Seminars

Some Scale Effects in Modeling Soil Behavior
Andrew Whittle

This lecture will summarize recent progress that addresses three different topics associated with  modeling scale effects in soils: The first concerns the classic problem of physical scaling of foundation bearing  resistance on sands: Here, advances in elasto-plastic modeling of compression and shear properties (using the  MIT-S1 model) can explain the effects of relative density and foundation length scale on the bearing  mechanisms, while further work is needed to predict shear banding at large deformations.

Micromechanically Motivated Phase Field Approaches for Modeling Fracture in Materials Undergoing Large Deformations
Christian Linder

The study of fracture in materials is inevitable in fields like engineering and medicine for optimizing  the performance and ensuring the safety of structural and biological systems. Interestingly, their unique underlying  micromechanisms characterize the failure in different materials. Brittle fracture is observed in certain materials  like glass, ceramics, concrete, and even highly stretchable elastomers, wherein catastrophic failure occurs when  the material fracture strength is reached.

A Framework to Assess the Seismic Performance of Multiblock Tower Structures as Gravity Energy Storage Systems
Professor José E. Andrade

In this talk, we propose a framework for seismic performance assessment of multiblock tower  structures designed to store renewable energy. To perform our assessment, we deployed, in tandem,  physical and numerical models that were developed using appropriate scaling for Newtonian systems that  interact via frictional contact. The approach is novel, breaking away from continuum structures for which  Cauchy scaling and continuum mechanics are used to model systems. We show that our discontinuous  approach is predictive and consistent.

Turning Disaster Into Knowledge
Jonathan D. Bray

Advancing hazard-resistant design demands an understanding of what happens when a disaster  occurs. Documenting and sharing the key lessons learned from extreme events around the world  contributes significantly to advancing research and practice in hazards engineering. Unanticipated  observations from major events often define new research directions.

Framework for Extracting Causal Information using Data from Disparate Structural Experiments
Professor Henry V. Burton

The physical laboratory experiment is a primary tool in advancing our fundamental understanding of  structural behavior under seismic loading. For a given project, the results from one or a small set of physical  experiments are used to understand how different structural properties or design strategies affect behavior.

Advanced Numerical modelling and Structural Health Monitoring with STKO and OpenSees
Guido Camata

Nonlinear Finite Element Analyses (NLFEA) can be used to accurately assess  the behavior of complex structural details and systems in cases where  standards cannot provide reliable verification or computational models

Spatial correlation in ground motion intensities: Measurement, prediction, and seismic risk implications
Jack W. Baker

The amplitude of ground shaking during an earthquake varies spatially, due to location-to-location differences in wave propagation, attenuation, and source- and site-effects. These variations have important implications for impacts to infrastructure systems and other distributed assets. This presentation will provide an overview of efforts to quantify spatial correlations in amplitudes, via past earthquakes and numerical simulations.

The Role of Emerging Technologies To Realize Smart Infrastructure
Professor Kenichi Soga

Design, construction, maintenance and upgrading of civil engineering infrastructure requires fresh thinking to minimize use of materials, energy and labor. This can only be achieved by understanding the actual performance of the infrastructure, both during its construction and throughout its design life, through innovative monitoring. Advances in sensor systems and data analytics offer intriguing possibilities to radically alter methods of condition assessment and monitoring of infrastructure.

Multi-scale Computational Geomechanics for Energy and Climate
Chloé Arson

Landscapes encode the history of the climate. For example, saprolite, the intermediate material  between rock and soil, plays a critical role in the evolution of topography, nutrient supply,  landslide hazards, and the global carbon cycle. The subsurface also bears resources used for the  production of energy and construction materials. It is thus important to assess the response of soils,  rocks and other geomaterials to a varying climate and to increasing societal demands.

Building Big Underground – Modern Challenges in meeting the demands of expanding the Urban Environment
Luis Piek

The share of the world’s population living in cities is expected to rise to 80% by 2050. To meet the current and future transportation demands while minimizing disturbance to existing infrastructure, City municipalities are expanding their subterranean networks, requiring longer, larger, and more extensive underground networks. Additional challenges include crossing active faults, meeting high seismic demands, and large excavations adjacent to tall buildings and their interaction with existing and future tunnels.