforced concrete structures.
• Structural dynamics.

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures accompanied by a series of about 5-6 homework assignments plus a term project, typically involving the dynamic earthquake analysis of a small building using commercial software such as ETABS, SAP, etc. 2 graduate students and the instructor are also available for answering questions.

Assessment and grading methods

A 3-hour final written exam. Successful completion and submission of all homework assignments and of the term project may count up to 2/10 for the final grade.