Summary
I am a researcher, engineer, and educator currently working as Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London where I lead the Emerging Structural Technologies Research Group. I am the Director of Undergraduate Admissions for the MEng in Civil Engineering and the Departmental Postdoc Champion. I also organise the Structures Seminars.
My research is centred on improving the response of structures and structural systems to short-term and long-term stressors through emerging structural technologies. It spans the areas of structural mechanics, applied dynamics and structural design. I leverage innovative technological tools and state-of-the-art numerical and experimental techniques to provide solutions to a wide range of engineering questions. Of particular interest are engineering problems arising in extreme or hostile environments such as earthquake-prone areas and extra-terrestrial settings; including the development, design and implementation of passive, semi-active and other protective strategies – my group has made contributions in all these areas. A list of publications can be found in the tab above or in Scopus. My research has received several prizes including the Tso Kung Hsieh Research Award from the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Structures Best Research Paper Prize from the Institution of Structural Engineers and the Unwin Prize from Imperial College London.
Having practiced for several years in large and small infrastructure projects in Latin America, I am continuously involved in specialised consultancy internationally, including providing expert advice on the causes of failure of major infrastructure projects. I also serve on a number of committees related to international code development and the advancement of engineering practice.
LINKS:
Scopus | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
Teaching
I am engaged in teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and have contributed to courses internationally in Europe, Latin America, and the UK. I have received a Commendation for Excellence in Structural Engineering Education from the IStructE and students from my group have won many departmental and national awards. A more up to date page including the teaching material developed in the EmergStructTech Group can be found here.
Videos & Media
- Disasters Engineered Episodes 7 & 8 (TV Series 2019, Discovery Channel)
- Mexico earthquake: Why did only some buildings collapse? (BBC)
- VIDEO: Interview for HispanTV: Living with earthquakes
- What makes Mexico City so vulnerable to earthquakes? (Archinet)
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Seismic Shift: Is CLT the answer for earthquake zones? (The Possible, WSP Magazine)
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Maqdah J, Memarzadeh M, Kampas G, et al., 2023, AI-aided exploration of lunar arch forms under in-plane seismic loading, Acta Mechanica, ISSN:0001-5970, Pages:1-17
Zhang Y, Thiers-Moggia R, Málaga-Chuquitaype C, 2023, Impact and clutch nonlinearities in the seismic response of inerto-rocking systems, Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering, Vol:21, ISSN:1570-761X, Pages:1713-1745
Málaga‐Chuquitaype C, McLean T, Kalapodis N, et al., 2022, Optimal arch forms under in‐plane seismic loading in different gravitational environments, Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, Vol:51, ISSN:0098-8847
Malaga Chuquitaype C, 2022, Machine learning in structural design: an opinionated review, Frontiers in Built Environment, Vol:8, ISSN:2297-3362
Málaga-Chuquitaype C, 2021, Strong-motion duration and response scaling of yielding and degrading eccentric structures, Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, Vol:50, ISSN:0098-8847, Pages:635-654