This research aims to develop and demonstrate an advanced, integrated earthquake loss estimation methodology for urban lifeline systems. The methodology, which evaluates direct and indirect economic losses from lifeline failures, provides a means for assessing both expected losses from future earthquakes and potential loss reduction from mitigation alternatives. This effort builds on and coordi...

In earthquake resistance design of structures, two general concepts have been used. The first is to increase the capacity of the structures to resist the earthquake load effects (mostly horizontal forces) or to increase the dynamic stiffness such as the seismic energy dissipation ability by adding damping systems (both devices and/or structural fuses). The second concept includes seismic isolat...

The idea of web-based virtual laboratories is not new (Hoffman, 1994; Potter, 1996; Preis 1997). However, this topic has received much attention over the last few years due to the implementation of new teaching technologies in the classroom, and the widespread adoption of the Internet. Currently, a large number of virtual laboratories can be found online. These virtual laboratories cover differ...

This study compares two different approaches for estimating the probability of earthquake damage to typical residential structures. The first is an empirical approach using intensity-based hazard and insurance claims data from the 1989 ML 5.6 Newcastle earthquake, the most costly in Australian history. The second is an engineering-based approach that defines hazard in terms of spectral accelera...