life at UBC Seismic
Established in 2009, the UBC Seismic Design Team is composed of some of the most talented students in Civil Engineering, Forestry, Architecture, and other faculties across UBC. Together, we research and fabricate innovative seismic structure design by allowing students to apply concepts learned in the classroom to an exciting and rewarding project. You will be provided with ample opportunities to learn, grow, network, and utilize your skills to become the best Engineer/Architect you can be. We work hard as a tight-knit group and participate in extracurricular activities together. Team spirit thrives at UBC Seismic and will keep going strong for years to come!
what can I learn?
Learning and developing skills and techniques are our priorities. Students can expect to learn a wide variety of software skills such as SAP2000, AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Lumion, Adobe Illustrator, and Sketch-Up. Students can also expect to learn technical skills such as conducting laboratory material testing, 3D printing, laser cutting, construction sequencing, and using hand tools. Team members will develop their skills in problem-solving, communication, networking, leadership, and time management. Experience from working in a student team is a great way to solve problems outside of the engineering classroom.
which sub-team should I join?
UBC Seismic has 3 main sub-teams:
Design & Analysis
Architecture & 3D Modelling
Construction & Material Testing
Students can apply to one of the sub-teams when submitting their applications.
In addition to joining a subteam, there is also the opportunity to help with Marketing, Outreach, & Sponsorship!
design & analysis
As a Design & Analysis team member, you will be working closely with the team lead to design and analyze the structural capacity of a balsa wood tower and ensure the design complies with the competition rules and structural capacity. You will be utilizing SAP2000 and other structural analysis software to optimize and compare the performance of different structural designs. You will be calibrating the model using data extracted from the physical testing to accurately predict the final structural performance. Deliverables for the competition include: Sine Sweep test, Pull Test, Fast Fourier Transform to find resonant modes, damping ratio prediction, roof acceleration and displacement predictions.
ARCHITECTURE & 3d modelling
As an Architecture & 3D Modelling member, you will be working closely with the design and construction team to create a structural model and a realistic architectural model. You will be working with Revit, SketchUp, V-Ray, and Adobe Photoshop to model and render, but team members are welcome to experiment with new software. You will also assist in designing architectural floor plans using the finalized structural design. Deliverables for the competition include: Tower 3D rendering exposing different structural systems, research into precedent architectural concepts, interior rendering, and help with the presentation and poster.
CONSTRUCTION & MATERIAL TESTING
As a Construction & Material Testing member, you will be working closely with the design and architecture teams to coordinate the construction process and sequencing of the balsa wood tower. You will assist the sub-team by ensuring the tower features have high constructability and comply with the competition rules. You will be supporting the design team by testing material properties and creating 3D models of the structure in AutoCAD to be imported into SAP2000. You will also procure construction materials, perform quantity take-offs, prepare construction drawings and laser cutting sheets using AutoCAD, and fabricating jigs and temporary formworks for the structure construction.
Marketing, Outreach, and sponsorship
In the marketing, outreach, and sponsorship roles, you will be working closely with the leads of the UBC Seismic Design team to accumulate the resources needed for the new 2023-2024 season. Your responsibilities will encompass preparing sponsorship packages and accumulating the financial resources by reaching out to engineering companies, organizing technical workshops and meetings with our company sponsors (events such as Lunch&Learns where workshops are held between the team and our company sponsor to provide mentorship and aid on our designs during our competition season), and working towards expanding the UBC Seismic Design team.
How can I Join?
The UBC Seismic Team fall recruitment for the 2023-2024 year is now open!
Apply here: https://forms.gle/YqEiftKtz9p6HENy7
Applications close Sunday, September 17th at midnight.