Ercan Yüksel

Prof. Dr. Ercan Yüksel is a full Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), College of Engineering. He has been a faculty member at ITU since 1990, progressing from Assistant Professor to Professor in 2017. His research focuses on earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, and numerical modeling, with applications in seismic design, energy dissipation, and structural health monitoring.

• PhD, Civil Engineering, Istanbul Technical University
• MS, Structural Engineering (with thesis), Istanbul Technical University
• BS, Civil Engineering, Istanbul Technical University

His research interests are centered on earthquake engineering, particularly seismic input energy analysis, energy dissipation systems, reinforced and precast concrete structures, and seismic isolation. He actively investigates the dynamic behavior of structures under earthquake loads and develops innovative solutions for improving structural resilience. His work integrates advanced numerical modeling with experimental validation.

Recent publications (2023–2025) highlight a strong focus on energy-based seismic design, performance of mechanical couplers, damping systems for high-voltage insulators, and fatigue behavior of railway tracks. These works are closely tied to real-world seismic events like the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake, demonstrating applied and impactful research.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Notable Work Award, Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), 2012
• Golden Beam Award, Turkish Prefabricated Association, 2011

Prof. Yüksel is an active Principal Investigator on multiple research projects funded by ITU’s BAP program, covering topics such as smart sleepers for railway monitoring, novel seismic input energy spectra, and earthquake isolation for racking systems. He has supervised numerous theses and is involved in professional organizations including UNESCO-IPRED and the Turkish Earthquake Foundation.

He leads research on structural health monitoring of ballasted railway lines using smart sleeper technology and is developing earthquake isolation systems for industrial storage racks. His lab integrates experimental testing with numerical simulation to validate new structural components under cyclic and biaxial loading.