The School of Engineering at the American University in Dubai (AUD) hosted a seminar entitled "Seismic Design using Structural Dynamics" in collaboration with Ramboll Whitby & Bird Engineers and S.K. Ghosh Associates Inc, a US firm based in Illinois, renowned for seismic and building code consulting. The seminar was delivered by international expert Dr. Satyendra K. Ghosh, and attended by AUD faculty and students, along with professionals from the structural, construction and engineering sectors in the region. Dr. Elias Saqan, who had a leading role in organizing the event, said that “hosting such courses at AUD goes in parallel with the University and School of Engineering mission" in advancing society by providing opportunities for lifelong learning. He added that “with many skyscrapers and other complex projects being built in the Emirates, and with the proximity of the UAE to nearby active faults, there is a more than ever demand, by engineers, government officials, and owners, to build safe yet economical structures. It is a great pleasure to [have such ] a prominent engineer and researcher as Dr. Ghosh share his experience with practicing engineers and students on such an important topic."

 

On his objectives about conducting this seminar, Dr. Ghosh indicated that his goal is to provide "not only information on code requirements, but also theoretical background information so that the engineer understands the reasoning behind the code requirements." Based on his experience, he noticed that practicing engineers sometimes rely heavily on software in designing a structure, without fully understanding its dynamic response. "This can result in a building design that does not fully take advantage of its ability to accommodate inelastic deformations, which can, in return, result in extra construction costs,” he concluded. He expressed his hope that those who attended the seminar would be able to design structural systems that adhere to building codes while performing efficiently under earthquake loading.

 

The seminar is a sequel to an earlier short course on seismic design of reinforced concrete structures using UBC/ACI provisions, which was held in Dubai last year. The material was presented in a manner that allowed practicing engineers to directly apply it in their design, and clarified the application of the UBC provisions for individuals in general. The seminar speaker also presented an example of a three-story, one-bay frame and solved it manually to illustrate the steps required for the determination of modal frequencies, mode shapes, and response spectrum analysis of structures. He then demonstrated the detailed response spectrum analysis of a twenty-story reinforced concrete building with a dual shear wall, and a frame system. Toward the conclusion of the seminar, many of the participants pointed out the need to review the basis for dynamic analyses and the importance of their proper application within the context of tall buildings in Dubai.