Click here for a CV.

• The main resource of the consultancy is the 39 years experience of its principal, Edmund Booth, 27 years of which has been spent in the field of earthquake engineering. He has extensive experience in the design, analysis, assessment and upgrading of a wide range of structures, and in seismic code development, seismic hazard assessment and seismic reliability determination. From 1998 to 2003, he was Visiting Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Oxford .
• The program SAP2000 , originally developed at University of California, Berkeley to solve seismic problems, and recently updated, is maintained in-house, and can solve a wide range of 2 and 3-D static and dynamic linear and non-linear problems. In addition, for more specialised non-linear dynamic problems, the well known program DRAIN-2DX /NONLIN Pro is available, accessed via a pre-processor developed in-house. An extensive portfolio of other software is also maintained.
• The Berkeley program SIMQKE1, which generates artificial time histories compatible with a target spectrum, has been developed inhouse to improve the nature of the record, provide the ease of use, and correct some minor errors in the original code; typical results are shown here.
• An extensive library of seismic codes of practice and other earthquake references is held in-house, and there is on-line access to a number of general and specialist databases.  There is particular expertise in the new European seismic code, EC8.
• The consultancy maintains active links with leading international researchers, both in the field of seismic design, testing and analysis, and also in the field of structural safety and reliability.

EXPERIENCE

The consultancy was founded in 1995. Since that time, its work has included the following.

• Site survey, assessment and retrofit recommendations for buildings in Algeria, Istanbul, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Peru, Pakistan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Georgia and India (principally for Foreign & Commonwealth Office).
• Review of seismic strengthening of Antalya Airport terminal building, Turkey using seismic isolation bearings (for Parsons Brinckerhoff/AYT).
• Principal seismic adviser to Owen Williams/Laing JV on major programme of survey, assessment and seismic retrofit for 57 rc, steel and masonry hospitals in Turkey.
• Independent structure assessments and seismic design advice on projects for the nuclear industry at Sellafield, Aldermaston, Devonport and Dounreay, for a number of clients.
• Survey of earthquake damage to the port of Manzanillo, Mexico, for insurance purposes (for Posford Haskoning/TT Club Miami).
• Survey of performance of historic buildings in Gujarat India, following the January 2001 earthquake (for INTACH).
• Structural consultant to TEFER project, for improvement of natural hazard insurance and disaster funding strategy in Turkey, for CAR/Willis.  Development of structural loss models for reinsurance purposes, for CAR/PartnerRe.
• Seismic design advice on approach jetty for major oil berthing facility on BTC pipeline, Ceyhan Turkey, for ILF Beratende Ingenieure, Austria.
• Seismic design advice for LNG tanks, petrochemical plants  & bridges in Iran, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Oman, for Foster Wheeler  
• Organisation and presentation of courses on seismic engineering for Ove Arup & Partners (1995), SECED/Imperial College (1996, 1999,2004, 2006,2008) and Institution of Structural Engineers (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008). Presenter (in French) at Ponts et Chaussées courses, Paris (1998, 1999).  Lecturer for a module on the Imperial College earthquake engineering MSc course (2005 to present), Nottingham Trent University (2002-2004) and Sheffield University (2005).

Other clients have included Process Combustion, Bechtel Water Technology, Marsh McLennan, the European Commission, Polarwall Ltd.

Before starting the practice, its principal, Edmund Booth, was Designated Seismic Specialist in London for the Ove Arup Partnership, where he was involved in a very wide range of building, industrial, offshore and other civil engineering structures.

In April 2010, Edmund Booth led a three person team to Port-au-Prince to investigate some aspects of this earthquake, under the banner of EEFIT, the UK’s earthquake engineering field investigation team.  First impressions and preliminary findings are given on the team’s blog.  The team gave a report at the Institution of Structural Engineers in May 2010, and a webcast will be posted on the Institution’s website in due course.

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