UBC Seismic Design Team

We are a group of undergraduate students with keen interests in structural and seismic design from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. With the help of our supervising professor from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, we conduct research and design on seismic structures that are structurally stable and resilient to the extreme and unpredictable forces of earthquakes. We promote the study and research on structural and earthquake engineering primarily by allowing students to apply engineering concepts and seismic technologies learned in class to our projects. Students are also provided with the opportunity to network with engineers working in the industry for further career development.

Each year, we participate in the annual Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition hosted by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Student Leadership Council (SLC), which is held in conjunction with the EERI Annual Meeting. Students apply their knowledge to produce a design of a high-rise building that displays the most creative solutions to maximize structural stability in the event of seismic activity. The design is further improved by modelling with structural analysis software, such as SAP2000. Once the design is complete, students work together to build a scale model of the high-rise to prepare for the competition. Physical testing of the model is done to predict the response of the building in the event of seismic activity. Building performance predictions and competition deliverables, such as a technical poster and oral presentation, are done in preparation for the competition.