photo by Bruce Kutter, professor of civil engineering, University of California at Davis

This photo shows damage to the Marine District in San Francisco, following the 1989 earthquake.

CLEVELAND -- When, where, and why did the ground shake? In the aftermath of a major earthquake, the damage can be clear, but the processes that caused the damage can remain a mystery.

Case Western Reserve University's Department of Civil Engineering has received a $75,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to host 30 of the top world experts in earthquake research for a three-day workshop, November 8-10.

The hosts will be James Wagner, the University's interim president; Robert Savinell, interim dean of the Case School of Engineering; and Robert Mullen, chairman of civil engineering. They will welcome the participants at the opening ceremony.

photo by Marci Hersh

Two professors in CWRU's Department of Civil Engineering -- J. Ludwig Figueroa (center) and Adel Saada (right) -- contributed to the development of the CWRU centrifuge and shaker for earthquake studies. Associate Professor David Zeng (left), another earthquake researcher, is coordinating a November 8-10 workshop for 30 of the top earthquake research experts.

The conference objectives are:

• To discuss the latest developments in earthquake-simulation techniques in geotechnical engineering, including details of capabilities and limitations
• To discuss research topics that can be carried out using the latest techniques
• To develop ideas for collaborative study among groups of researchers
• To identify new protocol, resources, and changes in research culture that could encourage collaboration

The earthquake-simulation techniques that will be discussed include centrifuge modeling, shaking table tests, field simulation, and numerical modeling.

"The natural earthquake is unpredictable," said David Zeng, an associate professor of civil engineering and chairman of the workshop organizing committee. "Every time we have a major earthquake, we only have the aftermath to investigate, so we don't know what went on during the earthquake to cause such damage," he added.

Civil engineers have three methods to study earthquake damage: laboratory tests using shaking tables and centrifuges that hold scaled models made of the same materials used to build real structures, field tests that involve explosives used to mimic the ground shaking events, and computer modeling using high-tech software to simulate earthquake effects.

Experts around the globe gather annually to discuss new methods for studying earthquakes, and this is the first time CWRU will host the gathering. Previous hosts include the University of California, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Illinois. "Hosting the conference itself is a significant recognition of the expertise and achievements of CWRU researchers," said Zeng.

photo by Marci Hersh

CWRU civil engineers designed this centrifuge and shaking table inside.

CWRU's Department of Civil Engineering has some of the most advanced equipment for earthquake research. This includes a centrifuge equipped with a shaking table that can simulate earthquakes applied to small models at a centrifugal acceleration of 100 times that of gravity. Two professors in CWRU's Department of Civil Engineering -- J. Ludwig Figueroa and Adel Saada -- contributed to the development of the CWRU centrifuge and shaker.

According to Zeng, researchers aim to understand what happened during an earthquake so that safer and more economical structures can be built. "One of the goals of this workshop is to gather all the experts in one room to discuss the latest techniques available for our research," said Zeng.

photo by Marci Hersh

David Zeng, associate professor of civil engineering, analyzes results of a computer-simulated earthquake.

Among the distinguished group of international earthquake researchers coming to Cleveland will be Izzat Idriss, professor of civil engineering at the University of California-Davis, and Kenneth Stokoe, the Brunswick-Abernathy Regents Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. They are both members of the National Academy of Engineering.

Idriss, one of the pioneers in the geotechnical earthquake engineering field, has made major contributions to understanding soil behavior during earthquakes, and he has done fundamental and applied research related to geotechnical earthquake engineering.

Stokoe has been working in the areas of in situ seismic measurements, laboratory measurements of dynamic material properties, and dynamic soil-structure interaction for the past 30 years. He was instrumental in developing several techniques which many universities and private firms in the United States, Europe, and Asia now use to evaluate dynamic material properties.

The event is not open to the public, but members of the media may attend by registering. For more information or to register, contact Zeng at 216-368-2923.