Gary C. Hart
Professor Emeritus
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
Principal Emeritus
Thornton Tomasetti, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Time: 2016-05-24 10:00-11:30
Venue: Civil Engineering A101
Chair: Xilin Lu

Outline :
The earthquake design has evolved from developing a single “Life Safety” performance design to Performance Based Design. With this evolution, we continuously improve our Structural Mechanics Structural Analysis methods and also our Structural Reliability Structural Analysis methods. One area of considerable learning was how structural members respond to cyclic load reversal demands and the importance of considering this in our structural analysis. We use the Limit States that are at the foundation of a Structural Reliability Structural Analysis and this seminar will show how the addition of viscous dampers to the buildings’ lateral force resisting system has great benefits in Mean and Uncertainty Response reductions. This talk will use illustrations of candidate Performance Limit States we consider in the earthquake design of new or rehabilitation of existing buildings. Then it shows that structural design of buildings for earthquake loading requires structural analyses to consider the representation of the energy dissipation in the buildings lateral earthquake force resisting system for different levels of deformation from the earthquake loads. Finally, it will show using several key items in the ATC‐63 publication approach can be used for buildings with viscous dampers.
About the Speaker :
Gary C. Hart is an Emeritus Principal of Thornton Tomasetti. He received his BS in Civil Engineering from University of Southern California in 1965 and his MS and Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from Stanford University in 1966 and 1968, respectively. He was a tenured Professor in Structural Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1968 to 2001. His structural engineering career has been especially focused on building design and building performance estimation during severe earthquakes and winds. Dr. Hart has authored several text books including Structural Dynamics for Structural Engineers and Load and Safety in Structural Engineering. He has received many selected special recognitions, just name a few: Founding Editor, “International Journal on the Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings,” John Wiley & Sons; ASCE Ernest E. Howard Award for “Definite contribution to the advancement of structural engineering”; and Founding President, Los Angeles Tall Buildings Structural Design Council, etc. Selected notable building designs he worked on are the Rockwell building in Seal Beach (ASCE Building of the Year), Los Angeles City Hall etc. In 2001, he  joined Weidlinger Associates Inc. as a Principal and Member of the Board of Directors. In 2015, Weidlinger Associates merged with Thornton Tomasetti Inc. and Dr. Hart became a full time structural engineer as a Principal Emeritus.

All interested are welcome!