New features in R2D: seismic hazard tool and new infrastructure types

Jinyan Zhao | February 9, 2024
"Live Expert Tips" with the NHERI SimCenter is a virtual event that touches on diverse aspects of simulation and modeling in Natural Hazards Engineering. In each session, a technical example will demonstrate features of SimCenter Tools relevant to research in natural hazards and the built environment. After the example, time is allocated for questions, answers, and discussion on the presented topic. This Live Expert Tips session introduces two new features in SimCenter’s R2D Application tool: 1) a refined regional seismic hazard tool and 2) the assessment capability of transportation infrastructure. The refined regional seismic hazard tool allows users to define and create earthquake scenarios using earthquake rupture forecasting models. Users can then visualize and select the defined earthquake scenarios to create either scenario-specific or Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA)-style ground motion maps. A hazard-consistent down-sampling algorithm for regional PSHA is also available in R2D. The second half of the Live Expert Tips session will introduce the assessment capability of transportation infrastructure in R2D. Users can download transportation infrastructure from national census databases and carry out quick performance assessments using FEMA’s Hazus fragility curves implemented in R2D. The capacity of transportation infrastructure assessment will be demonstrated with a simple example.
About the presenter: Jinyan Zhao is a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley and software developer at the NHERI SimCenter. Jinyan received his Ph.D. from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley, where he studied numerical simulation and risk assessment of large-scale civil infrastructure in underground constructions. At the SimCenter, he is developing and benchmarking capabilities for regional-scale risk analysis resulting from natural hazards. He is adding geotechnical perspectives to SimCenter tools and creating educational modules.