6. Conclusions

The brief overview we have just given of the various aspects of earthquake engineering shows that this is a rapidly evolving, multi-disciplinary technique which, in some areas, is more of an "art" than a science. There is, however, a clear trend towards a more rational approach, in which the indispensable use of experimental data is part of the quest to understand physical phenomena. The result is a growing specialization of those involved, and an evolution of regulations in the direction of complexity.

The so-called third-generation codes, now adopted or in the process of being adopted in most of the countries concerned by seismic risk, will probably not escape the usual reproaches in the name of sacrosanct simplicity in the initial phase of their application. They do, however, have the merit of better presenting the rather complex approach, often misunderstood...