University researchers take seismic work to international panel
A team from the Department has recently presented its research into earthquake engineering to an international peer-review panel based in Lima, Peru.
Dr Dina D’Ayala, Reader in Structural Engineering, and PhD student Carina Fonseca Ferreira flew to Peru to present to a panel composed of leading architects and engineers from the UK, the United States of America, Peru, Portugal and France. The researchers are both contributing to an international conservation project named the ‘ Earthen Architecture Initiative – Seismic Retrofitting Project in Peru’, working with the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles, and the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and Ministerio de Cultura del Perú, both in Lima.
The aim of the initiative is to analyse the performance of historic and monumental earthen buildings in prone seismic areas, and to develop earthquake engineering methods to assist in the conservation of these structures.
They presented their research to a peer-review panel, which was assessing all of the work that the various research partners associated with the project have been doing to study and strengthen historic earthen structures.
Carina, who is studying a PhD in the field of earthquake engineering and the conservation of historic buildings, said: “This visit to Peru was a fantastic experience for me and gave me the opportunity to discuss my research with some leading earthquake engineers and architects from around the world. The conclusions from the peer-review meeting were very complimentary to the work we have done so far”.
Dr D’Ayala added: “During the trip a formal collaboration agreement was signed by the Peruvian
Ministry of Culture to support the work of the academic partners, which is a huge boost to the
whole project.”
More can be read about the initiative on the
project blog.
