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Chris Roth is Associate Professor at the University of Pretoria and a civil engineer with many years experience in advanced structural analyses. These include building, vehicle, and railway structures.

After graduating from the University of Stellenbosch with a BEng degree in civil engineering, he worked at BKS before studying abroad from 1995-2001 and completing MS and PhD degrees at Cornell University in the USA.  His research was on methods for dynamic sensitivity analysis of structures subjected to earthquakes. On his return to South Africa he worked in the Advanced Technologies division of BKS for several years before joining the University of Pretoria.

He is a registered Professional Engineer, a Fellow of the South African Institute of Civil Engineering (SAICE), and chairman of the SAICE Finance and Administration Committee. He also serves on other SAICE and SANS committees.

Current teaching duties:

• SJJ 210 Professional and Technical Communication
• SIN 223 Structural Analysis
• SIN 311 Structural Analysis
• SIN 777 Structural Mechanics
• SIN 790 Structural Analysis
• Supervising Masters and PhD students
• Supervising undergraduate final year research project students (SSC412)

Current Research interests

• Computer analysis of structures
• Structural reliability
• Earthquake engineering
• Finite element analysis
• Bus structures
• Dynamic analysis of foundations
• Dynamic analysis of railway systems

Publications list  (Google Scholar profile)

Current research students:

PhD Students:

Renier Cloete

Masters Degree Students:

Jojo Mpumbu

Rahel Shibeshi

Previous students:

Wayne Jackson

Edward Kyle

Publications in peer-reviewed or refereed journals

1. Roth, C., and Grigoriu, M., 2010. Applications of Response Sensitivity Analysis in Earthquake Engineering. Journal of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering 52(2), 12-18.
2. Roth, C., 1999. Logic Tree Analysis of Secondary Nonstructural Systems with Independent Components. Earthquake Spectra 15(3), 385-395.
3. Mosalam, K., Ayala, G., White, R. and Roth, C., 1997. Seismic Fragility of LRC Frames with and without Masonry Infill Walls. Journal of Earthquake Engineering 1(4), 693-720.
4. Roth, C., Bird, W. and Martin, J., 1995. Internal Variable Formulations for the Plastic Analysis of Plane Frames. Engineering Structures 17(3), 214-220.

Non-refereed publications or popular articles

1. Mbawalla, S., Heymann, G., Roth, C. and Heyns, P, 2011. Numerical modelling of wave propagation in ground using non-reflecting boundaries. 2011 African Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Maputo, Mozambique
2. Roth, C., 2008. Use of the Weibull Distribution to Predict Rail Defect Occurrence Rates. International Federation of Operational Research Societies 18^th Triennial Conference, Sandton, South Africa.
3. Roth, C., 1999. Logic Tree Analysis of Secondary Nonstructural Systems with Independent Components. Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA. Included as winner of the Student Paper Competition