The third annual Research Progress and Accomplishments report highlights MCEER's achievements in research and education during the past year. The papers in this volume highlight efforts in intelligent response and recovery, hospitals, water and gas pipelines, electric power networks, and bridges and highways.

Sixteen papers are included, with contributions from over 75 researchers, practitioners and students. Illustrating MCEER's multidisciplinary approach, these studies involve researchers from many different disciplines, working towards the creation of more earthquake resilient urban infrastructures systems. Papers in this year's volume are:

• Earthquake Motion Input and Its Dissemination Via the Internet by Apostolos S. Papageorgiou (Principal Author), Benedikt Halldorsson and Gang Dong

• Overcoming Obstacles to Implementation: Addressing Political, Institutional and Behavioral Problems in Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Policies by Daniel J. Alesch and William J. Petak (see article on page 3)

• Large Scale Experiments of Permanent Ground Deformation Effects on Steel Pipelines by Koji Yoshizaki, Thomas D. O'Rourke, Timothy Bond, James Mason and Masanori Hamada

• Experimental and Analytical Study of Base-Isolation for Electric Power Equipments by M. Ala Saadeghvaziri and Maria Q. Feng

• Recommended Changes to the AASHTO Specifications for the Seismic Design of Highway Bridges (NCHRP Project 12-49) by Ian M. Friedland, Ronald L. Mayes and Michel Bruneau

• Literature Review of the Observed Performance of Seismically Isolated Bridges by George C. Lee, Yasuo Kitane and Ian G. Buckle

• A Risk-Based Methodology for Assessing the Seismic Performance of Highway Systems by Stuart D. Werner (see article on page 7)

• Analysis, Testing and Initial Recommendations on Collapse Limit States of Frames by Darren Vian, Mettupalayam Sivaselvan, Michel Bruneau and Andrei M. Reinhorn

• Centrifuge-Based Evaluation of Pile Foundation Response to Lateral Spreading and Mitigation Strategies by Ricardo Dobry, Tarek H. Abdoun and Thomas D. O'Rourke

• Analysis and Design of Buildings with Added Energy Dissipation Systems by Michael C. Constantinou, Gary F. Dargush, George C. Lee (Coordinating Author), Andrei M. Reinhorn and Andrew S. Whittaker

• Using Cost-Benefit Analysis to Evaluate Mitigation for Lifeline Systems by Howard Kunreuther (Coordinating Author), Chris Cyr, Patricia Grossi and Wendy Tao · Retrofit Strategies For Hospitals in the Eastern United States by George C. Lee, Mai Tong and Yasuhide Okuyama

• Passive Site Remediation for Mitigation of Liquefaction Risk by Patricia M. Gallagher and James K. Mitchell

• Advanced GIS for Loss Estimation and Rapid Post-Earthquake Assessment of Building Damage by Thomas D. O'Rourke, Sang-Soo Jeon, Ronald T. Eguchi and Charles K. Huyck

• Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of the Ataturk International Airport Terminal Building by Michael C. Constantinou, Andrew S. Whittaker and Emmanuel Velivasakis

• Estimating Earthquake Losses for the Greater New York City Area by Andrea S. Dargush (Coordinating Author), Michael Augustyniak, George Deodatis, Klaus H. Jacob, George Mylonakis, Laura McGinty, Guy J.P. Nordenson, Daniel O'Brien, Scott Stanford, Bruce Swiren, Michael W. Tantala and Sam Wear

The full color report is available from the publications section of our web site in PDF format at http://mceer.buffalo.edu/ publications/resaccom/0001/default.asp. A limited number of black and white copies are available by contacting MCEER publications.