About
Us The Earthquake
Engineering - Strong Motion Group is
a research group of the University of Southern California, Civil
Engineering Department. Its research focuses on: (i) earthquake strong
ground motion for engineering applications, and (ii) earthquake response
of man made structures, aiming to improvement of the seismic design procedures
and earthquake risks reduction. Its research is interdisciplinary, and
covers a wide range of topics, such as: earthquake source mechanism,
seismic wave propagation, site and propagation path effects on strong ground
motion, prediction of strong ground motion for design (peak amplitudes,
duration, and spectral characteristics…), probabilistic seismic hazard
assessment, strong motion recording and data processing, soil-structure
interaction, structural identification and health monitoring using ambient
noise and forced vibrations, effects of various realistic representations
of strong ground motion on structures. The group operates the Los
Angeles and Vicinity Strong Motion Network, installed
in 1979/80, which has contributed valuable data for numerous engineering
and seismological studies The group also maintains and develops equipment
and processing methods for ambient vibration testing of full-scale structures.
The group was formed in 1976 when Prof. M.D. Trifunac
joined the Civil Engineering faculty.