PEER involves researchers in several states
This issue initiates the PEER Center News, the joint newsletter of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) and the National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering (NISEE). This quarterly newsletter will highlight selected research, education, outreach, and information resources of interest to earthquake and earthquake engineering teachers, researchers, and professionals. The PEER Center News continues the tradition of the former EERC News, which provided technical information in earthquake engineering between 1977 and 1997.
The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center was established in October 1997 as one of three national earthquake engineering research centers. PEER brings together researchers and facilities from the western US in a long-term, coordinated effort to develop earthquake risk-reduction methodologies. The PEER research emphasis is on developing a substantiated performance basis for earthquake engineering, with focus on the Pacific region of the US. The work of PEER is complemented by that carried out in the other two earthquake engineering research centers. The Mid-America Earthquake Center (MAE, headquarters at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) focuses on the seismic issues in the midwestern US. The Multidisciplinary Earthquake Engineering Research Center (MCEER, headquarters at SUNY Buffalo) emphasizes applications of advanced technologies for earthquake risk reduction. The work of PEER also is complemented by the earth sciences-based research program of the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC).
PEER involves researchers in several states
PEER involves experts from earth sciences, engineering, and social sciences to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach to earthquake risk reduction. A joint PEER/SCEC coordinating committee encourages collaborations between these complementary engineering and earth sciences centers. Participating researchers conduct research on specific tasks aimed at achieving specific program objectives in a set time. Unlike the National Science Foundation, the PEER Center does not accept unsolicited research proposals, but instead limits its research to the specific topics defined for that funding period. Details of the current PEER program can be found at http://peer.berkeley.edu.
The PEER core research and education program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the US National Science Foundation (NSF) for an initial period of five years. Core funds are provided by the NSF, the states of California and Washington, and private industry. Private industry funds are directed toward specific industry problems and applications, and provide added depth to the core program funded by the NSF and state funds.
The current PEER research program includes a program on Reliability and Safety of Utility Lifelines. That program, funded by Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation and by the California Energy Commission, has elements examining ground motions including near-field and site effects, performance of natural and man-made soil structures, fragility of buried and above-ground gas and electric equipment and structures, performance evaluation of existing utilities buildings, and fire initiation and spread. The technical articles in this issue of the News summarize a small sampling of the studies under way in that program.
In addition to research, PEER conducts education and outreach programs, and involves industry and business partners in establishing directions and implementing results. Additional details on the various programs will be provided in future issues of the News, and can be found on our web site.
The PEER Center News also will continue to bring news of the NISEE Program (National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering). That program continues after twenty-seven years to provide access to technical information in the field of earthquake engineering. New advances in electronic media enable NISEE to bring a broader range of information and services to a larger audience at reduced cost and with increased speed. NISEE programs include the Earthquake Engineering Abstracts Database, Computer Software Applications, and the library.
Aspects of the NISEE program are summarized in this newsletter. For more information, visit the NISEE web site at http://www.eerc.berkeley.edu.
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