Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics Laboratory – EESD
© 2023 EESD/EPFL
Our research at 
The group “Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics” (EESD) investigates the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete and unreinforced masonry buildings, focusing in particular on the response of existing structures that were not designed for seismic loads. To achieve a more comprehensive understanding and develop improved models, our investigations are based on a combination of different research approaches, including numerical and mechanical modeling, large-scale testing, and data-driven methods. Our current research projects include:
- Mechanical models for the force-displacement response of masonry piers and spandrels;
- A new generation of equivalent frame models for masonry buildings that can capture not only the in-plane but also the out-of-plane response of masonry walls;
- Advanced nonlinear detailed micro-models of stone masonry panels in 2D and now moving towards 3D, including the corresponding micro-structure generators;
- Deriving crack widths and kinematics of masonry walls from digital image correlation measurements;
- Mechanical and numerical models for the out-of-plane response of thin RC walls;
- Engineering models for the response of RC core walls.
Our webpage provides detailed information on our research and teaching activities, including access to our publications, test data, models, and codes. We are open to collaborations and look forward to hearing from anyone interested in our research.
Katrin Beyer & Team
