Engineering for urban conflagrations

Engineering for urban conflagrations

Author: Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure February 18, 2025 Duration: 12:01
As wildfires increasingly affect communities and civil infrastructure, structural engineers like Oregon State University engineer Erica Fischer apply their expertise to protecting lifeline systems and structures.

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
NHERI RAPID Director Joe Wartman - Full Interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:14
Tune in for our full interview with NHERI RAPID Director Joe Wartman. After major earthquakes, hurricanes and floods, the RAPID team springs into action with specialized tools for data reconnaissance missions. Wartman di…
Post-disaster Reconnaissance Missions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:17
Since operations began in 2018, the NHERI RAPID facility has deployed reconnaissance teams and equipment to more than 80 sites around the world. Director Joe Wartman describes several, including a mission to Florida afte…
Post-processing Natural Hazards Reconnaissance Data [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:17
What happens after a reconnaissance mission using NHERI RAPID tools? In this episode of DesignSafe Radio, RAPID director Joe Wartman discusses the post-processing phase, when collected perishable data gets converted into…
RAPID Toolkit for Natural Hazards Reconnaissance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:15
Facility director Joe Wartman details the NHERI RAPID tool kit. Natural hazards reconnaissance teams can deploy the RAPID’s laser scanners, drones, multi-spectrum cameras, listening devices – even a bathymetry boat. With…
NHERI RAPID - Joe Wartman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:59
Joe WartmanProfessor of Civil and Environmental EngineeringUniversity of Washington Principal Investigator, NHERI RAPID facilityWartman introduces his NSF-funded natural hazards reconnaissance facility, called the NHERI…
Testing Seismic Isolation with Real-time Hybrid Simulation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:38
University of Oklahoma earthquake engineer Scott Harvey is developing a base isolation system to protect valuable and sensitive contents inside buildings. He employed the shake table at the NHERI Lehigh University experi…
NHERI Graduate Student Coucil - Holly Davies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:10
We learn about the NHERI Graduate Student Council from its president Holly Davies. GSC members are young researchers studying natural hazards in fields as diverse as engineering, social sciences, computer simulation, urb…
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…