Researchers test bridge resilience

Researchers test bridge resilience

Researchers at the University at Buffalo's (UB) Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) and Calspan, an independent aviation and transportation testing firm, plan to capitalize on the region's much-maligned climate through a partnership and testing program that will subject two full-scale bridges and their advanced protective technologies to a full range of naturally occurring environmental and climatic conditions, as well as earthquake vibrations.

The purpose of the partnership and the studies is to combine the talents of both organizations to meet effectively the nation's growing needs for the intelligent renewal and improved resilience of its infrastructure, in this case bridges, from natural-occurring phenomena and extreme events. The partnership expects to leverage the infrastructure-research skills of MCEER with the testing expertise of Calspan.

"This partnership puts each of our organizations into exciting new worlds," said Andre Filiatrault, Ph.D., MCEER director and professor of civil, structural, and environmental engineering at UB. "There is a tremendous synergy in the ability of Calspan to apply its testing expertise to develop full-scale experimental capabilities that enable MCEER to test large infrastructure components, such as roads and bridges, under multiple hazards including earthquakes and other extreme events."

Filiatrault also noted that Calspan's Ashford facility near Springville, N.Y., provides ample acreage to conduct such full-scale tests, as well as a wide array of naturally occurring weather conditions to expose infrastructure test specimens to the natural elements.

"Structural engineers traditionally have sought solutions to infrastructure problems in the confines of a laboratory," he said. "Calspan's Ashford Facility provides an opportunity to test new technologies and infrastructure remedies in the great outdoors, where they will have to perform over time and in varying climatic and other conditions."

Thomas Pleban, executive vice president of Calspan, said that the new relationship not only has the potential to enhance Calspan's current test capabilities, but will also benefit Western New York as a whole, by making it the world's premier destination for full-scale infrastructure testing.

Filiatrault said that the aging infrastructure in the U.S. is reaching a critical point. "As infrastructure approaches the end of its lifespan, it becomes increasingly susceptible to tremendous damage, especially during extreme events," he said. "Our nation needs to renew its infrastructure, but how shall we go about it? Do we simply replace the old with the new, or do we rebuild it more intelligently so that it is designed and built to withstand multiple hazards throughout its lifetime? The MCEER-Calspan partnership will focus on finding ways to protect our growing population and way of life by renewing and preserving our infrastructure through the development and validation of the most innovative and cost-effective methods available."

The initial focus of the partnership is development of a full-scale bridge test at Calspan's 700-acre Ashford facility. The Ashford facility, about 35 miles south of Buffalo, will enable MCEER researchers to subject two adjacent single-lane bridges equipped with state-of-the-art seismic isolation technologies to harsh, real-world conditions—and earthquake vibrations.

Construction of the 72-foot-long bridges will begin this fall, with a five-year test program scheduled to begin on July 1, 2010. Eleven concrete bridge girders donated by Hubbell Concrete of Utica, N.Y., already have been transported to the Ashford site.

Testing will chronicle the performance of seismic isolation technology over time and over a wide spectrum of temperatures and other environmental conditions. Seismic isolation decouples a structure from its foundation, effectively isolating it from damaging ground vibrations. The initial test program will examine the change in properties of elastomeric or rubber isolation bearings in a wide range of temperature settings. Bearings are being provided by Dynamic Isolation Systems, Inc.

The project is supported by funding from New York State and industry donations.

Michael Constantinou, professor of civil, structural, and environmental engineering at UB, acknowledged that "while seismic isolation technology is widely accepted in the civil engineering field, expanded understanding and continued development can only help to further its use—and the resilience of structures that it protects."



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