Currently On Hold
Will resume when membership permits
Over 30 teams from universities across the US and around the world will be competing in the SDC. Each team has designed a complex tall building model made from balsa wood that will be tested on a shaking table. Student teams are judged on their oral design presentation, their summary poster, the model’s architectural design, their ability to fit within the design criteria and constraints, their analytical prediction of their model performance, and the response of their model during shaking table testing. The team 
participates at the annual EERI conference (2022: Salt Lake City, 2021: Virtual, 2020: San Diego, 2019: Vancouver) and shake tests their structure against three design ground motions.
The Objectives of the Competition are to:
- Promote the study of earthquake engineering among undergraduate students.
- Provide civil engineering undergraduate students with an opportunity to work on a hands-on project designing and constructing a cost-effective frame building to resist seismic loading.
- Promote EERI activities among civil engineering students as well as the general public, and to encourage international participation in these activities.
The Project Entails:
- Structural Design of a 60 Scale Model Tower
- Special Joint and Connection Details
- Written Design Proposal
- Shop Drawing and Plan Preparation
- 2D-3D Structural Modeling (SAP2000)
- Shake Test Analysis
- Transportation of the Tower to the Host Location
- Project Management and Construction Control
- Project Reporting and Professional Presentations
Get Involved!
To learn more about the Seismic Design Team and find out how you can be involved, contact:
Brigham Stevenson, ASCE President
brstevenson@umass.edu
Sam Yakscoe ASCE Vice President
syakscoe@umass.edu