9CCEEWelcome

Welcome From the Chair

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you on behalf of the Organizing Committee to Ottawa and to the Ninth Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering. The Conference returns to Ottawa after a lapse of 20 years. During this period the world has witnessed several devastating earthquakes including the magnitude 9.1 earthquake of Sumatra, the fourth largest in the recorded history. The Sumatra earthquake and the ensuing tsunami claimed the lives of 283,000. Other earthquakes, spread around the  world, in Pakistan, Iran, India, Turkey, Taiwan, Japan, and United States have also caused tremendous loss of life and property.

Clearly, earthquakes pose one of the most serious natural hazards. At the same time, experience has shown that when our structures are properly engineered, the losses can be minimized quite substantially. These facts have led to increased interest in earthquake engineering research. This is evident in the participation of large numbers of seismologists, engineers, and others in the 2004 World Conference, hosted by Canada, and in the present conference.

We believe that we have put together an exciting technical program comprising keynote and invited talks, over 200 technical papers presented in four parallel sessions, and several theme sessions and panel discussions. The topics cover a wide range, from seismic hazard through to geotechnical issues, to structural response analysis and design, to the impact of tsunamis, and to the mitigation of risk. The keynote and invited speakers are renowned experts. There are also special sessions on recent earthquakes and emergency preparedness.

Outside the technical sessions, we hope you will enjoy the social program including the ice-breaker reception, the banquet, and the optional city tour.

If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to ask any member of the Organizing Committee and our student volunteers. We hope you have a pleasant stay in Ottawa, and take the time to visit its many attractions.

 

Jag Humar
Chair, Organizing Committee, 9ccee

 

It is a great privilege and pleasure for me, as the President of the Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering/L’Association canadienne du génie parasismique, which is the host organization, to welcome the participants of the 9^th Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering to Ottawa. This is the second opportunity for Ottawa to host a Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering and we are very happy that such a distinguished group of scientists, engineers and other professionals concerned with seismic hazard reduction have come to Ottawa. I sincerely hope that you enjoy your stay and take advantage of the many summer events and festivities organized in the City, including those for 1^st of July Canada Day.

Earthquakes continue to devastate many parts of the world, underlining the importance of our profession in seismic risk mitigation. Ever since the first Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering that was held in 1971, the engineering and scientific community has been gathering every four years to present their discoveries, scientific and engineering works, while also exchanging ideas and knowledge to mitigate seismic risk worldwide. The Conference not only serves as an excellent arena for the presentation of recent advancements in the field of Earthquake Engineering, but also acts as a catalyst to bring participants with similar interests together, stimulate interest, encourage cooperation, result in new friendships and renew the existing ones. During the Conference you will be presenting and discussing the most recent techniques, methods, and approaches in seismic hazard reduction and I wish to convey my sincere congratulations to you for all your efforts and achievements. The battle against seismic hazard is a multifaceted task, one that brings earthquake engineers, seismologists, social scientists, government authorities and others together to address issues that concern both new and existing infrastructure, seismology, social and economic aspects, as well as earthquake preparedness, relief efforts and post-disaster planning. Therefore, it is full of challenges, but it is also a very rewarding task, one that provides a great service to mankind for a very noble cause.

As I wish you a productive and rewarding conference, I welcome you once again on behalf of the Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering.

Murat Saatcioglu
President
Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering/
L’Association canadienne du génie parasismique

 

On behalf of Members of Council and the 877,000 residents of the City of Ottawa, it gives me great pleasure to extend a very warm welcome to all the delegates participating in the 9th Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering (9CCEE), hosted by the Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering (CAEE), taking place in the heart of our nation’s capital from June 26th to 29th 2007.  As Head of Council, I want to lend my support to the collaborative efforts of the Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering and the 9CCEE Organizing Committee to provide a forum for scientists, engineers and other professionals to network, exchange ideas and learn more about the latest developments and best practices in the field of earthquake engineering.  Allow me to congratulate the CAEE, 9CCEE meeting facilitators, sponsors, keynote speakers, volunteers and all those who have dedicated their time, energy, talents and resources to the successful organization of this informative conference of international scope. As Mayor of the host city, I invite visitors to explore the numerous civic as well as national treasures and historic sites, which Canada’s capital has to offer. Please accept my best wishes for a very productive and rewarding assembly.

Au nom des membres du Conseil et des 877 000 résidents de la Ville d’Ottawa, je suis ravi de souhaiter la bienvenue à tous les délégués qui participent à la 9e Conférence canadienne sur le génie parasismique (9CCEE), présentée par l’Association canadienne du génie parasismique (ACGP) qui se déroulera au cœur de la capitale nationale du 26 au 29 juin 2007 En ma qualité de président du Conseil municipal, je tiens à appuyer les projets de collaboration de l’Association canadienne du génie parasismique et du comité organisateur de la 9CCEE visant à offrir aux scientifiques, aux ingénieurs et à d’autres membres des professions libérales une tribune qui leur permettra de réseauter, d’échanger des idées et d’en apprendre davantage sur les nouvelles technologies et sur les pratiques exemplaires relatives au génie parasismique. Permettez-moi de féliciter l’Association canadienne du génie parasismique ainsi que les facilitateurs de la réunion, les commanditaires, les conférenciers d’honneur, les bénévoles et tous ceux qui ont consacré leur temps, leur énergie, leurs compétences et leurs ressources à l’organisation réussie de cette conférence d’information d’envergure internationale.  En tant que maire de la ville hôte, j’invite les visiteurs à découvrir les nombreux trésors municipaux et nationaux ainsi que les nombreux lieux historiques qu’abrite la capitale nationale.  Je vous souhaite une assemblée très productive et des plus enrichissantes.

Larry O’Brien, Mayor/Maire

 

Dear conference participants, It is a pleasure to welcome you to Ottawa to this 9th Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering. The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces are proud sponsors of the conference. We are significant users of the Earthquake Engineering practices that will be discussed and shared here to deal with our vast infrastructure holdings spread in all corners of the country. More importantly however, the Canadian Forces are part of the emergency preparedness community that would have to deal with the consequences of a significant earthquake.  We have in fact deployed the Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team to deal with the aftermath of two earthquake events, Turkey in 1999 and Pakistan in 2005. That is why, in addition to the learned papers that will be presented over the next few days, there will be a panel discussion on Emergency Response and Consequence Management. Colonel Christian Rousseau, my chief Military Engineer, will present possible roles and contributions of the Canadian Forces during a civil emergency following a significant earthquake event in Canada.  Also, Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Voith will relate his experiences as Commanding Officer of the Disaster Assistance Response Team during the deployment in response to the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan . I wish you a good conference, rich in information exchange, and a pleasant stay in the Nation’s capital.

Chers participants, C’est avec grand plaisir que vous accueille ici à Ottawa à la 9e Conférence canadienne sur le gnie parasismique. Le ministère de la Défense nationale et les Forces canadiennes sont très fiers de parrainer cette conférence. D’abord, parce que les pratiques du génie parasismique sont très importantes pour nous, puisqu’elles sont indispensables à la gestion de notre infrastructure qui s’étend aux quatre coins du pays.  Mais, plus important encore est le fait que les Forces canadiennes font partie de la collectivité d’intervention en cas d’urgence, et qu’elles doivent être prêtes à intervenir lors de séismes majeurs.  Nous avons d’ailleurs déployé notre Équipe d’intervention en cas de catastrophe lors de deux séismes : celui de la Turquie, en 1999, et celui du Pakistan, en 2005. Voilà pourquoi, en plus des travaux spécialisés qui seront présentés au cours des prochains jours, il y aura aussi une table ronde sur l’intervention en cas d’urgence et la gestion des répercussions. Le Colonel Christian Rousseau, ingénieur en chef du Génie militaire canadien, expliquera le rôle que pourraient jouer les Forces canadiennes si un important séisme survenait au Canada. De son côté, le Lieutenant-colonel Mike Voith relatera son expérience en tant que Commandant de l’Équipe d’intervention en cas de catastrophe qui a été déployée au Pakistan, à la suite du séisme survenu en octobre 2005. Je vous souhaite une excellente conférence, riche en échange d’informations, ainsi qu’un agréable séjour dans la capitale nationale.