Beyond building code with cold-formed steel

Beyond building code with cold-formed steel

Author: Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure July 30, 2025 Duration: 15:56
Note: This podcast interview was recorded before the CFS10 shake table tests, which took place in June and July of 2025. In this episode, earthquake engineers Tara Hutchinson, of UC San Diego, and Ben Schafer, of Johns Hopkins University, discuss the long-term nature of seismic engineering research. The CFS10 structure currently on the UC San Diego shake table represents over a decade of steel-framed component testing. On the strength of that research, Hutchinson and Schafer built the CFS10 structure to ten stories, four floors above current building code. That’s an unabashed goal of the landmark CFS10 project: to advance building code for steel-framed buildings in seismic zones.

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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

DesignSafe Radio
Podcast Episodes
Mentoring at UC Davis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:41
How do geotech students gain experience? Laura Luna and José Luis Caisapanta discuss the UC Davis Geotechical Graduate Student Society, a nationally respected mentoring program. In an intentional “laddering” fashion, gra…
Modeling EQs in a centrifuge with UC Davis graduate students [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:41
Civil engineering grad students from NHERI UC Davis join Dan Zehner to discuss research at the renowned Center for Geotechnical Modeling, a geotech lab equipped with a nine-meter centrifuge. Master’s student Jose Louis C…
Wall of Wind: Testing civil infrastructure  Featuring Erik Salna [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:59
FIU-based meteorologist and educator Erik Salna relates some unusual but important WOW experiments to test the effects of wind loading on civil infrastructure such as construction cranes and electrical power towers. One…
Wall of Wind & Hurricane Research  Featuring Erik Salna [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:16
Meteorologist and educator Erik Salna provides nitty-gritty details on the gigantic, NSF-funded wind research lab called the Wall of Wind, or WOW. Located at Florida International University in Miami, the WOW facility is…
Engineering with Evolution  Featuring Alejandro Martínez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:02
UC Davis professor Alejandro Martínez explains how biogeotechnical engineers leverage solutions from lifeforms like worms, trees, and bacteria. It starts with fundamental, cross-disciplinary work with biologists. Then, a…
Conferences, reconnaissance opportunities for NHERI grad students [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:42
Meet Nurullah Bektaş, engineering PhD candidate and research chair with the NHERI Graduate Student Council. He talks with Dan Zehner about the virtual GSC Mini Conference, slated for May 31, 2024. Bektaş, who is earning…