The Research Group GRISS-UTPL is conformed by professors, researchers and students of the technical area of the Particular Technical University of Loja (UTPL) with collaboration of extern researchers, nationals and internationals. This multi-disciplinary group was conformed due the necessity to investigate about seismic phenomena in Ecuador, the vulnerability of his buildings and his population impact by the earthquakes. This knowledge will allow give the effective solutions to get better the professional quality of the region’s technicians, also get better the condition life of the population. In consequence our greater motivation is help to resolve the troubles of the society through the generation of the scientific knowledge and the coordinate work between interdisciplinary teams.

The Research group are frame with the academic domain: planning, design and evaluation of sanitation infrastructures, road and the civil works structures and the investigation line: planning and civil infrastructure management. Under this guidelines the GRISS-UTPL includes the following research axes:

     1. Seismic Protection Systems
     2. Seismic Risk in civil building
     3. Dynamic Response of soils and effects of the site.
     4. Monitoring of seismic activity.
     5. Analysis and Dynamic Simulation of civil structures.

To develop the research lines, our team have a Virtual Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering (VLEE), this laboratory have been developed like a tool to investigation and education of Seismic Engineering. This laboratory was created in 2008 by Dr. Vinicio Suárez and his collaborators, then it was actualized with the project PY2021-UTPL in the year 2016 by Mgtr.. Edwin Duque and his collaborators. Also, the GRISS-UTPL have equipment that allow register the acceleration of the soil (MR2002-E). This equipment were acquired though the project “Strengthening for the area of Geology and Mines of the UTPL” in the year 2009, this project was funded by Ministry of Industries and Productivity (MIPRO).

The GRISS-UTPL organizational model is based in the knowledge management and hypertext organization, the hypertext organization is a network organizational structure, that can create new alternatives of electronic relation and interaction trough of the telematics webs, it can be internally with its members and whit their environment too (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995).

This structure allow use the sources more efficient, also it promote that each member of the group can strengthen their capacities permanently and as a team.