You are encouraged to attend the defence. The details of the defence and attendance information is included below:  

Date:  September 9th, 2025

Time:  9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (PT)

Defence mode:  Remote 

Please contact the Office of Graduate Administration for information regarding remote attendance for online defences. 

To ensure the defence proceeds with no interruptions, please mute your audio and video on entry and do not inadvertently share your screen. The meeting will be locked to entry 5 minutes after it begins: please ensure you are on time.  

Thesis entitled:  UNCOUPLED DUAL-MECHANISM SYSTEM FOR SEISMIC RESILIENCE: PARAMETRIC ANALYSES AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN PROCEDURE

Abstract: Achieving enhanced seismic resilience in modern high-rise buildings requires advanced structural systems capable of controlling damage from both first-mode and higher-mode responses. This study develops a preliminary design procedure for a novel dual-mechanism system that allows the uncoupling of overturning and lateral responses at the base of highrise buildings. The system combines both rocking and shear mechanisms to mitigate highermode effects. By developing the design procedure, the study aims to facilitate the broader adoption of the system to improve the seismic resilience of high-rise buildings.

To support the development of this procedure, a simplified numerical model was created to represent the seismic behaviour of the uncoupled dual-mechanism system. After establishing the ranges of key design parameters governing the system's strength and component dimensions, a series of parametric studies were conducted using nonlinear time history analyses for two seismic locations: Los Angeles in USA and Vancouver in Canada. Seismic performance spectra were generated based on these analyses to guide the development of a preliminary design procedure for practical engineering applications. The parametric study established that for buildings up to approximately 300 m in height, a practical range of geometric and strength parameters exists to successfully limit maximum inter-story drift ratios to 1.5%, while controlling base displacements to a feasible 800 mm. Beyond this height, it was found that the required dimensions of the rocking mechanism components become impractically large for constructability and cost-effectiveness, defining the system's effective application limit.

Defence Committee:  

Chair: Dr. Matt Reid, University of Northern British Columbia

Supervisor: Dr. Fei Tong, University of Northern British Columbia

Committee Member: Dr. Thomas Tannert, University of Northern British Columbia

Committee Member: Dr. Jianhui Zhou, University of Northern British Columbia

External Examiner: Dr. Lisa Tobber, University of British Columbia