Shaking Up 2026: Why Your Support Matters

Established in 2011, the Cal Seismic Design Team is one of the nine Civil & Environmental Engineering competition teams at UC Berkeley. Each year, we design and fabricate a 5-foot-tall balsa wood tower and simulate real-life earthquakes on it using a shake table. To optimize the tower, we use SAP2000 to analyze the seismic performance of various designs before constructing and testing the physical model. Rhino helps us create clean structural and architectural 3D models to present to judges. Together, we collaborate throughout the year and travel to various locations to showcase our tower’s structural, architectural, and geotechnical components at the international Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition hosted by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI).

In 2026, our team will travel to Portland, Oregon, for a special summer edition of this international competition, which brings together undergraduate teams from around the world. At the event, teams present and defend the architectural, structural, and geotechnical design of their towers to practicing engineers and faculty, then watch their models shake on the table in front of peers and professionals. For many of our members—especially first-generation and low-income students—this trip becomes a first opportunity to connect directly with the earthquake engineering community they hope to join and to see themselves thriving in that space.

Your support helps bring this experience within reach for as many students as possible. Around 20% of funds will go toward Spring 2026 design and build costs: purchasing balsa wood, adhesives, and software licenses that students use to model, iterate on, and refine their tower. The remaining 80% will support Summer 2026 travel to Portland—covering tower transport, competition registration fees, lodging, meals, and other essentials that make the trip possible. Instead of sending only a small skeleton group, this funding allows our whole team to share the experience, learn together, and proudly represent UC Berkeley on an international stage.

If the fundraising goal is met, we can send a full, inclusive delegation of about 30 active members to the competition. If the goal is exceeded, additional funds will be used to strengthen prototyping and testing for future seasons, ensuring that next year’s students inherit better tools, data, and design lessons. If the goal is not fully reached, every dollar raised will still directly reduce student out-of-pocket costs and increase the number of members who are able to attend and compete.

Supporting Cal Seismic means investing in the next generation of engineers who will design safer buildings and more resilient communities. A gift does more than cover wood, glue, or plane tickets—it creates moments of discovery, confidence, and belonging that students carry into their careers and lives. Thank you for taking the time to learn about our team and for considering a gift to help Cal Seismic students grow, compete, and keep shaking things (safely) in Portland.

Contact Us
Email: calseismicteam@gmail.com
Website: seismicatberkeley.com
Instagram: @calseismic