Access profile

In reference to scientific and technological areas of earthquake engineering and structural dynamics, the most suitable academic background for students can be summed up by three parameters:
1. knowledge,
2. capacity, y
3) motivation.

That is:
1. Applicants should have sufficient educational experience to access the frontiers of knowledge in the subject area of the programme.
2. They should have sufficient academic maturity and ability to go further, so that they can make an original, new contribution to the state of knowledge or technology in the area of the doctoral thesis. Consequently, they should be capable of research, development and creation and have the ability to analyse and synthesise, a critical spirit, work capacity, and the ability and skills for team work and oral and written communication. A command of the English language is essential. It is also important to have a good source of funding.

3. Students should be really motivated and ready for a long-term project, they must be ambitious but realistic, with personal maturity and emotional intelligence and a plan for the future that enables them to benefit from the effort and cost that doctoral studies represent.

To date, most of the students on our doctoral programme have had these characteristics. Many of them are now lecturers and researchers in universities, service institutions and research centres in Spain, Latin America and the rest of the world.

The natural route into the doctoral programme is via the master's degree in Geotechnical and Earthquake Engineering at the UPC. If students have this qualification they do not need to take additional master’s degree subjects (bridging courses). However, there are two reasons why the programme can be accessed with other qualifications. The first is the multidisciplinary nature of the scientific area covered by the programme. The second is the interest in the subject area and characteristics of the programme in Latin America. The main entrance qualifications are described below. The most suitable background for applicants to the programme is a combination of academic and personal factors, as described above.

Main entrance qualifications
Degrees in the areas of civil engineering, geological engineering and architecture and other degrees in related areas of the earth sciences.

Output profile

Doctoral candidates who complete a doctoral degree will have acquired the following competencies, which are needed to carry out quality research (Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, which regulates official doctoral studies):

a) A systematic understanding of the field of study and a mastery of the research skills and methods related to the field.
b) An ability to conceive, design or create, put into practice and adopt a substantial process of research or creation.
c) An ability to contribute to pushing back the frontiers of knowledge through original research.
d) A capacity for critical analysis and an ability to assess and summarise new and complex ideas.
e) An ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general as regards their fields of knowledge in the manner and languages that are typical of the international scientific community to which they belong.
f) An ability to foster scientific, technological, social, artistic and cultural progress in academic and professional contexts within a knowledge-based society.

The award of a doctoral degree must equip the graduate for work in a variety of settings, especially those requiring creativity and innovation. Doctoral graduates must have at least acquired the personal skills needed to:

a) Develop in contexts in which there is little specific information.
b) Find the key questions that must be answered to solve a complex problem.
c) Design, create, develop and undertake original, innovative projects in their field.
d) Work as part of a team and independently in an international or multidisciplinary context.
e) Integrate knowledge, deal with complexity and make judgements with limited information.
f) Offer criticism on and intellectually defend solutions.

Finally, with respect to competencies, doctoral students must:
a) have acquired advanced knowledge at the frontier of their discipline and demonstrated, in the context of internationally recognised scientific research, a deep, detailed and well-grounded understanding of theoretical and practical issues and scientific methodology in one or more research fields;
b) have made an original and significant contribution to scientific research in their field of expertise that has been recognised as such by the international scientific community;
c) have demonstrated that they are capable of designing a research project that serves as a framework for carrying out a critical analysis and assessment of imprecise situations, in which they are able to apply their contributions, expertise and working method to synthesise new and complex ideas that yield a deeper knowledge of the research context in which they work;
d) have developed sufficient autonomy to set up, manage and lead innovative research teams and projects and scientific collaborations (both national and international) within their subject area, in multidisciplinary contexts and, where appropriate, with a substantial element of knowledge transfer;
e) have demonstrated that they are able to carry out their research activity in a socially responsible manner and with scientific integrity;
f) have demonstrated, within their specific scientific context, that they are able to make cultural, social or technological advances and promote innovation in all areas within a knowledge-based society;
g) have demonstrated that they are able to participate in scientific discussions at the international level in their field of expertise and disseminate the results of their research activity to audiences of all kinds.

Number of places

10

Duration of studies and dedication regime

Duration
The maximum period of study for full-time doctoral studies is three years, counted from the date of admission to the programme to the date of submission of the doctoral thesis. The academic committee of the doctoral programme may authorise a doctoral candidate to pursue doctoral studies on a part-time basis. In this case, the maximum period of study is five years, counting from the date of admission to the programme to the date of submission of the doctoral thesis. For calculating these periods, the date of admission is considered to be the date of the first enrolment for tutorials, and the date of submission the moment in which the Doctoral School officially deposits the doctoral thesis.

For full-time doctoral candidates, the minimum period of study is two years, counted from the date of an applicant's admission to the programme until the date on which the doctoral thesis is deposited; for part-time doctoral candidates it is four years. When there are justified grounds for doing so, and the thesis supervisor and academic tutor have given their authorisation, doctoral candidates may request that the academic committee of their doctoral programme exempt them from the minimum period of study requirement.

The calculation of periods of study will not include periods of absence due to illness, pregnancy or any other reason provided for in the regulations in force. Students who find themselves in any of these circumstances must notify the academic committee of the doctoral programme, which, where appropriate, must inform the Doctoral School. Doctoral candidates may also temporarily withdraw from the programme for up to one year, and this period may be extended for an additional year. Doctoral candidates who wish to interrupt their studies must submit a justified request to the academic committee of the doctoral programme, which will decide whether or not to approve the request. Each programme will establish conditions for readmission to doctoral studies.

Extension
If full-time doctoral candidates have not applied to deposit their thesis by the end of the three-year period of study, the academic committee of the programme may authorise an extension of up to one year. In exceptional circumstances, a further one-year extension may be granted, subject to the conditions established by the corresponding doctoral programme. In the case of part-time doctoral candidates, an extension of two years may be authorised. In both cases, in exceptional circumstances a further one-year extension may be granted by the Doctoral School's Standing Committee, upon the submission of a reasoned application by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

Dismissal from the doctoral programme
A doctoral candidate may be dismissed from a doctoral programme for the following reasons:

• The doctoral candidate submitting a justified application to withdraw from the programme.
• The maximum period of study and of extensions thereof ending.
• The doctoral candidate not having enrolled every academic year (unless he or she has been authorised to temporarily withdraw).
• The doctoral candidate failing two consecutive assessments.
• The doctoral candidate having disciplinary proceedings filed against him or her that rule that he or she must be dismissed from the UPC.

Dismissal from the programme implies that doctoral candidates cannot continue studying at the UPC and the closing of their academic record. This notwithstanding, they may apply to the academic committee of the programme for readmission and the committee must reevaluate them in accordance with the criteria established in the regulations.

Organization

• Ledesma Villalba, Alberto

• Caselles Magallon, Jose Oriol
• Gonzalez Drigo, Jose Ramon
• Pujades Beneit, Luis G.

• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (PROMOTORA)
• Department of Physics
• Department of Strength of Materials and Structural Engineering

Building C2 (North Campus)
Tel.: (+34) 934 011 784
E-mail: doctorat.esis.camins@upc.edu

Agreements with other institutions

There is a collaboration agreement between the programme and the Geological Institute of Catalonia (that is currently being renewed).

Access profile

In reference to scientific and technological areas of earthquake engineering and structural dynamics, the most suitable academic background for students can be summed up by three parameters:
1. knowledge,
2. capacity, y
3) motivation.

That is:
1. Applicants should have sufficient educational experience to access the frontiers of knowledge in the subject area of the programme.
2. They should have sufficient academic maturity and ability to go further, so that they can make an original, new contribution to the state of knowledge or technology in the area of the doctoral thesis. Consequently, they should be capable of research, development and creation and have the ability to analyse and synthesise, a critical spirit, work capacity, and the ability and skills for team work and oral and written communication. A command of the English language is essential. It is also important to have a good source of funding.

3. Students should be really motivated and ready for a long-term project, they must be ambitious but realistic, with personal maturity and emotional intelligence and a plan for the future that enables them to benefit from the effort and cost that doctoral studies represent.

To date, most of the students on our doctoral programme have had these characteristics. Many of them are now lecturers and researchers in universities, service institutions and research centres in Spain, Latin America and the rest of the world.

The natural route into the doctoral programme is via the master's degree in Geotechnical and Earthquake Engineering at the UPC. If students have this qualification they do not need to take additional master’s degree subjects (bridging courses). However, there are two reasons why the programme can be accessed with other qualifications. The first is the multidisciplinary nature of the scientific area covered by the programme. The second is the interest in the subject area and characteristics of the programme in Latin America. The main entrance qualifications are described below. The most suitable background for applicants to the programme is a combination of academic and personal factors, as described above.

Main entrance qualifications
Degrees in the areas of civil engineering, geological engineering and architecture and other degrees in related areas of the earth sciences.

Access requirements

Applicants must hold a Spanish bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a Spanish master’s degree or equivalent, provided they have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on the two degrees (Royal Decree 43/2015, of 2 February)

In addition, the following may apply:

• Holders of an official degree awarded by a university in Spain or any other country in the European Higher Education Area, pursuant to the provisions of Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, which establishes official university course regulations, who have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on official university degrees, of which at least 60 must be at the master's degree level.
• Holders of an official Spanish bachelor’s degree comprising at least 300 credits, as provided for by EU regulations. Holder of degrees of this kind must complete bridging courses unless the curriculum of the bachelor’s degree in question included research training credits equivalent in value to those which would be earned on a master's degree.
• Holders of an official university qualification who, having passed the entrance examination for specialised medical training, have completed at least two years of a training course leading to an official degree in a health-sciences specialisation.
• Holders of a degree issued under a foreign education system. In these cases, homologation is not required, but the UPC must verify that the degree certifies a level of training equivalent to an official Spanish master's degree and qualifies the holder for admission to doctoral studies in the country where it was issued. Admission on this basis does not imply homologation of the foreign degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to doctoral studies.
• Holders of a Spanish doctoral qualification issued under previous university regulations.

Note 1: Doctoral studies entrance regulations for holders of an undergraduate degree awarded before the introduction of the EHEA (CG 47/02 2014)

Note 2: Governing Council Decision 64/2014, which approves the procedure and criteria for assessing the fulfilment of academic admission requirements for doctoral studies by holders of non-homologated foreign degrees (CG 25/03 2014)

Admission criteria and merits assessment

The suitability of an applicant’s background will be assessed according to the following criteria:
a) Whether a student’s academic background (subjects taken) is in line with the disciplines in the programme and
 b) the suitability of their personal background.

The suitability of a student’s academic background will be assessed in the following terms:

 a1) suitable academic background,
a2) suitable academic background with bridging courses, and
a3) unsuitable background.
An evaluation of a1 indicates that the student can enter the programme with no need for bridging courses, and a2 means that the student can enter if they take bridging courses. An evaluation of a3 indicates that the student has not been accepted.

Whether a student’s personal background is suitable is assessed by considering three aspects:
b1) training,
 b2) ability, and
b3) motivation.

The academic record will be assessed for criterion b1. Other prior learning or contributions will be assessed for criterion b2 in the areas of the programme or related fields, including knowledge of English. In addition, merit will be given if a lecturer on the programme has agreed to supervise the student’s thesis. Finally, the students’ statements in the corresponding section of the application form will be considered for criterion b3. If the academic committee considers it appropriate, this section could also be assessed in an interview.

Sections b1, b2 and b3 are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 10. To enter the programme, students must have a score that is not below 6 for any section and an overall score above 7. The overall score will be calculated as a weighted average, in which sections b1 and b2 are worth 35% and section b3 is worth 30 %. This overall mark also serves to prioritise applications if there are more applicants than available places.

Training complements

The academic committee of the programme could ask students to pass specific bridging courses. In this case, it will monitor the bridging courses that are taken and establish appropriate criteria to limit their duration.

Bridging courses will be on research or cross-disciplinary training. Doctoral students will never be required to enrol for bridging courses worth 60 ECTS or more.

Considering the doctoral student activity report (DAD), the academic committee of the programme could propose additional measures to those established in the regulations that lead to the withdrawal of doctoral students who do not meet the established criteria.

Bridging courses for specific academic activities

Most students are expected to come from the master’s degree in Geotechnical and Earthquake Engineering, so will not have to take bridging courses.
Students who do not come from this master’s degree should take bridging courses or no more than 60 ECTS in the subjects of the aforementioned master’s degree. The academic committee of the programme will propose bridging courses according to the prior learning of each student.

Each subject from the master’s degree in Geotechnical and Earthquake Engineering, which is associated with the doctoral programme, has specific objectives, methodologies and assessment processes. Studying these subjects will prepare students to gain the defined competencies.

Enrolment period for new doctoral students

Dates to be decided between September and October every academic year, as well as an extra period in February.

More information at the registration section for new doctoral students

Enrolment period

Dates to be decided between September and October every academic year.

More information at the general registration section

Procedure for the preparation and defense of the research plan

Doctoral candidates must submit a research plan, which will be included in their doctoral student activity report, before the end of the first year. The plan may be improved over the course of the doctoral degree. It must be endorsed by the tutor and the supervisor, and it must include the method that is to be followed and the aims of the research.

At least one of these annual assessments will include a public presentation and defence of the research plan and work done before a committee composed of three doctoral degree holders, which will be conducted in the manner determined by each academic committee. The examination committee awards a Pass or Fail mark. A Pass mark is a prerequisite for continuing on the doctoral programme. Doctoral candidates awarded a Fail mark must submit a new research plan for assessment by the academic committee of the doctoral programme within six months.

The committee assesses the research plan every year, in addition to all of the other activities in the doctoral student activity report. Doctoral candidates who are awarded two consecutive Fail marks for the research plan will be obliged to definitely withdraw from the programme.

If they change the subject of their thesis, they must submit a new research plan.

Formation activities

Activity: Tutorial.
- 288 hours.
Type: compulsory.

Activity: Courses and seminars.
- 60 hours.

Activity: Workshops.
- 30 hours.

Activity: Publications.
- 30 hours.

Procedure for assignment of tutor and thesis director

The academic committee of the doctoral programme assigns a thesis supervisor to each doctoral candidate when they are admitted or enrol for the first time, taking account of the thesis supervision commitment referred to in the admission decision.

The thesis supervisor will ensure that training activities carried out by the doctoral candidate are coherent and suitable, and that the topic of the candidate’s doctoral thesis will have an impact and make a novel contribution to knowledge in the relevant field. The thesis supervisor will also guide the doctoral candidate in planning the thesis and, if necessary, tailoring it to any other projects or activities undertaken. The thesis supervisor will generally be a UPC professor or researcher who holds a doctoral degree and has documented research experience. This includes PhD-holding staff at associated schools (as determined by the Governing Council) and UPC-affiliated research institutes (in accordance with corresponding collaboration and affiliation agreements). When thesis supervisors are UPC staff members, they also act as the doctoral candidate’s tutor.

PhD holders who do not meet these criteria (as a result of their contractual relationship or the nature of the institution to which they are attached) must be approved by the UPC Doctoral School's Standing Committee in order to participate in a doctoral programme as researchers with documented research experience.

The academic committee of the doctoral programme may approve the appointment of a PhD-holding expert who is not a UPC staff member as a candidate’s thesis supervisor. In such cases, the prior authorisation of the UPC Doctoral School's Standing Committee is required. A UPC staff member who holds a doctoral degree and has documented research experience must also be proposed to act as a co-supervisor, or as the doctoral candidate’s tutor if one has not been assigned.

A thesis supervisor may step down from this role if there are justified reasons (recognised as valid by the committee) for doing so. If this occurs, the academic committee of the doctoral programme will assign the doctoral candidate a new thesis supervisor.

Provided there are justified reasons for doing so, and after hearing any relevant input from the doctoral candidate, the academic committee of the doctoral programme may assign a new thesis supervisor at any time during the period of doctoral study.

If there are academic reasons for doing so (an interdisciplinary topic, joint or international programmes, etc.) and the academic committee of the programme gives its approval, an additional thesis supervisor may be assigned. Supervisors and co-supervisors have the same responsibilities and academic recognition.

The maximum number of supervisors of a doctoral thesis is two: a supervisor and a co-supervisor.

For theses carried out under a cotutelle agreement or as part of an Industrial Doctorate, if necessary and if the agreement foresees it this maximum number of supervisors may not apply. This notwithstanding, the maximum number of supervisors belonging to the UPC is two.

More information at the PhD theses section

Permanence

The academic committee of the programme may authorise an extension of up to one year for full-time doctoral candidates who have not applied to deposit their thesis by the end of the three-year period of study, in the terms outlined in the Academic Regulations for Doctoral Studies of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. In the case of part-time candidates, an extension of two years may be authorised. In both cases, in exceptional circumstances a further one-year extension may be granted by the Doctoral School's Standing Committee, upon the submission of a reasoned application by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

A doctoral candidate may be dismissed from a doctoral programme for the following reasons:

• The doctoral candidate submitting a justified application to withdraw from the programme.
• The maximum period of study and of extensions thereof ending.
• The doctoral candidate not having enrolled every academic year (unless he or she has been authorised to temporarily withdraw).
• The doctoral candidate failing two consecutive assessments.
• The doctoral candidate having disciplinary proceedings filed against him or her that rule that he or she must be dismissed from the UPC.

Dismissal from the programme implies that doctoral candidates cannot continue studying at the UPC and the closing of their academic record. This notwithstanding, they may apply to the academic committee of the programme for readmission and the committee must reevaluate them in accordance with the criteria established in the regulations.

International Mention

The doctoral degree certificate may include International Doctorate mention. In this case, the doctoral candidate must meet the following requirements:

a) During the period of study leading to the award of the doctoral degree, the doctoral candidate must have spent at least three months at a respected higher education institution or research centre outside Spain to complete courses or do research work. The stays and activities carried out must be endorsed by the thesis supervisor and authorised by the academic committee of the programme. The candidate must provide a certifying document issued by the person responsible for the research group of the body or bodies where the stay or activity was completed. This information will be added to the doctoral student’s activity report.
b) Part of the thesis (at least the summary and conclusions) must be written and presented in one of the languages commonly used for science communication in the relevant field of knowledge, which must not be an official language of Spain. This rule does not apply to stays and reports in Spanish or to experts from Spanish-speaking countries.
c) At least two PhD-holding experts belonging to a higher education institution or research centre outside Spain must have issued officially certified reports on the thesis.
d) The thesis examination committee must have included at least one PhD-holding expert from a higher education or research institution outside Spain who was not responsible for the candidate’s stay abroad (point a) above).
e) The thesis defence must have taken place on UPC premises or, in the case of joint programmes, at the location specified in the collaboration agreement.

List of authorized thesis for defense

• LEON MEDINA, JERSSON XAVIER: Intelligent condition monitoring of structures through data-driven process and machine learning methods
  
  Author: LEON MEDINA, JERSSON XAVIER
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 27/06/2023
  Reading date: 06/10/2023
  Reading time: 14:30
  Reading place: EEBE San Ramón de Peñafort, Campus Diagonal Besòs, Av. d'Eduard Maristany, 16, Edificio A, 08019 Barcelona
  Thesis director: POZO MONTERO, FRANCESC | TIBADUIZA, DIEGO ALEXANDER
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: GARCIA MARQUEZ, FAUSTO PEDRO
       SECRETARI: VIDAL SEGUI, YOLANDA
       VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: TUTIVÉN GÁLVEZ, CHRISTIAN
  Thesis abstract: In the last years, the condition monitoring of structures has evolved and improved using technologies such as artificial intelligence, sensor networks, and industry 4.0 because of the multiple advantages these techniques add to the essential condition monitoring process. This doctoral thesis shows the development of different methodologies for the intelligent condition monitoring of structures. In general, two main approaches are analyzed, and some methodologies will be described in this thesis. Firstly, the structural damage classification (SDC) in metallic structures at the laboratory scale is explored, and second, the multivariate temperature prediction (MTP) of an electric arc furnace lining in an industrial environment is studied. The acquired data for SDC presented differences between sensors and high dimensionality; thus, several stages composed the developed SDC methodologies, including data organization, data scaling, data reduction, data classification, cross-validation, and classification performance metric calculation. Data from two different structures were used to develop three different SDC methodologies. In the case of the approaches for MTP, two multivariate temperature prediction methodologies were developed, and data from two different electric arc furnaces in normal operation were acquired, organized, and used to predict the lining furnace temperature behavior. Several process variables were considered to obtain the multivariate temperature prediction models. The multivariate sense of temperature refers to obtaining a single model capable of predicting the temperature behavior of several thermocouples radially distributed in the lining furnace. Results in applying all strategies showed the advantages of using all methodologies in all the studied cases with excellent results.
  

Last update: 04/10/2023 04:45:29.

List of lodged theses

• BU, XIANGBO: Seismic Performance Improvement of Underground Structures through a Low Lateral Stiffness Design
  
  Author: BU, XIANGBO
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 28/09/2023
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: LOPEZ ALMANSA, FRANCISCO | LEDESMA VILLALBA, ALBERTO
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: JIMENEZ RODRIGUEZ, RAFAEL
       SECRETARI: MURCIA DELSO, JUAN
       VOCAL: BRAVO PAREJA, RAFAEL
  Thesis abstract: Recent decades have witnessed varying degrees of damage in underground structures, including instances of structural collapse,reported during post-earthquake hazard investigations. Therefore, the research on the seismic performance improvement of buriedstructures against ground motion received increasing attention. Given the importance of this issue, the main objective of this work isto provide an effective seismic mitigation measure and to study the feasibility of the proposed solution.This Thesis presents (Chapter 2) a summary of the seismic performance and design methods of underground structures,discusses the seismic damage reduction measures, provides an overview of the previous research, offers recommendations toresearchers, and identifies research needs.An enhanced seismic performance evaluation method is introduced (Chapter 3) for underground structures with a common isolationstrategy of column bearing; the selection of performance indicator (i.e. target drifts of sidewall) is one of the major contributions ofthis research. The introduction of bearing eliminates the vulnerability of the interior column as a seismic-prone component. In thiscase, utilizing the drift ratio of the interior column as the evaluation index would result in an underestimation of the structural seismicresponse. Thirty-one representative actual subway stations featured with various structural forms, soil types, and burial depths areanalyzed considering horizontal and vertical seismic effects. The corresponding drift thresholds are determined for each individualstation, then global average values for the two considered cases (traditional rigid layout and column bearing) are proposed. Therationality of the seismic performance quantification system is verified by comparison with observed damage (Daikai station,traditional rigid solution) and experimental results (shaking table test of reduced scale model with column bearing as the seismicdamage reduction measure).Underground structure with articulated (or sliding) components implementing low lateral stiffness is proposed (Chapter 4 andChapter 5) being another major contribution of this study. Contrary to traditional rigid box sections, the low lateral stiffness solutionwould be significantly less affected by seismic waves, as would simply accommodate the imposed strains. The well-known Daikaistation, damaged by the 1995 Kobe earthquake is analyzed as a highly relevant case study. Detailed discussions have beenconducted on the design of sliding-hinged components, waterproofing systems, and construction processes. The results of thestatic and dynamic analyses are satisfactorily compared; they prove that the proposed flexible solution is fully feasible and providesimproved seismic performance. Complemented by a 2-story 3-bay subway station, the outcomes of these two studies couldcontribute to ground this constructive solution for shallow underground rectangular cut-and-cover structures in seismic areas (bothfor new construction and retrofit).This Thesis presents also (Chapter 6) a parametric analysis to study the seismic performance improvement of the low lateralstiffness solution for underground structures in the most common situations. In comparison to the traditional structures with rigidconnections, the seismic response of the low lateral stiffness solution influenced by the geometry form, soil type, burial depth,engineering bedrock position is investigated. The performance indices consist of the maximum drift ratio and damage variables. Thedistinctive features are the careful selection of parameters and of performance indices, the horizontal and vertical ground motions,and, the implementation of the low lateral stiffness. The obtained results highlight the feasibility of the proposed low lateral stiffnesssolution for seismic performance upgrading of underground structures; the influence of the aforementioned parameters isdiscussed.
  

Last update: 04/10/2023 04:30:30.

List of defended theses by year

• BAQUERO MOSQUERA, JUAN SEBASTIÁN: Soil-Structure Interaction in the Performance-Based Seismic Design of Reinforced-Concrete Buildings
  
  Author: BAQUERO MOSQUERA, JUAN SEBASTIÁN
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Reading date: 22/06/2023
  Thesis director: BAIRÁN GARCÍA, JESÚS MIGUEL | LEDESMA VILLALBA, ALBERTO
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: AYALA MILIAN, AMADO GUSTAVO
       SECRETARI: ARROYO ALVAREZ DE TOLEDO, MARCOS
       VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: PINZÓN, LUIS ALEJANDRO
  Thesis abstract: When analyzing structures for seismic design and performance assessment purposes, it has been common to assume that the ground motions or their equivalent representations correspond to that of the free-field characteristics. Implicit in this assumption was the reduced or no understanding of how the behavior of the soil beneath the studied structures modifies their global dynamic response and that of the foundation-level ground itself to a certain extent. While employing the free-field criteria to the seismic demand could closely reflect the actual response of structures found over firm and stiff soils, poorer soil characteristics indeed change how ground motions are propagated throughout the soil medium, mainly given the presence of a structure. Moreover, changes in the foundation-level ground motions don¿t come alone, but the structural responses are also modified due to the reduced support capacities of a soft soil. The reason for these alterations in the response is that the soft soil must be considered part of the analyzed soil-structure system (SSS), somewhat increasing its deformability. These effects over the response have been studied approximately since the second half of the twentieth century. From then on, this phenomenon's understanding have constantly grown to the point of nowadays becoming a broad research area devoted to studying the so-called soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects. In this regard, it has gradually become more common to find specialized chapters in design standards around the world dedicated to giving guidelines for the seismic design of buildings with interaction effects considerations. Within the North American scope, for instance, the ASCE-7 and the ASCE-41 standards prescribe, respectively, seismic design and performance assessment requirements that account for the SSI effects for their corresponding individual purposes. However, the requirements and recommendations in such standards still rely on the outcomes of oversimplified linear equivalent models of the structure and supporting soil, focusing only on reflecting the beneficial effects of the SSI phenomenon, even though it is well-known that the soil-structure interaction can also induce detrimental effects in the structural response. Supported on the seismic performance assessment results of an RC buildings database, a pair of factors dedicated to modifying the seismic design demand and the expected inelastic deformations are recommended to improve the building design in terms of measured performance. Thus, a-factor and aCd are called to meet the needs of improving strength and stiffness buildings¿ characteristics, respectively, achieving adequate Life Safety and Collapse Prevention structural performance levels; considering not only the beneficial effects of the SSI phenomenon but the detrimental ones, seeking to change the current paradigms of the code-prescribed provisions for assessment and design practices. In accomplishing these goals, estimation models were generated for the a - and aCd factors through regression analysis methods. Advanced computational tools such as OpenSeesPy for the design and assessment of the buildings in the database and machine-learning regression techniques for generating the estimation models, were used to ease the development of the tasks involved. It is demonstrated that the generated correlation models can translate the performance indicators obtained through simple analysis procedures and models to those determined using more complex counterparts. This represents a leap forward in the performance assessment process since the time-consuming Nonlinear Time-History Analysis (NLTHA) can be skipped using a less complex model and analysis procedures. In addition, a - and aCd factors values proved to successfully produce sound building designs that achieve expected structural performance levels while considering SSI effects.
  

• MARTIN BALET, ALEJO: Determinación del grado de daño de una estructura mediante el análisis de la variación de frecuencias
  
  Author: MARTIN BALET, ALEJO
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Reading date: 23/06/2023
  Thesis director: CASELLES MAGALLON, JOSE ORIOL | VARGAS ALZATE, YEUDY FELIPE
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: BENAVENT CLIMENT, AMADEO
       SECRETARI: MUJICA DELGADO, LUIS EDUARDO
       VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: FOTI, DORA
  Thesis abstract: This thesis proposes to determine a damaged structure using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of modal frequency variation of sorne damaged and undamaged configurations.The estimators used are the accumulated variance and the T2 and Q estimators. The undamaged configurations only need one principal component to explain the frequency variation, while the high damaged structures need more principal component. More over this work propose to find the relationship between the principal com­ ponent and the damage index of different configurations, in order to establish de damage structure degree only knowing the minimum number of principal components (CP). This method is very useful because it is not necessary to know the undamaged configuration to detect the damage.This study propases a damage index (ID) based on the flexibility coefficient variation related with the rotation. These structural changes generate a frequency decrease (DF) as a response. The results have been synthesized in the damage index vs. frequency decrease graph, which establish the DI-DF-CP relationship. To carry out the study from a probabilistic point ofview, an automatic computer program has been developed to generated random data by the Monte Cado method. In this way, not only the damage index is calculated in a probabilistic way but also the fragility curves and the average damage index. This program has been calibrated with sorne experimental tests in order to generate a posteriori an automatic simulation for 5000 different damages by means ofthe Monte Carlo Method and thus be able to carry out the probabilistic study ofthe damage index. To apply this methodology, non-destructive dynamic tests have been carried out in the laboratory, on a small­ scale metallic structure made up of 6 colum_ns and 35 bars. This test consists of monitoring the horizontal accelerations of six nodes with the aim of estimating the main frequencies of vibration of the structure and to be able to validate/calibrate the numerical model. Each test consisted on a series of excitations by impacts on the base at a constant temperature. The tern.perature was measured with a thermal, camera in each test in order to obtain the modal frequencies under different temperatures. The minimum number of principal components to explain the modal frequency variation with temperature was calc1,1lated in each experimental test.
  

Last update: 04/10/2023 05:01:11.

Research groups

• GIES-Geophysics and Earthquake Engineering

Teachers

• Aparicio Bengoechea, Angel Carlos
• Arroyo Alvarez de Toledo, Marcos
• Bairan Garcia, Jesus Miguel
• Carreño Tibaduiza, Martha Liliana
• Caselles Magallon, Jose Oriol
• Gonzalez Drigo, Jose Ramon
• Ikhouane El Moustachir, Fayçal
• Lana Pons, Francisco Javier
• Lantada Zarzosa, Nieves
• Ledesma Villalba, Alberto
• Lopez Almansa, Francisco
• Martinez Santafe, Maria Dolors
• Mujica Delgado, Luis Eduardo
• Perez Gracia, Vega
• Pozo Montero, Francesc
• Prat Catalan, Pere
• Pujades Beneit, Luis G.
• Roca Fabregat, Pedro
• Rodellar Benede, Jose
• Vidal Segui, Yolanda