Guillermo Diaz-Fanas is a Senior Engineer at the Geotechnical & Tunneling Technical Excellence of WSP USA. (guillermo.diazfanas@wsp.com)
Innovation and resourcefulness in the engineering of tall buildings are one of the cornerstone requirements of building resilient cities and communities. Successful performance of these structures during extreme natural events is living proof of the value of design that targets resilient performance, enhancing the confidence of the stakeholders and the public for the engineering and technologies used. …
Mexico City’s geoseismic design challenges arise from its unique local geology combined with high tectonic activity. This article discusses the challenges that continue to grow, as the center of the ruins of the Aztec capital has turned into the most prominent modern metropolis of Latin America, with economic growth that demands taller buildings. The response of the regional soils has repeatedly and destructively materialized in the form of soil basin amplification phenomena (one- and two-dimensional) that manifested as seismic waves propagating through the natural valley’s topography. …