International Society for Lifeline Earthquake Engineering and Infrastructure

Sec.1 The name of this organization shall be the International InstituteSociety of Lifeline and Infrastructure Earthquake Engineering (ISLIEE), designated hereinafter as the Society.

Sec.2 The address of the Society shall be that of its current secretariat, headed by the Executive Director, is located unless otherwise designated by the Board of Managing Directors.

Sec.3 The Society is an international non-governmental and non-profit professional organization formulated by individual lifeline and infrastructure earthquake engineering professionals worldwide. The purpose of the Society is to promote education and international collaboration on reduction and mitigation of seismic risks and hazards to lifeline and infrastructure systems; to foster fellowship and cooperation among its members by organizing conferences and publications for its members; to maintain a central point of reference in order to enhance the international collaboration and development in lifeline and infrastructure engineering research and practice.

Sec,4 The Society defines lifeline systems as: water, wastewater, inundation protection, transportation, gas and liquid fuels, electric power, and telecommunication systems. Transportation systems include roads and highways, ports (sea and air) and harbors, rail, and other transport systems and critical components in which communities are dependent upon. Lifeline systems make up a specific subset of infrastructure within a much larger set of infrastructure systems. The Society only intends to focus on the lifeline subset of infrastructure systems.

Sec.5 The Society shall be registered in the United States as a not-for-profit Corporation.

Sec.1 There have been six symposiums on lifeline earthquake engineering among researchers from China, Japan and the US that started in 1990 in Beijing, China. The Sixth symposium was held in Chengdu, China from May 28 to June 1, 2013. The Symposium attracted 154 participants, consisting of 10 delegates representing the United States, 13 from Japan, and 131 from China. The Symposium included participants from three additional countries including New Zealand, Turkey, and Canada. The Beijing University of Technology, China, organized and hosted this sixth Symposium and co-organized in collaboration with Kanazawa University, Japan and the University of Southern California, USA. Professor Xiuli Du of Beijing University of Technology took the role of chief organizer, and Professor Masakatsu Miyajima of Kanazawa University and Dr. Craig A. Davis of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (acting as representative for the University of Southern California) served as coordinators for Japan and US, respectively. Various researches and practitioners from China, Japan, and the US helped organize and participated the previous symposiums over the past 23 years.

Sec.2 Lifeline earthquake engineering is well defined in developed countries such as the United States, Japan, New Zealand and includes water, wastewater, inundation protection, transportation, gas and liquid fuels, electric power, and telecommunication systems as described in Article I Section 4. However, in developing countries there is a limited understanding of the term “lifeline earthquake engineering,” for example in the Chinese technical community. In China, lifeline earthquake engineering primarily refers to piping systems, such as water and sewer. This cultural difference in definition limits the participation and advancement of the lifeline earthquake engineering field within China and other developing countries. In China the non-pipeline networks primarily fall into the field of “infrastructure earthquake engineering.” To help foster international lifeline earthquake development and the needed lifeline technical advancements in China and other developing countries the Society uses the term infrastructure and considers “infrastructure” to be corollary with “lifeline” and defined as in Article I Section 4.

Sec.3 To foster further international development in lifeline earthquake engineering, a suggestion was made to create an international society for lifeline and infrastructure engineering based in the United States, and include group members from Asian-Pacific Countries. This is intended to enhance the international collaboration and development in lifeline and infrastructure engineering research and practice.

Sec.1 The membership of the Society shall be those organizations that support the purposes of the Society intellectually, practically and financially. Members will come from one of four categories:

Sec.2 Relevant reputable leaders and/or experts in the member organization may wish to attend the Steering Committee and the Board of Representatives, to give advices and suggestions to the Society for management.

Sec.3 A supporting country is a country with at least five members actively involved in the Society activities.

Sec.1 Board of representatives shall be composed of those from the Member organizations, which will meet in person or through video conference at least annually.

Sec.2 The Board of Representatives shall be composed of representatives of the Member organizations. Each Member organization shall designate one Representative. In the absence of a Member's Representative from any meeting of the Board of Representatives, an alternative representative from the member organization should attend the meeting and execute all the rights, powers and privileges of the absent Representative. Alternatively, the Representative may delegate his/her rights, powers and privileges to another Member of the Society for that particular meeting, or authorize him/her to act and vote on his/her behalf.

Sec.3 The Board of Representatives shall:

Sec.4 Voting will be decided on a simple majority of the attending Board of Representatives. A ballot is only valid if at least one half of all Board of Representatives votes. Each Board of Representatives shall have one vote.

Sec.1 The steering committee of the Board shall consist of the President, a Vice President from each supporting country, the Executive Director, the Treasurer, the Managing Directors and the immediate past president who are defined as officers of the Society. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Representatives and the Steering Committee, and shall perform such other duties and execute such other powers as shall be assigned by the Board of Representatives. The Vice Presidents shall assist the President and in his absence preside at meetings and execute the powers of the President in his place. The Executive Director, except as otherwise provided by the Steering Committee, shall execute contracts and agreements with external parties on behalf of the Society. Upon an approval of the Steering Committee, the Executive Director may appoint secretaries, working groups or committees to assist in undertaking the action items of the Society. The Treasurer shall collect and receive and have charge and custody of the funds and securities of the Society. A financial statement shall be prepared at the end of each calendar year and submitted to the Steering Committee and subject to audit by two authorized auditors appointed by the Steering Committee. The Managing Directors shall consist of the Executive Director and other directors nominated by the Steering Committee and approved by the Board of Representatives.

Sec.2 The Steering Committee reports to the Board of Representatives. It oversees the operations of the Society and recommends the direction and priorities of the Society to the Board of Representatives.

Sec.3 The Steering Committee shall meet in person or through teleconference as often as necessary and at least annually. Its responsibilities include:

Sec.4 Election and Terms of Officers The President shall be elected by the Board of Representatives, and hold office for a term of four years, beginning from January 1st of the year following the meeting of the Board of Representatives at which he or she has been elected. The President may be re-elected but may not hold the same office for more than two consecutive terms. The Vice Presidents, the Executive Director, the Treasurer shall be nominated by the President and approved by the Board of Representatives. The Managing Directors shall be nominated by the Vice Presidents and Executive Director and approved by the Board of Representatives. The Executive Director and the managing directors may be re-elected for no more than three consecutive terms.

Sec.1 The Secretariat is responsible for daily operation of the Society. It is composed of the Executive Director, the Treasurer, and two to four other secretarial members. The secretariat reports to the Steering Committee and prepares annual work plan, annual budget and financial report, annual administrative report to the Steering Committee and dissemination of information.

Sec.1 The funds of the Society are obtained from membership fees from member organizations; funds from sponsors; donations; funds for research and investigation projects which are requested by third parties and accepted by the Society.

Sec.2 Membership fees will be paid annually.

Sec.1 China-Japan-US Trilateral Symposium on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering shall be organized about every three (3) years. The symposium may be extended into an International Conference on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering if approved by the Board of Representatives to reflect the extension of member organizations from more countries.

Sec.2 The Board may approve the Symposium to be titled “China-Japan-US Trilateral Symposium on Lifeline and Infrastructure Earthquake Engineering” in the Chinese language and other languages where the term “infrastructure” is used to expand their understanding of the lifelines systems as defined in Article 1 Section 4. When using “Infrastructure” in the symposium title there must be clear descriptions to identify infrastructure is limited to the definition in Article I Section 4 and not overlap with detailed building, industrial, or general geotechnical and structural design or research. Clear definitions will help the Society focus on its primary objectives.

Sec.3 As-needed workshops may be held at the supporting countries by a member organization, to exchange prompt technical information following an earthquake, or to train young researches and practitioners for professional development.

Sec.1 Proposals to amend this Bylaw may be petitioned by the President, by one-third of the Board of Representatives or by a petition signed by at least ten (10) members.

Sec.2 Any amendments to the Bylaws shall be made by mail or electronic ballot only and an affirmation vote of two-thirds of all ballots cast shall be necessary for the adoption of any amendment to this Bylaw.

Sec.3 Amendments adopted shall take effect immediately after adoption unless otherwise indicated in the amendment.

Hu Yuxian (Society of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration, China)

Shiro Takada (Emeritus Professor, Kobe University)

Masaru Kitaura (Kanazawa University, Japan)

Thomas O’Rourke (Cornell University, USA)

Jean-Pierre Bardet (University of Texas at Arlington)

Du Xiuli (Dean of School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, China)

Masakatsu Miyajima (Professor of Kanazawa University, Japan)

Masakatsu Miyajima (Geotechnical Engineering Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, USA)

Endi Zhai (Vice President, Kleinfelder, Inc. USA)

Jianping Hu (Geotechnical Design Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, USA)

10 from China to be nominated by Prof. Du

5 from Japan to be nominated by Prof. Miyajima

3 from USA to be nominated by Dr. Davis