The Eighth International Conference on Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering is jointly organised in Istanbul on 20-24 July 1997 by Boğaziçi and Princeton Universities and hosted by Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute. The specific purpose of the conference has been to present a forum for the presentation and discussion of current activities and progress in soil dynamics and earthquake engineering as they become part of Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, with the hope of stimulating greater interest in this important interdisciplinary field. The conference has aimed at a better understanding of the earthquake response of ground-structure systems through exchanging the knowledge and the experience of the participants, and at enhancement of the combined efforts of geophysics, geology, earthquake engineering and civil engineering for the reduction of earthquake risk to people and the physical environment. Due to substantial participation from Caucasian and Central Asian countries the conference has also offered an opportunity for new venues of interaction and cooperation.

SDEE’97 was organised in support and under the framework of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) and under the auspices and sponsorship of the UNESCO, Turkish National Committee on Earthquake Engineering and Turkish Chamber of Civil Engineers, Istanbul Branch. Ţeker Insurance Co., Koç Holding and Sentez Co. sponsored the social activities of the conference. The support provided by HABITAT, IDNDR, Turkish State Ministry, German Foreign Ministry and the Turkish private companies: Yüksel Construction Co., Tekfen Construction Co., Ay-Sel Construction Co. and Yüksel Project Intl. enabled the participation from Central Asian Republics.