ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to graduate advisor, Dr. Ali Abolmaali for his guidance, support and motivation to achieve the highest level of performance and the best work possible. Also for teaching that one should never give up, that one should continue producing great work showing intellectual potential. I would also like to thank structural engineers, Dr. Juan Bolivar Fuentes and Francisco J. Acosta for their unconditional support and help to review this document and for all the suggestions to make this document one of high quality. Also, thanks to the Faculty and Administration of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at University of Texas at Arlington for making this effort possible during difficult times. I am thankful and grateful to my parents, Jorge Reyes and Mayra Montes, and my sister, Rachelle Seijo for all the support and help they have given me through all my life to achieve this academic level. I am also thankful to Gabriel Fuentes for all his unconditional support while I completed my master’s degree