The Section for Building Structures and Earthquake Engineering
About the Section:
- fundamental and applicative research in the field of the response of buildings to seismic loads
- laboratory and field tests of structural elements and buildings
- expert support in the case of newly-designed buildings and the repair and strengthening of existing buildings
- the preparation of technical assessments and agreements, and certification
- international co-operation
Research work:
- research into the behaviour of buildings and civil engineering structures in the case of seismic loads;
- development and implementation of new experimental and analytical methods;
- research and experimental verification of technological solutions for the aseismic strengthening of existing building structures.
Expert activities:
- determining the condition of existing building structures;
- laboratory and field tests of structures and structural elements;
- loading tests of various types of concrete and masonry structures;
- technical (geodetic and other) monitoring of buildings and other civil engineering structures;
- expert studies in the field of earthquake engineering;
- preparation of technical assessments and agreements;
- performance of tests to determine the suitability of new structural systems;
- inspections of buildings before and after the performance of works in their vicinity.
Activities in the field of certification:
On behalf of the Certification Service, the Section's experts perform assessments of the factory production control of reinforced-concrete shuttering elements as well as metal and plastic anchors.
Education and training activities in the following fields:
- mentoring of Ph.D. theses;
- co-mentoring of graduate theses;
- courses in connection with the technical regulations for the design of earthquake-resistant building structures;
- the fundamentals of earthquake engineering;
- experimental testing methods in earthquake engineering;
- determining the useability of buildings that have been damaged in earthquakes when mitigating the consequences of such earthquakes.
Research equipment:
- a single-component shaking-table with a 2.0 x 3.2 m platform (maximum payload: 5000 kg, maximum acceleration: 5 g;
- a single-component shaking-table for the investigation of the liquefaction of soils (pressure vessel with a max. pressure of 4 bar);
- a servo-hydraulic testing system with a set of 2-way actuators with capacities of 16 kN to 1000 kN;
- two hydraulic pumps with a total flow of up to 245 l/min at a working pressure of 280 bar;
- a 10.0 x 10.0 m strong floor and a 6.0 x 7.0 m reaction wall;
- measuring equipment and data acquisition systems;
- field testing equipment.
A more extensive list of available equipment can be found here.
Awards (since 2005):
- Marjana Lutman in Professor Miha Tomaževič (2005): The Farzad Naeim Prize, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute / International Association for Earthquake Engineering, World Housing Encyclopedia, ZDA.
- Professor Miha Tomaževič (2005): The Scalzi award, The Masonry Society (USA).
- Professor Miha Tomaževič and Assistant Professor Matija Gams (2011): Award for exceptional achievements in the field of science in Slovenia / ARRS - the Slovenian Research Agency.
- Professor Miha Tomaževič (2010): Lifetime achievement award in the field of the construction of buildings / Chamber of Engineers of Slovenia.
- Prof.dr. Miha Tomaževič (2013): Special recognition award of the 12th Canadian Masonry Symposium in recognition of extensive achievements in the field of masonry research and many years of support for the Canadian Masonry Symposium.
More recent important projects:
Memberships of international associations:
- The Slovenian Institute for Standardization
- The Chamber of Engineers of Slovenia
- EOTA Working Group: Anchors
- EOTA Project team PT10 – Seismic Actions
- CEN TC 166, WG 3 – Clay/Ceramic Chimneys
- EERI - WHE (World Housing Encyclopedia) – Editorial Board
- CEN TC 250 / SC 8 WG-1 – Masonry
- CIB COMMISSION W023 – Wall Structures
- SIST/TC: KON.006 – Masonry structures – EC6
- SIST/TC: KON.008 – Earthquake-safe structures – EC 8
