Seismic Design Competition

A hybrid design-model-build-test activity in earthquake-resistant structural engineering

Overview

Student teams design a multi-story balsa-wood building, analyze its seismic response in SAP2000, fabricate the physical model, and test it under simulated earthquake ground motion.

The activity follows the technical framework of the EERI Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition and brings structural analysis, seismic design, model construction, prediction, and experimental testing into one integrated project.

View Full Activity Details in the Handbook

Why This Activity Matters

Earthquake-resistant design requires engineers to balance strength, stiffness, stability, weight, architectural function, and seismic performance. This activity gives students the opportunity to make those decisions themselves and then evaluate how accurately their analytical model predicts the behavior of the physical structure.

Students experience the complete engineering design cycle:

design → analyze → predict → fabricate → test → evaluate

Connection to Structural Engineering

This activity connects concepts from:

Structural Analysis
Structural Dynamics
Earthquake Engineering
Structural Design
Computer Modeling
Experimental Testing

It introduces students to lateral-load-resisting systems, dynamic response, structural drift, floor acceleration, mass distribution, bracing, connections, and performance-based design.

Activity Status

Implemented; SAP2000 analysis component in development

Main focus

Seismic Response, Lateral Load Resistance, Dynamic Analysis, Structural Efficiency

Course Connection

Structural Dynamics, Structural Analysis

Tools / Platforms

SAP2000, Construction Drawings, Balsa-Wood Fabrication, Shake-Table Testing, Accelerometers

Activity Type

Design-Model-Build-Test Competition

Team Format

Groups of 4–5

Mode

Hybrid

Key Deliverables

Fabricated Structure, Shake-Table Test, Performance Evaluation, Reflection Report

Technical Snapshot

Structural model: Multi-story balsa-wood building
Number of floors: 15–19 under the 2024 rules
Base plate: 18 in × 18 in
Roof plate: 6 in × 6 in
Digital model: SAP2000
Analysis method: Dynamic time-history analysis
Predicted responses: Peak relative roof displacement and peak absolute roof acceleration
Analysis directions: North–South and East–West
Physical testing: Shake-table testing under two ground motions
Performance focus: Drift, acceleration, stability, damage, and collapse prevention

The Design Challenge

Student teams design a multi-story balsa-wood building that satisfies the competition’s geometric, material, floor-area, connection, and construction requirements.

Each team creates a corresponding SAP2000 model and performs dynamic analysis using the prescribed ground-motion record. Before physical testing, students predict the maximum roof displacement and roof acceleration in the direction of shaking.

The teams then fabricate their structures and test them under the same seismic loading protocol. Analytical predictions are compared with measured response, observed damage, and overall structural performance.

The goal is not simply to build the strongest structure. Students must develop a solution that balances: