Ir. P.A. (Paul) Korswagen Eguren

Ir. P.A. (Paul) Korswagen Eguren

Profile

I grew up in Peru where I later graduated from civil engineering at the PUCP and worked in structural design at an engineering firm that was dedicated to the seismic-resistant design of buildings.
In 2014, I came to Delft and finished a MSc in hydraulic structures focused on the probabilistic analysis of damage to structures. During these studies I also was part of the first Hyperloop student dream-team.
In subsequent years, I have helped to investigate crack-based damage in masonry structures at the TU Delft.

Research
The initiation, extension and lengthening of cracks can be viewed as an aggravation of damage. Experiments monitored with high-resolution Digital Image Correlation can help us understand crack progression, from initiation to (repetitive) propagation. Finite Element Method models can extrapolate cracking behaviour from experiments into real-world situations where pre-existing damage on buildings becomes aggravated. This is the case of old masonry buildings in Groningen that combine settlement-induced damage with earthquake vibrations.

A probabilistic analysis of building parameters, such as their geometry and material, and environment or context parameters, such as the type of soil and the history of vibrations, can be used to determine the probability of visible, aesthetic damage, or more serious structural damage. The fragility of buildings against vibration hazards can be used to prioritise repair or strengthening campaigns.

In the Netherlands, building and infrastructure fragility due to hazards such as floods, mining, climate-change-induced changes in the soil, and geothermal energy, among many, will become more relevant in the future.
 

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Expertise

Publications

Courses 2024

Courses 2023

Ancillary activities