DiCEA - Design and Analysis of Architectural Structures

Elena Oliver Saiz

 

 

 

Contact

Department of Architectural Technology

Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB)

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)

 

Elena Oliver is Assistant professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. She has developed his career in the field of Earthquake Engineering, both from research and from professional practice. She obtained his PhD in Structures from the University of Granada, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Amadeo Benavent Climent, working on dynamic and non-linear simulations, finite element analysis, design based on energy balance and experimental tests.

During the predoctoral period, she completed two research stays, one of them at the University of California, Berkeley, with the support of a Fulbright-Schuman scholarship, which gave her the opportunity to specialize in nonlinear analysis. She also collaborated in three research projects related to the use of energy dissipation devices (EDDs).

From 2016 to 2022, she worked at the BAC Engineering Consultancy group as a Project Leader, focused on the development of large-scale and international structural projects, such as the Ghazy Mosque at Al Gossaibi in Jubail (Saudi Arabia) by Mangera Yvars Architects, two towers of more than 20 floors in Hospitalet de Llobregat, and the SHA-Wellness Clinic Hotel in Isla Mujeres (by Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos) with large spans (up to 50m between supports).

She currently focuses his research activity on the seismic behavior of singular buildings, especially tall buildings and those with energy dissipation devices.

 

 

Fields of specialization

SEISMIC RETROFITTING OF RC FRAMES COMBINING DAMPERS AND STRENGTHENING WITH FRP/SRP

Combining limited FRP/SRP strengthening with the addition of metallic dampers attains a cost-effective strengthening scheme that operates at both a local and a global level. A new energy-based seismic design procedure is proposed to calculate the lateral strength and stiffness to be provided by the metallic dampers, and the required level of strengthening to be operated on the existing frame, so that the seismic upgraded structure can endure the design earthquake without exceeding the elastic deformation capacity of the RC frame. 

SEISMIC DESIGN OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS

Currently, a research effort is required to determine the need to perform dynamic non-linear analyses for tall buildings and to introduce normative applicability limits, since most of the current seismic codes do not address aspects related to the influence of higher modes. in the nonlinear response of this type of structures.

 

OPTIMIZATION OF HIGH BUILDINGS THROUGH ENERGY DISSIPATION DEVICES

In tall buildings, there are many aspects that influence their structural design, such as the energy dissipation mechanism in the case of seismic response or wind-induced vibrations due to their slenderness and geometry. Furthermore, the design of the lateral resistance system for one of these dynamic actions will dramatically affect the response against the other, even leading to contradictory solutions. In this context, the use of advanced design strategies such as energy dissipation devices can be very useful both to control the response induced by the wind and to improve behavior against seismic action.

Selected publications