Observations from the 2015 Nepal Earthquake by Dr Matt DeJong (Cam) and Dr Barnali Ghosh (Mott MacDonald)

Abstract

This talk will present observations and analysis results from an EEFIT reconnaissance mission to Nepal after the earthquake in April 2015. The talk will consider the effects of the earthquake from both a structural and geotechnical engineering perspective, including discussion of heritage structures, foundation failures, the unique characteristics of the ground motion recorded in Kathmandu, and local amplification of ground motion within the Kathmandu valley.

Short biography

Dr Ghosh is a senior principal engineer at Mott MacDonald with specialism in Geoseismic hazards. Previously, Barnali worked for Arup as a seismic engineer, was  Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge and obtained a PhD from the University of Cambridge. She carried out a M.Tech in geotechnical engineering at the Jadavpur University and an undergraduate degree from the Bhagalpur Engineering College. Her main experiences are designing foundations in seismic areas, identifying and calculating seismic hazards and performing detailed dynamic soil-structure interaction simulations. Barnali also teaches parts of the Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering Course at UCL, London.

Dr DeJong is a Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow and Director of Studies in Engineering at St Catharine's College. Previously, he was a Fulbright Scholar at the Technical University of Delft and completed his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and worked as a structural design engineer in California.

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