Our speaker today gave a relatively technical talk about engineering design to protect structures from earthquakes. Engineers always have to take risk factors into account in their designs: flood potential, avalanches, wind loads, etc. The technical topics that Elmer discussed will all be part of the curriculum you will study as you move through the engineering degree: physics, calculus, unit conversions, strain and strain in materials, calculating factors of safety, etc.
Post your thoughts about today's talk, and find an article related to earthquake engineering to post and discuss. Please post by Monday morning at 8:00 AM (3/3/2014).
I enjoyed Elmer's presentation, mostly because it showed me the importance of the classes I'm taking now, and classes I will have to take in the future. It was also neat to see how you are able to incorporate so many variables into one design, and to be able to figure it out by using physics, and math.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Earthquakes/NZ-Research/Seismic-engineering
The article I chose is about current research being conducted by the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. The University has been testing new ways to build structures smarter, not stronger to combat against earthquakes. They start by explaining ductile design, which restricts the damage from a earthquake on a structure to places it can be controlled. The University is testing methods that allow flexible joints in concrete/steel designs by the use of steal cables. This allows more play in a joint, with then in return will keep the joint from breaking when an earthquake happens. They are also finding new types of dampers to help absorb some of the earthquakes energy before reaching the frame of a structure, which will reduce the damage on a structure. They are also finding ways to "bandage" compromised structures with new materials, as-well as experimenting with materials that can be deformed then returned to their original shape after an earthquake.
This article was very interesting to read, and shows you that structural design is always changing, and it shows us the new designs, or materials engineers will be using in the near future. I especially like how the University is trying to find ways to make their new technologies/designs more cost effective without sacrificing the integrity of the structure. This will allow engineers the ability to use the new technology/designs without going over there budget.
I enjoyed the presentation Elmer gave to us. I liked how interactive he was with us and tried to incorporate us into his presentation. He also made me realize how much I've forgotten when it came to Psychics. He was very knowledgeable and for the most part I was able to follow what he was saying.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rgj.com/article/20140226/NEWS02/302260053/-Earthquake-engineer-s-dream-installed-UNR-watch-video-
The article I found talked about how the University of Nevada, Reno installed these devices called "platens", which help determine how different structures can handle earthquakes. The platens themselves are "very large surfaces onto which structures are attached and then shaken to determine their ability to withstand damage from earthquakes", as stated from the article.
It's interesting to see this device used because it helps with determine how well a structure will hold against an earthquake and what adjustments engineers have to make when constructing a bridge.