Biography

Carlos Molina Hutt leads the Engineering for Seismic Resilience Laboratory (ESR Lab) at UBC. Their work focuses on the development of methodological approaches to assess seismic risk in buildings and its implications on urban resilience, and on the translation of this knowledge into tools and information for use by practicing engineers, seismic planners and policy makers. Their goal is to enable seismic policy decision-making with explicit consideration of the societal and economic impacts of the performance of the built environment during major earthquakes.

Carlos Molina Hutt joined the Civil Engineering Department at UBC as Assistant Professor in January 2018 from University College London (UCL), where he was a lecturer. He has degrees in Earthquake Engineering (UCL, PhD, 2017), Structural Engineering (Stanford University, MSc, 2009) and Civil Engineering (Villanova University, BSc, 2007). During his PhD studies, Carlos was a visiting scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China (2015-2016). Prior to his PhD, he worked as a structural engineer at Arup New York from 2009 to 2013.

​Carlos is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of California in the US and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP). He is also a Chartered Engineer (CEng) Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in the UK. Carlos has experience as an independent consultant and has worked for civil engineering design firms, the humanitarian sector and the insurance and reinsurance sectors. He also provides structural engineering expertise to the European Union and the United Nations and has deployment experience as a technical expert following damaging earthquakes, including Mexico in 2017 and Ecuador in 2016. In 2019, Carlos received the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) – Shah Family Innovation Prize, which rewards younger professionals and academics for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit in the field of earthquake risk mitigation and management.

​His research has been funded by Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada’s Tri-council New Frontiers in Research Fund, the US Geological Survey, the Applied Technology Council, the US National Institute for Standards and Technology or the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, among others. He actively engages in research collaborations with industry (e.g. Risk Management Solutions, Guy Carpenter, Arup, Glotman Simpson and Bush, Bohlman & Partners), researchers at other academic institutions (Stanford University, University of Washington and Tsinghua University), and cities (including the City and County of San Francisco and the City of Vancouver).

Research Interests

Earthquake engineering, performance-based seismic design, seismic resilience, risk analysis, high-rise buildings, innovative structural systems.

Courses

CIVL 331 Steel and Timber Design

CIVL 432 Advanced Structural Steel Design

CIVL 506 Seismic Design of Structures

Awards & Recognitions

• 2021, US National Science Foundation Travel Award, Faculty at University of Texas, San Antonio.
• 2019, Shah Family Innovation Prize, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
• 2015, Global Engagement Award, University College London
• 2014, Teaching Innovation Award, University College London
• 2007, John A. Blume Fellowship, Stanford University
• 2007, The College of Engineering Medallion, Villanova University
• 2007, Dean’s Awards for Academic Excellence, Villanova University
• 2003, Presidential Scholarship, Villanova University
• 2007, Dean’s Award for Meritorious Service, Villanova University
• 2016-Present, Technical Expert in Structural Engineering, UK Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies

Publications

• A. Eksir Monfared, Molina Hutt, C., Kakoty, P., Kourehpaz, P., and Centeno, J., “Effects of the Georgia Sedimentary Basin on the Response of Modern Tall RC Shear-Wall Buildings to M9 Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes”, Journal of Structural Engineering, vol. 147, no. 8, p. 05021003, 2021.
• C. Molina Hutt, Zahedimazandarani, S., Marafi, N. A., Berman, J. W., and Eberhard, M. O., “Collapse risk of pre-Northridge tall steel moment-resisting frames in the Seattle basin during large-magnitude subduction earthquakes”, Engineering Structures, vol. 244, p. 112751, 2021.
• P. Kakoty, Dyaga, S. Mithra, and Molina Hutt, C., “Impacts of simulated M9 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes considering amplifications due to the Georgia sedimentary basin on reinforced concrete shear wall buildings”, Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, vol. 50, pp. 237-256, 2021.
• P. Kourehpaz, Molina Hutt, C., Marafi, N. A., Berman, J. W., and Eberhard, M. O., “Estimating economic losses of midrise reinforced concrete shear wall buildings in sedimentary basins by combining empirical and simulated seismic hazard characterizations”, Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, vol. 50, pp. 26-42, 2021.
• C. Molina Hutt, Hulsey, A. M., Kakoty, P., Deierlein, G. G., A. Monfared, E., Yen, W. Y., and Hooper, J. D., “Towards functional recovery performance in the seismic design of modern tall buildings.”, Earthquake Spectra, 2021.
• X. Ji, Cheng, Y., and Molina Hutt, C., “Seismic response of a tuned viscous mass damper (TVMD) coupled wall system”, Engineering Structures, vol. 225, p. 111252, 2020.
• X. Ji and Molina Hutt, C., “Seismic design and application of hybrid coupled walls with replaceable steel coupling beams in high‐rise buildings”, The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings, vol. 29, no. 8, 2020.
• C. Molina Hutt, Rossetto, T., and Deierlein, G. G., “Comparative risk-based seismic assessment of 1970s vs modern tall steel moment frames”, Journal of Constructional Steel Research, vol. 159, pp. 598 – 610, 2019.
• C. Molina Hutt, Scorer, M., and Macabuag, J., “Opportunities for civil engineers to minimize and manage the effects of disasters”, Civil Engineering, vol. 4, no. 171, p. 151, 2018.
• X. Ji, Liu, D., Ya, S., and Molina Hutt, C., “Seismic performance evaluation of a high-rise building with novel hybrid coupled walls.”, Engineering Structures, no. 169, pp. 216-225, 2018.
• A. Goretti, Molina Hutt, C., and Hedelung, L., “Post-Earthquake safety evaluation of buildings in Portoviejo, Manabí following the M7.8 coastal Ecuador earthquake of 16 April 2016.”, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, no. 24, pp. 271-283, 2017.
• X. Ji, Liu, D., Sun, Y., and Molina Hutt, C., “Seismic performance assessment of a hybrid coupled wall system with replaceable steel coupling beams versus traditional RC coupling beams”, Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 517 – 535, 2017.
• C. Molina Hutt, Almufti, I., Willford, M., and Deierlein, G., “Seismic Loss and Downtime Assessment of Existing Tall Steel-Framed Buildings and Strategies for Increased Resilience”, Journal of Structural Engineering, vol. 142, no. 8, 2016.

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