Past Home Page Stories: 2007
News
MCEER Expertise Sought Following Minnesota Bridge Collapse
MCEER’s expertise was sought out following July’s devastating collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jerry O’Connor, Senior Program Officer, Transportation Research, who has experience with bridge inspection, offered his perspective to a variety of local and national members of the media. He shared information on bridge safety and explained the most common causes of bridge failure (e.g. scour, steel fatigue, overload, collision...). Several of these factors are being studied as part of MCEER’s highway and bridge research which is expected to result in new, improved methods of bridge design.
Seismic Testing of A Self-Centering Post-Tensioned Steel Frame
A three-story steel frame incorporating innovative Post-Tensioned Energy Dissipating (PTED) connections was seismically tested on a shake table for the first time in the Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Laboratory (SEESL) at the University at Buffalo (UB) from March 19-23. The PTED steel system, unlike traditional welded steel frames, incorporates high strength post-tensioned bars along with sacrificial yielding elements in each beam-to-column connection and is particularly appealing for hospital buildings from an initial investment stand point. The tests, part of MCEER’s Hospital Project (Thrust Area 2), were conducted by UB Ph.D. student Dong Wang under the supervision of MCEER and SEESL Deputy Director Andre Filiatrault.
- The UB-SEESL website has video of the testing.
Remote Sensing Institute to Focus on Real World Applications
A new Remote Sensing Institute (RSI) will serve as a platform for developing and operationally implementing innovative multi-hazard techniques, strategies and products for rapidly assessing post-disaster impacts, modeling and quantifying the built environment, and monitoring recovery. Ron Eguchi, MCEER investigator and CEO of ImageCat, Inc., will serve as RSI Task Force team leader.
New Bridge and Highway Reports
Several new publications feature MCEER’s Highway Project research over the past decade. Topics include improved seismic design, evaluation and retrofit methodologies and strategies for new and existing bridges and other highway structures. The reports, which include manuals, guidelines and synthesis reports, are either newly available or will be released over the next few months.
Blind Analysis Contest
E-Defense has announced the 2007 Blind Analysis Contest, in which a full-scale four-story steel building will be tested to collapse on the world’s largest three-dimensional shake table, located in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The building will be shaken and collapsed from September 20-30, 2007, by applying a scaled version of near-fault motion recorded during the 1995 Kobe earthquake.
Participants will predict results before and after the test. The contest is open to researchers, students and practitioners, with winners in two categories: researchers and students, and practicing engineers. Winners will be honored at the 14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (14WCEE) in 2008 in Beijing, China, with travel and accommodations covered by the contest sponsor, Japan’s National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention. Download Flyer.
REU Programs Seek Applicants
The 2007 MCEER Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Programs are now accepting applications. Outstanding sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in conducting state-of-the-art research during this summer internship program are encouraged to apply. Photo at right shows the 2006 MCEER participants enjoying the scenery in Sunriver, Oregon.
Recent Webcast Seminars
Jeremy Kirk, PE, SE Structural Engineer Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Chicago, IL, presented Skyscraper Design – Trump Tower Chicago on February 13, 2007.
