Aims and Scope

Recent earthquakes have demonstrated the need for more comprehensive and inter disciplinary applied research and investigations as well as dissemination of the advances and findings to the practicing engineers and scientists.  In order to mitigate the earthquake risks, a comprehensive knowledge concerning the different issues in this multi disciplinary field appears essential.  Europe and its near vicinity has their own characteristics that are sometimes different than the conditions elsewhere in the world, rising from the differences in levels of seismicity, architectural and engineering heritage, population densities, transportation and lifeline systems.  Large numbers of research projects and post earthquake investigations have been and are being conducted in Europe and abroad in the recent years.  The articles emerging from these studies related to engineering applications, design procedures, and observed responses are as important as purely research papers.  There is an urgent need to close the gap between research and engineering practice and to inform the earthquake engineering community in Europe about the recent advances and observations in the field of applied earthquake engineering. 

European Association for Earthquake Engineering has been an active association in Europe for 37 years and organised 11 European Conferences and 20 Regional Seminars.  The Association has been publishing for the last 15 years the Bulletin of the European Association for Earthquake Engineering, mostly containing information concerning the activities in the field of earthquake engineering in Europe and abroad.  In the view of the limited number of international journals in the field of applied earthquake engineering, in its broadest definition, there is a need for a European Journal in the field of applied earthquake engineering.  In the light of the recent political changes in the Europe, it is expected that the Association could play more active role in earthquake risk mitigation.  The Statutes of the Association is being revised to accelerate the activities and to be more effective.  Thus it is believed that it would be timely to publish a Technical Journal that would emphasize applied earthquake engineering that could be available to all the individual members of the Association both as a hard copy as well as electronically.  This would enhance the activities and the goals of the Association in the mitigation of earthquake risks in Europe and abroad and would also encourage the members to contribute and to be more productive. 

Topics that fit within this objective include:

·     Seismic hazard studies and methods for engineering applications and for mitigation of earthquake risks,

·     Strong motion characterization and use for engineering applications, near and far field effects,

·     Geological and geotechnical site conditions, effects of surface topography,

·     Cyclic behaviour of soils, liquefaction, laboratory, in-situ and model testing,

·     Earth structures and foundation design for seismic conditions,

·     Microzonation methodologies, use of GIS methodologies,

·     Earthquake scenarios, vulnerability assessment,

·     Earthquake codes and code improvements,

·     Structural response and design for seismic conditions,

·     Earthquake damage, retrofit, and strengthening,

·     Damage assessment, rapid damage assessment methodologies,

·     Transportation and lifeline systems in seismic environments,

·     Seismic response of historical monuments and structures,

·     Seismic isolation, passive energy dissipation and active control of vibrations of structures,

·     Seismic hazard mitigation policies and methodologies.

The editorial board will represent a cross section both geographically and area of expertise of EAEE membership with Task Group Coordinators, Executive Committee Members and National Delegates of the member associations.

Editor: Atilla Ansal

Secretary General of EAEE