The Consortium of Organization for Strong Motion Observation Systems (COSMOS) will be holding its Annual Meeting and Technical Session at the Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville, California on Friday, November 22nd. The Hilton Garden Inn is conveniently located at 1800 Powell Street, one block west of the I-80 Freeway. A complimentary bus service (called Emery Go-Round) runs from the MacArthur BART Station to the Hilton Garden Inn (see www.emerygoround.com for schedule details). This year’s Technical Session is again being cosponsored by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Center (PEER) and the California Geological Survey (CGS). Registration for the Technical Session will begin at 7:30 AM (with coffee and pastries). The Technical Session will begin promptly at 8:30 AM and with a lunch break at noon. The COSMOS Annual meeting will start at 12:30 PM and adjourn at 1:00 PM. The Technical Session will then reconvene and end at 5:00 PM. As in previous years, it will then be followed by a no-host cocktail hour.

This year’s Technical Session will focus on two subjects. The first subject is Simulated Design Ground Motions and Are We Ready to Use Them? and the second subject is Developing Site Specific Risk-Targeted MCE Design Ground Motions that Satisfy 2012 IBC/2013 CBC Requirements. Updates will also be provided on the COSMOS VDC, the Center for Engineering Strong Motion Data, and proposed changes to Site Factors for ASCE 7-2016. As in years past, the last part of the Technical Session will include a lively panel session. Registration fees are $200 for COSMOS and PEER members and $240 for nonmembers, and include a continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments. There is also a special reduced student rate of $40.

For more information, see the cosmos-eq website