S98-9
NEW EFFORTS IN EARTHQUAKE RESEARCH

In the fall of 1997, the National Science Foundation awarded major grants to three institutions to conduct and coordinate earthquake engineering research for the U.S. This session featured presentations by representatives from the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER Center), the Mid-America Earthquake Center (MAE Center), and the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER). Each presentation focused on the respective center's vision, key research thrusts, and plans for further application and utilization of its research results.

Representing the PEER Center (which has nine core institutions), Peter May indicated that PEER's major focus is to develop urban earthquake risk reduction technologies with particular attention to performance-based earthquake engineering. PEER's research program involves: 1) project applications on buildings, infrastructure, and industrial facilities interwoven with basic thrust areas in policy, planning, seismic hazards, performance assessment, systems reliability, and innovative technologies; 2) demonstration programs; and 3) industry-directed studies.

Jim Beavers explained that the objective of the MAE Center (with seven core institutions) is to reduce earthquake losses through research, outreach, and education. The Center has four major research areas: 1) geotechnical engineering, 2) seismology/geophysics, 3) structural engineering, and 4) social and economic. It is comprised of five major programs: 1) hazards education, 2) essential facilities, 3) transportation networks, 4) education, and 5) outreach collaboration.

Larry Soong from MCEER (with nine core institutions) described MCEER's three major goals as: 1) innovative loss estimation, 2) cost-effective performance-based rehabilitation technologies for critical facilities, and 3) improved response and recovery through strategic planning and crisis management. The Center has four core research programs: 1) performance assessment of the built environment, 2) rehabilitation of critical facilities, 3) intelligent response and optimal recovery, and 4) user networks.

Following the presentations, discussion centered around the various challenges faced by the three centers. Several key issues were identified and discussed, including: 1) the challenge of doing cross-disciplinary, team research; 2) the challenge of providing effective outreach and applications or implementation of research; and 3) the challenge of educating the next generation of researchers and practitioners. Directly related to this third point is the further challenge of increasing the number of women and minorities involved in earthquake research and mitigation.

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August 28, 1998