Introduction
Technical Meeting on 14 August 2008 at 6pm at IStructE - the 7.9Mw Great Wenchuan Earthquake of May 12th 2008. Click here for details
NEW! - Click here to view the Final Mission Report of the 15 August 2007 Magnitude 7.9 Earthquake near the Coast of Central Peru (7MB pdf)
Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) is a group of British earthquake engineers, architects and academics who seek to collaborate with colleagues in earthquake prone countries in the task of improving the seismic resistance of both traditional and engineered structures.
The principle activity of EEFIT is conducting field investigations following major damaging earthquakes, and reporting to the local and international engineering community on the performance of civil engineering and building structures under seismic loading. EEFIT was formed in 1982 as a joint venture between universities and industry and has been carrying out regular investigations of earthquake damage since that date. A preliminary reconnaissance mission is carried out within a few days of an earthquake and detailed survey or follow-up visits are then arranged as appropriate.
The main objectives of the EEFIT missions can be summarised as follows:
- To carry out a detailed technical evaluation of the performance of structures, foundations, civil engineering works and industrial plant within the affected region.
- To collect geological and seismographic data, including strong motion records.
- To assess the effectiveness of earthquake protection methods, including repair and retrofit, and to make comparisons of the actual performance of structures with the expectations of designers.
- To study disaster management procedures and socio-economic effects of the earthquake, including human casualties.
It is an aim of EEFIT to visit an earthquake zone within about 10 days of a damaging earthquake, when at all possible. It is important to minimise any delay in visiting the damaged area, as contractors progressively demolish damaged buildings and remove the evidence that EEFIT wish to observe.The data collected by EEFIT work contributes to an improved understanding of structural behaviour under seismic loads and an evaluation of the adequacy of current design practices and regulations.
Information sheet about EEFIT's objectives and methods(PDF)
EEFIT Constitution(PDF) |
