IAStructE – IIIT Hyderabad student’s chapter of Earthquake Engineering Research Centre, conducted an offline Guest Lecture on a topic “Earthquake Hazard Studies in India” on 13th September 2022 for all the M. Tech students and Ph.D. scholars of the centre. Dr. Davuluri Srinagesh, Professor of Practice, IIT Madras was the keynote speaker for the event. He educated the audience on the physics of earthquakes, as well as the reasons why they differ from one another and the factors (variations in stress build-up, fault rupturing, site directivity effects, and soil characteristics) that influence them. He demonstrated how soil and structures react to such unusual situations differently.

He provided various illustrations from earlier earthquakes in India and other countries to further explain these characteristics of earthquakes and how buildings react to them. Further, the incremental and ongoing research in India towards improving the understanding of earthquakes and their effects was also discussed. Finally, the audience was made aware of the value of formal and technical education in enhancing the built environment's seismic safety.