Lisa Tobber

Assistant Professor

Civil, Indigenous Knowledges, School of Engineering
Other Titles: Principal’s Research Chairs (PRC) Tier 2 – Disaster-Resilient Buildings & BC Housing Professorship in Resilient Reinforced Concrete Buildings
Email: lisa.tobber@ubc.ca

Graduate student supervisor


Research Summary

Structural engineering; tall buildings; seismic design of precast concrete; disaster-resilient buildings; reinforced concrete buildings; precast concrete buildings

Courses & Teaching

ENGR 414 / APSC514 Precast Concrete Structures
APSC 261 Theory of Structures

Biography

Dr. Lisa Tobber is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia’s School of Engineering. She is a member of the National Model Code Committee on Seismic Design, where she helps shape Canada’s seismic provisions. She works extensively with engineering firms, precast producers, and housing organizations to ensure that new research translates directly into practice and improves the safety and resilience of Canadian buildings.

Her research combines large-scale experimental testing and advanced numerical modeling to develop practical solutions for reinforced and precast concrete buildings. She focuses on new structural technologies, seismic systems, and connection details that enhance performance while meeting the realities of construction.

As a lead of the Advanced Structural Simulation and Experimental Testing (ASSET) Group, Dr. Tobber directs projects on precast wall systems, ductile connections, and energy dissipation devices, linking laboratory innovation to system-level design and code development. She is a Peter Wall Fellow and holds the positions of Principal’s Research Chair in Disaster-Resilient Buildings and BC Housing Professor in Resilient Reinforced Concrete Buildings.

Websites

Advanced Structural Simulation & Experimentation Group

Build Better Research Cluster

2025 Peter Wall Legacy Award Recipient

Degrees

PhD – (Structural Engineering) University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
BASc – (Civil Engineering) University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Research Interests & Projects

  • Structural engineering
  • Tall and supertall buildings
  • Seismic design of precast and reinforced concrete buildings
  • Disaster- and climate-resilient buildings
  • Precast concrete systems and connections
  • Large-scale experimental testing
  • Advanced numerical simulation (OpenSees, nonlinear analysis)
  • Earthquake engineering
  • Energy dissipation and damping devices
  • Innovative structural systems

 

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