A fifth year engineering student from Holy Angel University (HAU) received accolades for his earthquake engineering research studies during the Climate Smart and Disaster Resilient ASEAN International Conference: Leadership for Climate-Disaster Resilient ASEAN held on April 22 to 23 at the Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila.
Emmanuel Balanon, head researcher of the university’s Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers-Applied Science and Research Sector (HAU PICE-ASRS) and founder of Ultra Construction Innovators, reigned as the sole presenter with two awards.
The study entitled ResistanCE I: Seismic Base Isolation System Development of a Proposed Seismic Base Isolation System for Future High Rise Buildings in Seismic Prone Areas: The Case of the “Big One”- Movement of the Philippine West Valley Fault won second place in the best oral presentation under the science, infrastructure, designs, and assessment category.
On the other hand, the best poster presentation was awarded to TITAN MK. II: Earthquake Simulation Table Development of an Earthquake Simulation Table for Testing and Recording of Damping Motions of High Rise Building Models Undergone Buckingham Pi Theorem for Base Shear Analysis of Infrastructures on the Areas Affected by the Movement of the West Valley Fault.
Both studies aim to address the lack of earthquake testing facilities and technologies that will determine and ensure the structural integrity of high rise buildings in the Philippines.
The timely international conference was organized by the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute (ECCRI) together with the United States Mission to ASEAN (US-ASEAN), United States Embassy in the Philippines, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines, ASEAN Foundation, and Harvard Club of the Philippines. It was participated by scientists, engineers, disaster management advocates, practitioners, decision and policy-makers, and leaders from ASEAN countries.
Twenty studies were discussed under the oral and poster presentations tackling issues on climate and disaster education science; infrastructures, design, and assessment; human security and capacity development; policy and governance; science, technology, and innovation; finance and investment; and best practices and lessons learned.