On Thursday, February 22, 2024, from 16:00 to 17:15 (CET), a lecture titled "Seismic Design of Geotechnical Structures and High-Rise Buildings Founded on Piles" was held in Serbian via the Zoom platform.
The lecturer was Dr Željko Žugić, Civil Engineer, Project Coordinator at the Ministry for Public Investments.
Below you can find the lecture abstract, the lecturer’s biography, the recording, and the presentation slides.
Abstract
Geotechnical structures are present in all branches of civil engineering (building construction, infrastructure, hydraulic engineering) and represent an important aspect of every professional and scientific analysis, given the uncertainty of soil behavior, both under static conditions and during earthquakes.
Deep foundation methods (primarily reinforced concrete piles, but also diaphragm walls and other geotechnical structures) are often used to resolve static problems in structures, but they can also play a significant role in addressing seismic design challenges, even though this is often not quantified in practice through adequate engineering analyses.
The negative effects of soil liquefaction can also be mitigated through appropriate application of deep foundations. The lecture will present, through several practical examples, the general challenges of seismic design in geotechnical engineering.
In the final part, high-rise buildings founded on piles will be discussed, as this is a common case encountered by structural engineers in practice, and guidelines will be provided to designers for improving the current state of practice in Serbia and the region.
Speaker Biography
Dr Željko Žugić was born on June 9, 1982, in Belgrade, where he completed elementary school and the Mathematical Grammar School.
He graduated in civil engineering in 2006 from the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad as the first student in Serbia and the region to complete studies under the Bologna Declaration. He obtained his master's degree in 2009 as a recipient of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship from Brussels, earning diplomas from the following institutions: the EU Centre at the University of Pavia (Italy), the University of Patras (Greece), and the University of Grenoble (France). He defended his doctoral dissertation in 2012 at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia, as a recipient of the “Dositeja” Fund for Young Talents. In 2016, he was appointed as a Research Associate by the University of Belgrade based on his significant professional and scientific achievements, as well as the award for the best technological innovation he received in 2015.
Alongside his academic development, he gained substantial engineering experience through large infrastructure projects, including highway and corridor construction, as well as residential and commercial buildings in Serbia and the region. His extensive design experience in domestic, Russian, and Arab markets, as well as his involvement in expert supervision and construction management during post-flood reconstruction in 2014, has been recognized by various institutions (Engineering Chamber, universities, the United Nations), where he has served as an educator, lecturer, and consultant.
He is currently engaged as a Project Coordinator within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), assisting the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry for Public Investments, where he is responsible for the development and implementation of capital investments (such as the construction of hospitals and scientific infrastructure facilities).
On Thursday, February 22, 2024, from 16:00 to 17:15 (CET), a lecture titled "Seismic Design of Geotechnical Structures and High-Rise Buildings Founded on Piles" was held in Serbian via the Zoom platform.
The lecturer was Dr Željko Žugić, Civil Engineer, Project Coordinator at the Ministry for Public Investments.
Below you can find the lecture abstract, the lecturer’s biography, the recording, and the presentation slides.
Abstract
Geotechnical structures are present in all branches of civil engineering (building construction, infrastructure, hydraulic engineering) and represent an important aspect of every professional and scientific analysis, given the uncertainty of soil behavior, both under static conditions and during earthquakes.
Deep foundation methods (primarily reinforced concrete piles, but also diaphragm walls and other geotechnical structures) are often used to resolve static problems in structures, but they can also play a significant role in addressing seismic design challenges, even though this is often not quantified in practice through adequate engineering analyses.
The negative effects of soil liquefaction can also be mitigated through appropriate application of deep foundations. The lecture will present, through several practical examples, the general challenges of seismic design in geotechnical engineering.
In the final part, high-rise buildings founded on piles will be discussed, as this is a common case encountered by structural engineers in practice, and guidelines will be provided to designers for improving the current state of practice in Serbia and the region.
Speaker Biography
Dr Željko Žugić was born on June 9, 1982, in Belgrade, where he completed elementary school and the Mathematical Grammar School.
He graduated in civil engineering in 2006 from the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad as the first student in Serbia and the region to complete studies under the Bologna Declaration. He obtained his master's degree in 2009 as a recipient of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship from Brussels, earning diplomas from the following institutions: the EU Centre at the University of Pavia (Italy), the University of Patras (Greece), and the University of Grenoble (France). He defended his doctoral dissertation in 2012 at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia, as a recipient of the “Dositeja” Fund for Young Talents. In 2016, he was appointed as a Research Associate by the University of Belgrade based on his significant professional and scientific achievements, as well as the award for the best technological innovation he received in 2015.
Alongside his academic development, he gained substantial engineering experience through large infrastructure projects, including highway and corridor construction, as well as residential and commercial buildings in Serbia and the region. His extensive design experience in domestic, Russian, and Arab markets, as well as his involvement in expert supervision and construction management during post-flood reconstruction in 2014, has been recognized by various institutions (Engineering Chamber, universities, the United Nations), where he has served as an educator, lecturer, and consultant.
He is currently engaged as a Project Coordinator within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), assisting the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry for Public Investments, where he is responsible for the development and implementation of capital investments (such as the construction of hospitals and scientific infrastructure facilities).
