CEE's Seismic Design team came in third at the annual EERI Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition. The team came in second last year, and did not even exist as a team prior to 2013. The competition was held on March 31.
The team's entry, the Belvedere, needed to incorporate the historical architecture of Massachusetts, blending tradition with modernity.
And it had to withstand the test of 3 ground motions (simulated earthquakes) without crumbling into toothpicks.
Their award highlighted the team's "understanding of advanced seismic systems and effective use of both analysis modeling and shake table testing."
See video of the team's reaction—watch till the end—when the Belvedere stood tall after its last test. (Thanks to David Friedman, both for being the biggest alumni supporter of the Seismic Team—and for supplying the video.)
See related story: Seismic Heads to Boston for EERI's Annual Shake Up [video]