Me: Well the new thing I did this week was start my master's thesis! I'm so proud of myself for getting on top of things and actually figuring it out. There is no guidance for this type of thing. So anyway, I chose the topic of Improving the Estimation of Seismic Performance Modification Factors.
Everybody: Do something that you have been putting off for a while. Maybe FAFSA? or calling someone you've been meaning to call? Try a new restaurant? It's different for everybody.
Seismic Performance Modification Factors:
FEMA put out a seismic risk screening process called the rapid visual screening process. Basically a person can take a worksheet and go through the worksheet. Different components of the structure can be visually assessed, like the shape of the building, the number of stories, if it has a soft story or parapets, things like that. Each category gets a score which is called a seismic performance modification factor, the scores are all added up. The final score determines if the building will probably be okay in an earthquake or if you should have an engineer analyze it and see if it needs retrofitting. Some of these seismic performance modification factors are based on expert opinion. My job would be to use computer models to develop a method of estimating the factors based on analysis rather than opinion.
Hopefully that gives you an idea of what I'm doing for my thesis. I don't know much more than that yet. I start with a literature review so hopefully I'll know more soon.
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