New earthquake model saves human lives
This particularly interesting model was designed by Alexander- Dimitrios Tsonos, professor of Earthquake Engineering and Seismic Pathology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Civil Engineering Department. Its purpose is to prevent the collapse both of modern buildings made from concrete and of older buildings that are restored and strenghtened so as to withstand future major earthquakes.
It identifies errors, which may occur even when buildings are constructed in accordance with modern regulations because of the inaccurate estimations incorporated in the regulations themselves. However, the method is mostly employed for the calculation of necessary antiseismic reinforcement for old buildings, as well as for the risk-free intervention in newer constructions that have suffered earthquake damages.
A scientific report by Berkeley professors Sangjoon Park and Khalid M. Mosalam recognizes professor Tsonos” model as one of the two most reliable models for predicting the shear strength of reinforced concrete beam-column joints.