Those who live in seismically active regions often ask ‘how likely is an earthquake?’ and ‘how safe will our buildings really be?’
Join Dr Riwaj (Ribu) Dhakal, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia as he talks about living with earthquakes.
Using well-documented case studies from Christchurch and Wellington, Dr Dhakal will talk about how engineering seismologists identify risk of earthquakes and how civil engineers design for them. The talk aims to provide insight into how science informs engineering decisions that affect everyday life in earthquake-prone countries such as Aotearoa New Zealand.
⏱️Thursday 3 August 2026 12:00 – 1:00 pm NZST
⚫Register here
Ribu Dhakal earned his Bachelor’s and PhD degrees from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) specialising in geotechnical earthquake engineering. This was followed by several years of Postdoctoral Fellowship and professional practice as a geotechnical engineer focusing on soil liquefaction.
His accolades include a Fulbright scholarship to UC Berkeley, the prestigious Otto Glogau Award from NZSEE, and several best paper and presentation awards and research grants. His research centers on liquefaction assessment using simplified, laboratory, and advanced numerical methods; seismic performance of shallow and deep foundations; and soil and site characterisation in geotechnical design.
Ribu has contributed to projects involving bridge foundations, highways, and buildings, and has consulted on topics related to engineering seismology, liquefaction assessment, and numerical modelling. He has also contributed to updates in New Zealand’s national seismic loading technical standard.