SimCenter | Uncertainty Characterization in Earthquake Engineering Simulation, April 23, 2019

Uncertainty Characterization in Earthquake Engineering Simulation: An Introduction to SimCenter’s EE-UQ Tool

This is part of the the SimCenter's Advances in Computational Modeling and Simulation Seminar Series.

ABSTRACT

This webinar will introduce the natural hazards community to the recently updated EE-UQ application developed by the NHERI SimCenter. The EE-UQ Tool is a cloud-enabled application to determine the response, including uncertainty quantification (UQ), of a structure to an earthquake excitation. The tool currently focuses on the structural model and quantifying uncertainties, given that the properties of the building and the earthquake events are not known exactly, and that the simulation software and the user makes simplifying assumptions in the numerical modeling. The user is required to characterize the random variables and sampling method in the input. The application provides information that characterizes the uncertainties in the response measures.

Recent updates to EE-UQ provides researchers in earthquake engineering access to new and rich capabilities in key areas:

1. Ground Motion Selection: The application provides a number of options to obtain input motions, from motions downloaded through PEER to Synthetic Motions and Site Response analysis.
2. Uncertainty Quantification: The application is focused on quantifying the uncertainties in the predicted response, expanding beyond deterministic simulations. Users are guided through three easy steps to enable this enhancement: users assign which model parameters are to be random variables, select the associated distributions, and choose a forward sampling method to calculate the response. Common distributions and methods are provided.

PRESENTER

Frank McKenna is Software Architect at the NHERI SimCenter, where he develops software related to natural hazards. Since completing a Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, Frank has been a software developer on a number of impactful projects including the PEER-funded OpenSees framework, the DOE- and NRC-funded Real ESSI program, and the NSF-funded NHERI SimCenter framework. Before attending UC Berkeley, Dr. McKenna worked in the architectural and engineering firm of SOM in London, UK, as a structural designer.

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