Engineering with Evolution  Featuring Alejandro Martínez

Engineering with Evolution Featuring Alejandro Martínez

Author: Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure May 28, 2024 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, at the UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling (CGM), centrifuge tests fill an important gap between laboratory ideas and full-scale field tests. For instance, by replicating ground stress and increased gravity in a centrifuge, geotechs can model and test designs at greater soil depths and across soil types. The NHERI CGM facility functions as a testbed for the NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) called the Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics, CBBG, based at Arizona State University.

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
Lehigh University's ATLSS Facility with Alia Amer Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:33
Hybrid simulation at Lehigh tests structural resilience In our second episode with NHERI Lehigh engineer Alia Amer, find out how this engineering lab performs real-time hybrid simulation, RTHS. This sophisticated, cost-e…
Lehigh University's ATLSS Facility with Alia Amer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30
Research engineer Alia Amer gives us an overview of ATLSS research center, core of the NHERI facility at Lehigh University. Amer shows examples of complex, large-scale tests – multi-hazard simulations – at Lehigh. The la…
Nicos Makris: Dampers: shock absorbers for buildings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:02
Earthquake engineer Nicos Makris joins us to discuss protective dampers, large-scale devices that function like shock absorbers for buildings and bridges. Dampers built into a structure absorb and isolate earthquake, win…
SPECIAL EPISODE: NHERI Science Plan (Spanish Audio) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:06
Acaba de publicarse la 3ª edición del Plan Científico del NHERI. Esta completa guía de investigación de 130 páginas describe las formas en que los investigadores pueden utilizar las instalaciones financiadas por la NSF p…
SPECIAL EPISODE! NHERI Science Plan, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:05
Editor Ian Robertson provides details on using the NHERI Science Plan, Third Edition, as a practical guide to successful civil engineering research, including technology transfer and interdisciplinary research tea
SPECIAL EPISODE! Introducing the NHERI Science Plan, Third Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:08
Ways to leverage NSF-funded facilities in natural hazards research Just released: the NHERI Science Plan, 3rd Edition! This comprehensive, 130-page research guide outlines ways researchers can use NSF-funded facilities t…