Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) is a technical society to promote research and practice of earthquake engineering. EERI members include researchers, practicing professionals, educators, government officials, and building code regulators. EERI is a leader in dissemination of earthquake risk and earthquake engineering research related information both in the U.S. and globally.
An earthquake (also known as a tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph. The moment magnitude (or the related and mostly obsolete Richter magnitude) of an earthquake is conventionally reported, with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly imperceptible and magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale.
Earthquake engineering is the study of the behavior of buildings and structures subject to seismic loading. It is a subset of both structural and civil engineering.
George W. Housner (December 9, 1910 (Saginaw, Michigan) - November 10, 2008 (Pasadena, California)) was an eminent authority on earthquake engineering and National Medal of Science laureate. Housner received his Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan where he was influenced by Stephen Timoshenko[citation needed]. He earned his Masters' (1934) and Doctoral (1941) degrees from the California Institute of Technology where he has been a Professor of Earthquake Engineering from 1945 to 1981, and Professor Emeritus thereafter.International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES) is an international earthquake engineering and seismology institute based in Iran. It was established as a result of the 24th UNESCO General Conference Resolution DR/250 under Iranian government approval in 1989. It was founded as an independent institute within the Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.[1]