The Department of Structural Engineering is proud to highlight the accomplishments of alumni Claudio Sepulveda and Ricardo Bustamante. Both completed their Ph.D. studies at UC San Diego under the guidance of Professor Gilberto Mosqueda. Sepulveda is now an Assistant Professor at the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Chile, and Bustamante serves as a technical specialist at KPFF Los Angeles and lectures at the University of Valparaíso in Chile.
Together with Professor Mosqueda, they co-authored a newly published paper in the Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems (SPIE JATIS) detailing the development of a state-of-the-art seismic isolation system (SIS) for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) — a next-generation astronomical observatory to be built in Chile’s highly seismic Atacama Desert. The project was a collaborative effort between academia and industry, involving UC San Diego, IDOM Consulting, and the GMTO Corporation.
The SIS, designed to protect the GMT’s highly sensitive optical systems from earthquake-induced vibrations, combines friction pendulum bearings, viscous dampers, fuses, and a recentering mechanism. Using advanced nonlinear modeling in OpenSees and extensive prototype testing, the team validated the system’s ability to ensure both seismic resilience and the pinpoint stability required for astronomical observations.
This work showcases the powerful impact of cross-disciplinary collaboration and highlights the critical role that UC San Diego’s Structural Engineering researchers and alumni continue to play in advancing the frontiers of engineering design for critical infrastructure.