Master’s and PhD graduates from the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) are traveling to Pereira as part of an expert mission that will assess structures affected by the earthquake. The delegation brings together professionals with extensive academic and technical expertise in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Earthquake Engineering and related fields.
UIS master’s and PhD graduates are traveling to Pereira as part of the Expert Mission of the Universidad Industrial de Santander, a delegation made up of 25 professionals, including full-time and adjunct professors, as well as graduates of master’s and doctoral programs. The experts will contribute their knowledge and experience to the technical assessment of buildings and homes affected by the earthquake.
Among the mission’s members is Álvaro Viviescas Jaimes, a Cum Laude Civil Engineer and PhD in Structural Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. He is currently a full-time professor at UIS and coordinates the Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, the Specialization in Structures and the Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering. He also leads the Research Group on Construction Materials and Structures (INME).
The UIS experts will remain in the affected area for five days. During this period, they will visit damaged buildings and homes to assess and characterize the effects of the earthquake on the structures. Their work will provide technical information to help identify the conditions of the affected buildings and determine the interventions that may be required.
A team responding to the emergency
The mission brings together professionals whose academic and research backgrounds are directly related to the technical challenges posed by an earthquake.
Among them is Álvaro Viviescas Jaimes, a Cum Laude Civil Engineer and PhD in Structural Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. He is currently a full-time professor at UIS and coordinates the Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, the Specialization in Structures and the Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering. He also leads the Research Group on Construction Materials and Structures (INME).
His professional experience focuses on the analysis, design and modeling of complex structures, providing key expertise for assessing earthquake-related structural damage.
The delegation also includes Orlando Daniel Arroyo Amell, a Civil Engineer and PhD in Engineering Sciences, whose research focuses on nonlinear modeling of buildings, seismic risk assessment in cities and the response of non-structural components. He has authored more than 30 papers published in top-quartile SCOPUS and Web of Science journals on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete frame and wall buildings.
Laura Andrea Vargas Carvajal, a Cum Laude Civil Engineer, PhD in Engineering Sciences and Master’s in Structural Engineering, is also part of the mission. Her research experience includes the seismic behavior of masonry structures, strengthening strategies and the dynamic characterization of structures through ambient vibration testing. She has also participated in post-earthquake reconnaissance initiatives through the Structural Extreme Event Reconnaissance Network (StEER).
Another member of the team is José Miguel Benjumea Royero, PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, whose expertise includes the analysis, design and testing of concrete structures and bridge engineering. He is a member of the INME and Geomatics, Management and Systems Optimization (GEOMÁTICA) research groups.
The delegation also includes María Alejandra Oliveros Caicedo, an adjunct professor in structures and a structural designer and developer, as well as Gustavo Andrés Ospina Idárraga, a Civil Engineer with master’s and doctoral training in structural engineering. His areas of expertise include structural dynamics, structural health monitoring, numerical modeling and system identification.
Technical inventory to support reconstruction decisions
One of the mission’s main objectives is to compile a detailed inventory of the structures assessed, documenting the conditions and characteristics of affected buildings and homes.
At the end of the five-day mission, this technical information will be delivered as an input that may support decisions by the Government and the management of the reconstruction fund regarding the interventions required in the affected areas.
The UIS participation in this emergency brings together the expertise of professors, researchers and graduates in response to a specific need in the affected territory: providing rigorous technical assessments to understand the impact of the earthquake on structures and contribute knowledge to a safe recovery process.
The 25 experts are traveling to Pereira with a clear purpose: to place years of academic training, research and professional experience at the service of communities affected by the earthquake.
