DesignSafe Radio – Details, episodes & analysis

Interview with Oregon State University research engineer Erica Fischer. As wildfires increasingly affect communities and civil infrastructure, structural engineers apply their expertise in interdependent lifeline systems and structures. Fischer says engineers are primed to investigate “urban conflagrations” in all phases, including community adaptation and mitigation. She cites research findings from the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, CA, which led to valuable new understandings about water pipeline contamination.

University of Florida engineer Brian Phillips describes the procedure for installing the Sentinel mobile weather station directly on the beach. Assembly starts with drilling a 20-foot auger hole. Once the foundation is secure, the team raises the 33-foot carbon-steel-fiber mast, fully instrumented. The setup resists wind and wave impacts. During the hurricane, the station sends data in real time to servers at University of Florida. This year, the team deployed the Sentinel during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Thanks to NSF MRI funding, the team will continue improving the design and build several more Sentinels.

Rachel Davidson is a research engineer at the University of Delaware and principal investigator for the “Coastal Hazards Equity, Economic Prosperity, and Resilience Hub,” or CHEERHub. The five-year, $16M, NSF-funded, multi-disciplinary research network is tackling the complexity of coastal resilience by focusing on stakeholder decision making. Davidson introduces CHEER and explains why so many good ideas for managing disaster risks do not get implemented.

Learn more about the CHEERHub https://www.drc.udel.edu/cheer/

Read about the NHERI-CHEER partnership

https://www.designsafe-ci.org/community/news/2024/july/nheri-partners-cheer-hub-hurricane-decision-making-framework/

CHEERHub’s NSF award summary

https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2209190&HistoricalAwards=false

CHEERHub on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cheer-hub/posts/?feedView=all

Rachel Davidson is an accomplished academic and research engineer. Discover more about her career and work:

https://ccee.udel.edu/faculty/rachel-davidson/

The NHERI UC San Diego Experimental Facility is home to the large, high-performance shake table called “LHPOST.” Earthquake engineers use this huge outdoor facility at the UCSD Englekirk Structural Engineering Center to test the seismic behavior of full-scale structures. In the summer of 2021, LHPOST is in the final stages of a $16.3M upgrade that will enable its platen base to move with six degrees of freedom, simulating the full, three-dimensional range of earthquake ground motions: up and down, left and right, as well as pitch, roll, and yaw. In June 2021, DesignSafe Radio features Koorosh Lotfizadeh, PhD, operations manager at the UC San Diego facility. 

In this episode, Lotfizadeh discusses the evolution and the research capabilities of LHPOST6. This is the full interview episode with Koorosh Lotfizadeh. 

Related Links:

• LHPOST6 upgrade virtual tour - Professor Joel Conte, PI for NHERI at UC San Diego, provides an in-depth video tour of the LHPOST upgrade.
• Research article on LHPOST6 - Van Den Einde, L., Conte, J. P., Restrepo, J. I., Bustamante, R., Halvorson, M., Hutchinson, T. C., ... & Tsampras, G. (2020). NHERI @ UC San Diego 6-DOF Large High-Performance Outdoor Shake Table Facility. Frontiers in Built Environment, 6, 181.
• Details on the NHERI Tallwood Project - Tallwood PI is Shiling Pei, professor of engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.
• Tune in to the LHPOST6 webcams to see construction underway.
• Workshop discussion from Koorosh Lotfizadeh: Example uses of RAPID-like tools in large-scale experimental programs.

Listen to the podcast on the DesignSafe Radio website, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Interested in natural hazards research? Follow DesignSafe Radio on Facebook and Twitter.

The NHERI UC San Diego Experimental Facility is home to the large, high-performance shake table called “LHPOST.” Earthquake engineers use this huge outdoor facility at the UCSD Englekirk Structural Engineering Center to test the seismic behavior of full-scale structures. In the summer of 2021, LHPOST is in the final stages of a $16.3M upgrade that will enable its platen base to move with six degrees of freedom, simulating the full, three-dimensional range of earthquake ground motions: up and down, left and right, as well as pitch, roll, and yaw. In June 2021, DesignSafe Radio features Koorosh Lotfizadeh, PhD, operations manager at the UC San Diego facility. In three episodes, Lotfizadeh discusses the evolution and the research capabilities of LHPOST6.

In this episode, Lotfizadeh discusses the upcoming Tallwood project, the first to run on LHPOST6. This multi-faceted NSF-funded project is investigating the seismic behavior of tall wooden structures. On the shake table base, the research team will construct a full-scale,10-story, cross-laminated-timber building with a rocking wall. Lotfizadeh explains the purpose of non-structural payload projects, which are still available to arrange through principal investigator Shiling Pei, professor of engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.

Related Links:

• LHPOST6 upgrade virtual tour - Professor Joel Conte, PI for NHERI at UC San Diego, provides an in-depth video tour of the LHPOST upgrade.
• Research article on LHPOST6 - Van Den Einde, L., Conte, J. P., Restrepo, J. I., Bustamante, R., Halvorson, M., Hutchinson, T. C., ... & Tsampras, G. (2020). NHERI @ UC San Diego 6-DOF Large High-Performance Outdoor Shake Table Facility. Frontiers in Built Environment, 6, 181.
• Details on the NHERI Tallwood Project - Tallwood PI is Shiling Pei, professor of engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.
• Tune in to the LHPOST6 webcams to see construction underway.
• Workshop discussion from Koorosh Lotfizadeh: Example uses of RAPID-like tools in large-scale experimental programs.

Listen to the podcast on the DesignSafe Radio website, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Interested in natural hazards research? Follow DesignSafe Radio on Facebook and Twitter.

The NHERI UC San Diego Experimental Facility is home to the large, high-performance shake table called “LHPOST.” Earthquake engineers use this huge outdoor facility at the UCSD Englekirk Structural Engineering Center to test the seismic behavior of full-scale structures. In the summer of 2021, LHPOST is in the final stages of a $16.3M upgrade that will enable its platen base to move with six degrees of freedom, simulating the full, three-dimensional range of earthquake ground motions: up and down, left and right, as well as pitch, roll, and yaw. In June 2021, DesignSafe Radio features Koorosh Lotfizadeh, PhD, operations manager at the UC San Diego facility. In three episodes, Lotfizadeh discusses the evolution and the research capabilities of LHPOST6.

UCSD’s Koorosh Lotfizadeh explains the shake table upgrade, which will enable itto shake structures with six degrees of freedom.The newly named LHPOST6 can simulate subtle ground rotations, for example, which will provide new insights on inter-story drift, top-story displacements and the behavior of internal building components. Also, the new ability to test vertical motions will enable researchers to see “punching” action by building columns. Learn how the facility staff can help researchers plan funding proposals and testing protocols.

Related Links:

• LHPOST6 upgrade virtual tour - Professor Joel Conte, PI for NHERI at UC San Diego, provides an in-depth video tour of the LHPOST upgrade.
• Research article on LHPOST6 - Van Den Einde, L., Conte, J. P., Restrepo, J. I., Bustamante, R., Halvorson, M., Hutchinson, T. C., ... & Tsampras, G. (2020). NHERI @ UC San Diego 6-DOF Large High-Performance Outdoor Shake Table Facility. Frontiers in Built Environment, 6, 181.
• Details on the NHERI Tallwood Project - Tallwood PI is Shiling Pei, professor of engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.
• Tune in to the LHPOST6 webcams to see construction underway.
• Workshop discussion from Koorosh Lotfizadeh: Example uses of RAPID-like tools in large-scale experimental programs.

Listen to the podcast on the DesignSafe Radio website, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. 

Interested in natural hazards research? Follow DesignSafe Radio on Facebook and Twitter.

The NHERI UC San Diego Experimental Facility is home to the large, high-performance shake table called “LHPOST.” Earthquake engineers use this huge outdoor facility at the UCSD Englekirk Structural Engineering Center to test the seismic behavior of full-scale structures. In the summer of 2021, LHPOST is in the final stages of a $16.3M upgrade that will enable its platen base to move with six degrees of freedom, simulating the full, three-dimensional range of earthquake ground motions: up and down, left and right, as well as pitch, roll, and yaw. In June 2021, DesignSafe Radio features Koorosh Lotfizadeh, PhD, operations manager at the UC San Diego facility. In three episodes, Lotfizadeh discusses the evolution and the research capabilities of LHPOST6.

Koorosh Lotfizadeh introduces LHPOST, the nation’s largest shake table. He describes its components, its sophisticated machinery, and the advantages of an outdoor shake table—including the ability to use drones and GPS monitoring and to conduct fire tests. Lotfizadeh explains LHPOSTS testing capabilities, which include LiDAR, soil boxes, and hybrid simulation, and he describes the broad range of full-scale specimens that can be constructed and tested on the shake table.

Related Links:

• LHPOST6 upgrade virtual tour - Professor Joel Conte, PI for NHERI at UC San Diego, provides an in-depth video tour of the LHPOST upgrade.
• Research article on LHPOST6 - Van Den Einde, L., Conte, J. P., Restrepo, J. I., Bustamante, R., Halvorson, M., Hutchinson, T. C., ... & Tsampras, G. (2020). NHERI @ UC San Diego 6-DOF Large High-Performance Outdoor Shake Table Facility. Frontiers in Built Environment, 6, 181.
• Details on the NHERI Tallwood Project- Tallwood PI is Shiling Pei, professor of engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.
• Tune in to the LHPOST6 webcams to see construction underway.
• Workshop discussion from Koorosh Lotfizadeh: Example uses of RAPID-like tools in large-scale experimental programs.

Listen to the podcast on the DesignSafe Radio website, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Interested in natural hazards research? Follow DesignSafe Radio on Facebook and Twitter.

On this episode of DesignSafe Radio, we speak with Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein, SimCenter educator and research associate professor of engineering at the University of Washington. Mackenzie-Helnwein and Frank McKenna, chief technology officer at the SimCenter, lead the popular SimCenter bootcamps. The courses teach programming techniques to natural hazards engineers—techniques such as automating data analysis and performing simulations.Accurate and detailed natural hazards simulations are crucial data for governments to make informed decisions about the security of their city or state.

Please enjoy the full interview with NHERI SimCenter’s Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein. Check out the following links below for more information on the NHERI SimCenter and how you can subscribe to DesignSafe Radio for future episodes. 

“What we really tried to do is to create the sense of community, to create the sense of collaboration while learning because that seems to keep people engaged.”

- Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein

Links for more information on the NHERI SimCenter:

• NHERI SimCenter
• SimCenter’s New R2D Simulation Tool 
• Learn more about the SimCenter Bootcamp
• Follow the SimCenter on Facebook & Twitter

Connect with Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein:

• LinkedIn

Listen to the podcast on the DesignSafe Radio website, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. 

Interested in natural hazards research? Follow DesignSafe Radio on Facebook & Twitter.

On this episode of DesignSafe Radio, we speak with Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein, SimCenter educator and research associate professor of engineering at the University of Washington. Mackenzie Helnwein and Frank McKenna, chief technology officer at the SimCenter, lead the popular SimCenter bootcamps. The courses teach programming techniques to natural hazards engineers—techniques such as automating data analysis and performing simulations.Accurate and detailed natural hazards simulations are crucial data for governments to make informed decisions about the security of their city or state.

The SimCenter’s Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein details ways engineers equipped with programming knowledge can simulate earthquake and wind damage—in specific areas, down to the street and building level. He explains how hazard simulations enable policy makers to make informed decisions, using the Seattle waterfront viaduct as an example.

"We tried to get these simulations to a speed where we could say 'we have possibly twenty four hours until the event' and by predicting where are the most difficult zones, where are high damage areas, immediately deploy supplies there, but do it a little bit smarter. Think of Hurricane Katrina, instead of reacting, to become proactive."

- Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein

Links for more information on the NHERI SimCenter:

• NHERI SimCenter
• SimCenter’s New R2D Simulation Tool 
• Learn more about the SimCenter Bootcamp
• Follow the SimCenter on Facebook & Twitter

Connect with Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein:

• LinkedIn

Listen to the podcast on the DesignSafe Radio website, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. 

Interested in natural hazards research? Follow DesignSafe Radio on Facebook & Twitter.

On this episode of DesignSafe Radio, we speak with Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein, SimCenter educator and research associate professor of engineering at the University of Washington. Mackenzie Helnwein and Frank McKenna, chief technology officer at the SimCenter, lead the popular SimCenter bootcamps. The courses teach programming techniques to natural hazards engineers—techniques such as automating data analysis and performing simulations.Accurate and detailed natural hazards simulations are crucial data for governments to make informed decisions about the security of their city or state.

The SimCenter’s Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein discusses the type of programming skills modern natural hazards engineers need, and how these skills differ from typical computer science skills.He also explains the importance of “community” when it comes to solving natural hazards engineering problems.

“I think this worked out so well. It made a difference that I haven't seen in any real classroom environment... and I think it created community.”

- Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein

Links for more information on the NHERI SimCenter:

• NHERI SimCenter
• SimCenter’s New R2D Simulation Tool 
• Learn more about the SimCenter Bootcamp
• Follow the SimCenter on Facebook & Twitter

Connect with Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein:

• LinkedIn

Listen to the podcast on the DesignSafe Radio website, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. 

Interested in natural hazards research? Follow DesignSafe Radio on Facebook & Twitter.