MSc in ‘Analysis and Design of Earthquake Resistant Structures’
The MSc course in ‘Analysis and Design of Earthquake Resistant Structures’ meets the need for an insight into the key area of Earthquake Engineering. It provides the students with the theoretical background in the topics of structural dynamics, structural analysis and design, computational mechanics, geomechanics, reliability and risk analysis, integrated with recent research findings to form a solid technical basis for practical applications.
The Department of Structural Engineering of the NTUA School of Civil Engineering in synergy with the Department of Geotechnical Engineering, provides the Postgraduate Course of Studies. The Department of Geotechnical Engineering contributes to the program with the following courses:
The geotechnical applications (i.e. settlement of structures, embedded retaining walls, reinforced soil retaining walls and/or steepened embankments; seismic loading of retaining walls, bridge abutments, piles and pile groups) are related to engineering practice and to current research work.
The topics of seepage, compression and consolidation are examined briefly and by using an extended case study of the Tower of Pisa as a theme, the concepts can be applied to different soils and the long-term settlement of soil can be assessed. The major challenges facing designers of embedded retaining walls such as secant bored pile walls and diaphragm walls used in the construction of deep sections of retained cuttings and cut-and-cover tunnels in road schemes and multi-propped deep excavations in urban areas are examined. The study of retaining systems is extended to include reinforced soil retaining walls and/or steepened embankments, as a relatively new cost effective method of construction which reduces embankment width and land-take and is environmentally acceptable. The response of piles and pile groups to seismic loading is also examined; the benefits of Unconventional Seismic Foundation Design in changing the established philosophy in seismic foundation design are assessed. In situ measurements of stress, deformation and pore pressures as well as instrumentation for monitoring structures are briefly described. As part of the course case studies are analysed and the Codes of practice are applied, using bespoke and commercial software.
Instructors: V. Georgiannou, G. Gazetas
Assistant: E. Pavlopoulou
This post-graduate course has the following themes: 1. Introduction to Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. Basic elements of engineering seismology, with emphasis on strong ground motion. 2. Single degree of freedom structural vibration with base excitation, elastic response spectra. 3. Seismic wave (P, S, Rayleigh, Love) propagation in homogeneous and inhomogeneous soil. 4. Seismic design of underground tunnels and pipelines against seismic waves and permanent ground displacements. 5. Soil amplification (or de-amplification) of seismic ground motion with analytical and numerical methods. Practice with dedicated software. 6. Seismic design of retaining walls with the Mononobe-Okabe method (pseudo-static design) and with Richards-Elms (allowable displacements). 7. Topography effects and seismic design of soil and rock slopes. 8. Liquefaction, with emphasis on assessment methods and on its effects on Civil Engineering works. Description of ground improvement methods and methods for mitigating the effects of liquefaction.
Instructors: G. Bouckovalas, A. Papadimitriou
Assistants: J. Tsiapas, K. Mpazaios, L. Tsantilas