Arup's expertise in earthquake engineering comes from years of applying seismic design skills successfully to an extensive portfolio of projects worldwide, including building and industrial structures and energy and infrastructure projects.
As Arup has offices in most earthquake-prone countries, it also provides experience on the ground to react to the specific needs of clients.
Understanding the earth's processes can save people's lives. Earthquake engineering is a wide field that encompasses a broad range of specialist skills, ranging from geology, seismology, geotechnical and structural engineering to risk analysis.
Working together
By using a multidisciplinary approach, Arup is not only able to provide its clients with high performance structures, but can also create designs that ensure cost and time-efficient solutions.
Through collaborative research with universities, participation in post-earthquake field missions, in-house development of advanced computer software and seismic codes of practice and virtual and physical testing of structural components, Arup is leading the rapidly changing and demanding field of seismic engineering.
Challenge and creativity
China Central Television (CCTV) is one of the most creative and challenging structures ever designed. Constructed over a total area of 540,000m² and including a multi-storey, high-level overhang, it would be a significant structural challenge anywhere in the world, and is especially so in Beijing, a highly seismic zone. Arup carried out extensive validated computer modelling to demonstrate structural stability when subjected to extreme earthquake ground motion.
Leading innovation
Arup provided design and construction supervision of the Malampaya Concrete Gravity Structure, an offshore platform in the Philippines designed for seismic loading, the first to be constructed in south east Asia. The project was completed three months ahead of schedule and within budget. The overall time between commencement of design and the installation of the CGS was 16 months.
The St Francis Towers, Manila, will become the tallest residential high-rise building in the country. Arup provided civil and structural engineering services for the project. The firm's trademarked damped outrigger system, for which patents have been applied, will help to reduce the motions of the towers in windy weather and has resulted in construction cost savings. Reductions in the amount of concrete and reinforcement steel in the towers saved the client, the Shang Grand Tower Corporation, between US$5m and $10m in costs. More net floor space also means greater income potential for the client.
Humanitarian response
In October 2007, seismic and international development experts from Arup were invited to carry out a two-week mission to Aceh, Indonesia, in order to review the post-tsunami reconstruction of houses, schools and medical centres that had been built in 2007. One of the key benefits that emerged was the apparent influence of Arup's previous mission in March 2006 for Muslim Aid, during which the firm had highlighted the importance of including seismic resilience in housing programmes.