Humberto Varum – författare

Increasing demand on improving the resiliency of modern structures and infrastructure requires ever more critical and complex designs. Therefore, the need for accurate and efficient approaches to assess uncertainties in loads, geometry, material properties, manufacturing processes, and operational environments has increased significantly. Reliability-based techniques help develop more accurate initial guidance for robust design and help to identify the sources of significant uncertainty in structural systems. Reliability-Based Analysis and Design of Structures and Infrastructure presents an overview of the methods of classical reliability analysis and design most associated with structural reliability. It also introduces more modern methods and advancements, and emphasizes the most useful methods and techniques used in reliability and risk studies, while elaborating their practical applications and limitations rather than detailed derivations.

Features:

Reliability-Based Analysis and Design of Structures and Infrastructure is suitable for researchers and practicing engineers, as well as upper-level students taking related courses in structural reliability analysis and design.

Increasing demand on improving the resiliency of modern structures and infrastructure requires ever more critical and complex designs. Therefore, the need for accurate and efficient approaches to assess uncertainties in loads, geometry, material properties, manufacturing processes, and operational environments has increased significantly. Reliability-based techniques help develop more accurate initial guidance for robust design and help to identify the sources of significant uncertainty in structural systems. Reliability-Based Analysis and Design of Structures and Infrastructure presents an overview of the methods of classical reliability analysis and design most associated with structural reliability. It also introduces more modern methods and advancements, and emphasizes the most useful methods and techniques used in reliability and risk studies, while elaborating their practical applications and limitations rather than detailed derivations.

Features:

Reliability-Based Analysis and Design of Structures and Infrastructure is suitable for researchers and practicing engineers, as well as upper-level students taking related courses in structural reliability analysis and design.

Local communities have adapted for centuries to challenging surroundings, resulting from unforeseen natural hazards. Vernacular architecture often reveals very intelligent responses attuned to the environment. Therefore, the question that emerged was: how did local populations prepare their dwellings to face frequent earthquakes?

It was to respond to this gap in knowledge, that the SEISMIC-V research project was instigated, and this interdisciplinary international publication was prepared. The research revealed the existence of a local seismic culture, in terms of reactive or preventive seismic resistant measures, able to survive, if properly maintained, in areas with frequent earthquakes.

The fundamental contribution and aims of the publication were to enhance:-The disciplinary interest in vernacular architecture;-Its contribution to risk mitigation in responding to natural hazards;-To encourage academic and scientific research collaboration among different disciplines;-To contribute to the improvement of vernacular dwellings, which half of the world’s population still inhabits nowadays.

Fifty international researchers and experts presented case studies from Latin America, the Mediterranean, Eastern and Central Asia and the Himalayas region, with reference to 20 countries, i.e. Algeria, Bolivia, Bhutan, Chile,China, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey and a closer detailed analysis of Portugal. This publication brings together 43 contributions, with newperspectives on seismic retrofitting techniques and relevant data, addressing vernacular architecture; an amazing source of knowledge, and to this day, home to 4 billion people.

Local communities have adapted for centuries to challenging surroundings, resulting from unforeseen natural hazards. Vernacular architecture often reveals very intelligent responses attuned to the environment. Therefore, the question that emerged was: how did local populations prepare their dwellings to face frequent earthquakes?

It was to respond to this gap in knowledge, that the SEISMIC-V research project was instigated, and this interdisciplinary international publication was prepared. The research revealed the existence of a local seismic culture, in terms of reactive or preventive seismic resistant measures, able to survive, if properly maintained, in areas with frequent earthquakes.

The fundamental contribution and aims of the publication were to enhance:-The disciplinary interest in vernacular architecture;-Its contribution to risk mitigation in responding to natural hazards;-To encourage academic and scientific research collaboration among different disciplines;-To contribute to the improvement of vernacular dwellings, which half of the world’s population still inhabits nowadays.

Fifty international researchers and experts presented case studies from Latin America, the Mediterranean, Eastern and Central Asia and the Himalayas region, with reference to 20 countries, i.e. Algeria, Bolivia, Bhutan, Chile,China, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey and a closer detailed analysis of Portugal. This publication brings together 43 contributions, with newperspectives on seismic retrofitting techniques and relevant data, addressing vernacular architecture; an amazing source of knowledge, and to this day, home to 4 billion people.

This book provides the reader with a review of the most relevant research on the structural characterization and seismic retrofitting of adobe construction. It offers a complete review of the latest research developments, and hence the relevance of the field. 

The book starts with an introductory discussion on adobe construction and its use throughout the world over time, highlighting characteristics and performance of adobe masonry structures as well as different contributions for cultural heritage conservation (Chapter 1). Then, the seismic behaviour of adobe masonry buildings is addressed, including examples of real performance during recent earthquakes (Chapter 2). In the following chapters, key research investigations on seismic response assessment and retrofitting of adobe constructions are reviewed. The review deals with the following issues: mechanical characterization of adobe bricks and adobe masonry (Chapters 3 and 4); quasi-static and shaking table testing of adobe masonry walls and structures (Chapters 5 and 6); non-destructive and minor-destructive testing for characterization of adobe constructions (Chapter 7); seismic strengthening techniques for adobe constructions (Chapter 8); and numerical modelling of adobe structures (Chapter 9).  

The book ends with Chapter 10, where some general conclusions are drawn and research needs are identified. Each chapter is co-authored by a group of experts from different countries to comprehensively address all issues of adobe constructions from a worldwide perspective. 

The information covered in this book is fundamental to support civil engineers and architects in the rehabilitation and strengthening of existing adobe constructions and also in the design of new adobe buildings. This information is also of interest to researchers, by providing a summary of existing research and suggesting possible directions for future research efforts.

This book gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of seismic engineering, as presented by leading researchers and engineers at the 2nd International Workshop on Energy-Based Seismic Engineering (IWEBSE), held in Porto, Portugal, on July 3–6, 2023. The book covers a diverse range of topics, including energy-based EDPs, damage potential of ground motion, structural modeling in energy-based damage assessment of structures, energy dissipation demand on structural components, innovative structures with energy dissipation systems or seismic isolation, as well as seismic design and analysis. Selected by means of a rigorous peer-review process, they will spur novel research directions and foster future multidisciplinary collaborations.

This book gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of seismic engineering, as presented by leading researchers and engineers at the 3rd International Workshop on Energy-Based Seismic Engineering (IWEBSE), held in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 21–24, 2025. This book covers a diverse range of topics, including energy-based EDPs, damage potential of ground motion, structural modeling in energy-based damage assessment of structures, energy dissipation demand on structural components, innovative structures with energy dissipation systems or seismic isolation, as well as seismic design and analysis. Selected by means of a rigorous peer-review process, they will spur novel research directions and foster future multidisciplinary collaborations.

This book presents the fundamentals of strengthening and retrofitting approaches, solutions and technologies for existing structures. It addresses in detail specific techniques for the strengthening of traditional constructions, reinforced concrete buildings, bridges and their foundations. Finally, it discusses issues related to standards and economic decision support tools for retrofitting.