Recent developments in the research and practice of earthquake engineering in Australia

This paper presents multi-disciplinary facets of earthquake engineering research and developments in Australia over the past decade. Past and current research into seismic activity modelling and the associated challenges is first described. The Component Attenuation model (CAM) that provides estimates for the seismic displacement demand in regions lacking strong motion data is then introduced along with other models developed by conventional methods. Research into the seismic performances of typical Australian construction which incorporates the use of unreinforced masonry, steel and concrete has been summarized together with a brief report on current activities with risk modelling and the earthquake loading standard. A new two-tier displacement based approach for assessing the seismic performance of structures is presented along with future trends in earthquake engineering.