Lassonde professor’s research improves earthquake safety

During an earthquake the greatest threat to human life comes from building and structural damage.

If we can find ways to make buildings safer during earthquakes, we can reduce their toll on people’s lives all over the world.

This is just what Lassonde Professor Dan Palermo and Mitacs Globalink intern Marina Maciel have been working on this summer. With the help of a team from Lassonde’s Department of Civil Engineering, they have been researching ways to make buildings safer during seismic events.

Together they have been working to test, analyze and refine a new type of reinforcement technique for walls to better withstand earthquakes.

Professor Palermo and his team at Lassonde have been developing techniques that help cement walls to better withstand the compounding of forces and recover their shape after an earthquake.

Marina’s computer models are testing whether the magnitude or frequency of the earthquake’s force waves plays a larger role in the risk of collapse. Then the team is using the models to refine the reinforcements as they are built. It’s a perfect match.

With combined industry effort, Professor Palermo and his team will improve earthquake safety and will protect millions of people from potential damage.

This is certianly a summer well-spent.