Reducing the catastrophic risk of a Cascadia megathrust earthquake in southwest BC
This project brings together an interdisciplinary team of researchers with the following objectives: (i) to quantify the expected shaking associated with magnitude 8-9 earthquakes in the Cascadia subduction zone, (ii) to understand how the built environment will fare, and (iii) to identify how our communities can better plan for the aftermath of such scenarios.
Research Projects
2025-2026
Mitigation Investments to Reduce Risks from Natural Hazards in British Columbia
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Funding: BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2025-2026
Creating Building Code Requirements for Resilient Design
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Funding: Resilient Design Coalition
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2025-2026
Emergency Healthcare Accessibility and Functionality
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Funding: Bush Bohlman & Partners
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2024-2025
UBC disaster resilience research network (Renewal)
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Funding: Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt & S. Shneiderman (UBC)
Co-Principal Investigators: S. Chang, S. Weijs, D. Edgington, D. Tannant, E. Raker, F. Nakamura, S. Dickson-Hoyle, L. Tobber, A. Kim, J. Stacey, H. Marken (First Nations Emergency Services Society), A. Bostrom (UW), E. Lloyd (City of Nanaimo), and H. Maxwell
2024-2025
Resilience hubs for UBC campus communities
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Funding: UBC Campus as Living Lab Grand Challenge
Principal Investigator: S. Chang
Co-Principal Investigators: S. Weijs, C. Molina Hutt, S. Shneiderman, J.Stacey, M. Hooper, A. Kim
2023-2024
A research-informed disaster and climate risk and resilience assessment of British Columbia
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Funding: BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
Co-Principal Investigators: T. Carey, S. Weijs, D. Tannant, A. Kim, S. Chang, K. Lokman, N. Fox, D. Edgington, and S. Shneiderman
2023
A methodology to leverage seismic risk assessments to inform seismic policy development
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Funding: MITACS Accelerate with the City of Vancouver
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2023
Risks and impacts of a super-storm in British Columbia
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Funding: UBC Science STAIR Grant
Principal Investigators: M. D'Arcy (UBC) & C. Molina Hutt
2023
Ambient Vibration Testing of Hospital Buildings Fraser Health
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Funding: Bush Bohlman & Partners
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2022-2025
Quantifying the seismic resilience of the transportation network in the Lower Mainland, British Columbia
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Funding: NSERC Alliance Grant
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2022-2023
UBC disaster resilience research network
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Funding: Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters
Co-Investigators: C. Molina Hutt & S. Shneiderman (UBC)
2022
Ambient Vibration Testing of Hospital Buildings in Vancouver Coastal Health
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Funding: Bush Bohlman & Partners
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2022
Using artificial intelligence to characterize the dynamics of seismic risk
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Funding: MITACS Globalink Research Award
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
Co-Investigator: D. Lallemant (Nanyang Technological University)
2021-2023
A Framework to Assess the Seismic Resilience of Hospital Infrastructure in Metro Vancouver
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Funding: MITACS Accelerate with Bush, Bohlman & Partners
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2021
Collaboration for Cascadia Earthquake Disaster Risk Reduction
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Funding: UBC-UW Collaborative Research Mobility Award
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt and N. Errett (UW)
Co-Investigator: From UBC: S. Chang, D. Edgington, S. McDougall, S. Peacock and S. Shneiderman. From UW: A. Bostrom, M. Eberhard, A. Goodchild, D. Schmidt and S. Abramson
2021
Seismic risk assessment of ridge meadows hospital campus
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Funding: Bush Bohlman & Partners
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2019
Mass Timber Floor Vibration Design Guide and Validation
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Funding: MITACS Accelerate with Aspect Structural Engineers
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2019-2024
Enhancing the seismic resilience of Canada’s built environment through comprehensive risk-based assessments of tall buildings.
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Funding: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Discovery Grant
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2019-2020
Reducing the catastrophic risk of a Cascadia megathrust earthquake in southwest British Columbia.
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Funding: New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration
Co-Principal Investigators: C. Molina Hutt and S. Molnar (Western)
Co-Investigators: S. Chang (UBC)
2019-2021
Innovative earthquake resilient structural systems for high-rise buildings.
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Funding: Beijing Natural Science Foundation
Principal Investigator: X. Ji (Tsinghua University)
Co-Investigators: C. Molina Hutt and K. Ikago (Tohoku University)
2018
Seismic risk modelling of hospital infrastructure in the Lower Mainland.
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Funding: MITACS Accelerate with Bush, Bohlman & Partners
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2018
Enhancing model suitability analysis in catastrophe modelling.
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Funding: MITACS Accelerate with Guy Carpenter
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2018
University of British Columbia and University of Washington cross border collaborations in earthquake engineering.
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Funding: Cascadia Engagement Fund
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
Co-Investigators: M. Eberhard (University of Washington)
2018
Tall buildings study for the City and County of San Francisco
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Funding: Applied Technology Council
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2017-2020
Seismic assessment, retrofit strategies and policy implications for vulnerable existing steel buildings.
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Funding: US National Institute of Standards and Technology, Disaster Resilience Research Grant Program
Principal Investigator: G. Deierlein (Stanford University)
Co-Investigator: C. Molina Hutt
2015
Newton Research Fund to facilitate research exchanges between the UK and China.
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Funding: UK Royal Academy of Engineering
Principal Investigator: C. Molina Hutt​
Consulting Projects
2019-2020
Seismic Design of Vancouver’s New St. Paul’s Hospital
City of Vancouver, Vancouver, BC.
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C. Molina Hutt served as a specialist seismic consultant to support the City in the process of planning and executing Vancouver’s New St. Paul’s Hospital Design by providing expertise in multi-hazard vulnerability assessment and design approaches that mitigate risk.
2018
Applied Technology Council San Francisco Tall Buildings Study.
Applied Technology Council, Redwood City, CA.
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C. Molina Hutt was a specialist consultant on a project for San Francisco’s Office of Resilience and Capital Planning (City and County of San Francisco).
2017
United States Geological Survey: Haywired Earthquake Scenario.
Arup, San Francisco, CA.
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C. Molina Hutt was a specialist consultant on a project for the United States Geological Survey: Haywired Scenario - Tall Building Performance Study.
2016
Seismic Vulnerability of Pre-Northridge Tall Steel Moment Resisting Frames.
Risk Management Solutions, Newark, CA.
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C. Molina Hutt was a specialist consultant supporting Risk Management Solution’s update to their North America Seismic Vulnerability Module with a focus on Pre-Northridge Tall Steel Moment Resisting Frames.
2014
Save the Children’s Safer School Construction Program.
Save the Children, Haiti.
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C. Molina Hutt was a specialist consultant supporting the assessment of Save the Children’s Safer School Construction Program in Haiti.
Post-Earthquake Disaster Response & Reconnaissance
2017
United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team - Mexico 2017.
Structural Engineering Expert, United Nations.
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C. Molina Hutt was a member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team following the M7.1 earthquake on 19 September 2017.
2016
European Union Civil Protection Team - Ecuador 2016.
Structural Engineering Expert, European Union.
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C. Molina Hutt was a member of the European Union Civil Protection Team (EUCPT) deployed to Ecuador following the M7.8 Earthquake on 16 April 2016.
2016
Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team - Ecuador 2016.
Institution of Structural Engineers.
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C. Molina Hutt assisted in the organization of a reconnaissance mission to study the Muisne, Ecuador Earthquake of 16 April 2016
2013
Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team - Tohoku 2011.
Institution of Structural Engineers.
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C. Molina Hutt participated in a reconnaissance Mission to study the recovery two years after the Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 11th March 2011.