CEE Seminar: Basic Philosophy of Seismic Analysis and Design of Concrete Columns for a Highway Bridge in California

Abstract: California is identified as an active seismic region with hundreds of identified faults located throughout the state. About 200 seismic faults are considered potentially hazardous exists in California. 

The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and the 1994 Northridge Earthquake caused heavy damages to many buildings and bridge structures. In the aftermath of the earthquakes, the State of California developed a new philosophy of seismic analysis and design of concrete columns for California highway bridges. The philosophy prescribes that concrete columns will experience inelastic ductile deformation to absorb seismic energy and the earthquake forces are estimated through dynamic behavior of bridge structures. 

This seminar will provide an overview of the philosophy of seismic analysis and design of concrete columns for a highway bridge. The lecture will introduce the inelastic deformation performance theory, basic design methodology of ductile concrete columns and dynamic seismic analysis procedures for bridges. 

Bio: Paul Chung has worked for California Department of Transportation for 24 years. He is currently the deputy chief of engineering responsible for the development and administration of statewide policies, standards, procedures and training for highway design. Prior to his assignment, Chung served as the chief of bridge design in southern california and as the office chief of earthquake engineering directing the research and development of seismic analysis and design guidance and standards for bridges. 

Chung has a M.Eng degree in civil engineering from UC Berkeley and a M.S. and a B.S. degree in civil engineering from UC Davis. Also, Chung worked for a private engineering firm designing bridges and has been a registered civil engineer since 2000. 

Bio: Mina Pezeshpour has worked for the California Department of Transportation for 25 years. She has been the office chief of bridge design south in the division of engineering services since 2019. Pezeshpour is currently the co-technical manager of the BIM committee for bridges and tunnel committee. Before joining Caltrans , she worked on various infrastructures for private industries for 14 years. 

Pezeshpour has a B.S. in civil engineering and M.S. in soil mechanics and foundation engineering and has been a certified project management professional (PMP) since 2006. She has been a registered civil engineer in California since 1996.