DesignSafe Radio

DesignSafe Radio

Author: Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure Language: English Episodes: 100
The forces that shape our world aren't always gentle. Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes are a reality of life on this planet, but the scale of their impact is something we can influence. DesignSafe Radio, from the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure team, delves into the human ingenuity working to soften the blow of these events. This isn't just a theoretical discussion; it's a close look at the rigorous testing, data, and engineering research funded by the National Science Foundation that aims to protect communities. Each episode pulls back the curtain on how scientists and engineers are learning from past disasters to fortify our future. You'll hear conversations about the tools and methods transforming how we understand structural resilience, offering a tangible sense of how research translates into real-world safety. The goal is straightforward: to ensure the next natural hazard doesn't escalate into a catastrophe for families and neighborhoods. Tune into this podcast for a grounded perspective on the intersection of science, education, and practical solutions, where complex research is made accessible and the focus remains firmly on building a more durable society.
Episodes
Distributed Acoustic Sensing - Brady Cox [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:15
Natural hazards engineers at the University of Texas are using fiber optic cable for subsurface and structural sensing. It’s called distributed acoustic sensing, or DAS, and it is much more efficient than traditional geo…
Brady Cox, University of Texas Mobile Shaker Facility - Part Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:23
Here is natural hazards research that takes place outside the lab! Professor Brady Cox describes how engineers deploy the NHERI mobile shaker fleet around the world to study ground-based infrastructure like levees, soils…
Brady Cox, University of Texas Mobile Shaker Facility - Part One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:56
On today’s show, we get an intro to the mobile shaker fleet at the NHERI’s University of Texas facility. Host Dan Zehner meets up with geotechnical engineer Brady Cox, professor of engineering at Utah State University an…
Applied Research to Improve Manufactured-Home Communities [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:49
In this episode of DesignSafe Radio, structural engineer Elaina Sutley covers ways that research can tangibly improve resilience of manufactured homes. She discusses local amendments to building codes that cities can imp…
Design Provisions for Manufactured Homes and Using Pre-existing Data [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:37
Sutley explains differences between manufactured homes and site-built homes and why there is so little crossover in design provisions. She also refutes the primary objection to improving performance manufactured homes: I…
Protecting Mobile Homes from Tornadoes and Hurricanes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:21
It’s no secret: tornadoes and hurricanes wreak havoc on manufactured homes. So why don’t we build them stronger? To detail the challenges to improving their performance we have Elaina Sutley, associate professor of struc…
Jason DeJong - Full Interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:07
If you have not been able to catch our most recent episodes with Jason DeJong, listen to this episode for his full interview. Jason DeJong is a professor of engineering at UC Davis and is the head of the Center for Biome…
NHERI at UC Davis: Testbed for bioinspired, biomediated research [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:41
Snake skin, tree roots, and nitrogen-burping microbes! In our third episode on biogeotechnics, Jason DeJong discusses a few of the wild-sounding research projects that focus on imitating or controlling natural processes…
Engineering Efficiency with Biogeotechnics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:38
In our second episode with natural hazards engineer Jason DeJong, we learn about biogeotechnics — a field that links biology and the natural world with engineering. DeJong explains how researchers at NHERI UC Davis have…