Introduction to OpenSees for Structural-Engineering Professionals
January 14, 2026; 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Silvia Mazzoni, Ph.D.
OpenSees for Structural-Engineering Professionals is a two-hour, practice-oriented introduction to nonlinear structural analysis using the OpenSees framework. Participants will learn how modern finite-element modeling concepts—materials, sections, geometric transformations, and beam-column formulations—translate directly into OpenSees’ scripting workflow. Through examples drawn from reinforced-concrete and steel systems, the webinar shows how axial–moment interaction, plastic-hinge formation, distributed plasticity, and fiber-section discretization influence both model fidelity and computational performance.
In addition to core modeling mechanics, the session will present the different ways engineers can run OpenSees, including the Tcl interpreter, the Python interpreter (OpenSeesPy), and hybrid workflows that blend interactive notebooks with scripted simulations. Participants will also see how these models scale from laptops to distributed high-performance computing (HPC) systems, enabling large, multi-record, or parametric studies to run efficiently across many processors.
Attendees will learn how to set up nodes, boundary conditions, loads, and recorders; how to choose between force-based and displacement-based elements; and how analysis procedures (Newton, Modified Newton, LoadControl, DispControl, Newmark, HHT) drive convergence behavior. The session concludes with practical modeling guidelines, common pitfalls, and a structured way of thinking—“THINK before you type”—to help engineers build transparent, defensible, and high-performance simulation models in OpenSees.
Speaker Bio
Silvia Mazzoni, PhD, is a structural and earthquake-engineering specialist and one of the core developers of the OpenSees framework. Her work over the past two decades has shaped how researchers and practitioners model nonlinear structural behavior, with contributions spanning material formulations, beam-column elements, fiber-section tools, and large-scale simulation workflows for research, design, and performance-based assessment. She has taught OpenSees worldwide—through universities, professional societies, and national research centers—helping bridge the gap between advanced computational modeling and day-to-day engineering practice. Silvia’s teaching emphasizes clarity, mechanics-first thinking, and building models that are as transparent as they are powerful. Silvia is also recognized for her foundational role in developing the NGA (Next Generation Attenuation) ground-motion portals, which dramatically expanded access to curated strong-motion data and have become standard tools in research, engineering practice, and seismic-risk studies worldwide. Her work in this space strengthened the connection between high-quality data, ground-motion selection, and structural simulation—enabling more reliable and transparent performance-based assessments.
Silvia Mazzoni, PhD, is a structural and earthquake-engineering specialist and one of the core developers of the OpenSees framework. Her work over the past two decades has shaped how researchers and practitioners model nonlinear structural behavior, with contributions spanning material formulations, beam-column elements, fiber-section tools, and large-scale simulation workflows for research, design, and performance-based assessment. She has taught OpenSees worldwide—through universities, professional societies, and national research centers—helping bridge the gap between advanced computational modeling and day-to-day engineering practice. Silvia’s teaching emphasizes clarity, mechanics-first thinking, and building models that are as transparent as they are powerful.
Silvia is also recognized for her foundational role in developing the NGA (Next Generation Attenuation) ground-motion portals, which dramatically expanded access to curated strong-motion data and have become standard tools in research, engineering practice, and seismic-risk studies worldwide. Her work in this space strengthened the connection between high-quality data, ground-motion selection, and structural simulation—enabling more reliable and transparent performance-based assessments.