Media Advisory 08-037 Spanning the Future of Infrastructure
High-tech bridge to be assaulted with large earthquake
December 8, 2008
This Thursday, researchers at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) will shake a 110-foot, four-span bridge with tortuous motions comparable to an 8.0 magnitude earthquake. The bridge, constructed over many months atop three enormous shake tables, is a test bed for cutting-edge construction technologies of the future. Many of the new materials--including nickel-titanium bars, elastomeric materials, and polyvinyl fiber concrete--are being tested in a bridge system for the first time. What: | Earthquake-scale shaking of an experimental four-span bridge.
| Where: | The James E. Rogers and Louis Wiener Jr. Large-Scale Structures Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno, one of the three shake-table research sites of the National Science Foundation's network of 15 large-scale, experimental sites called the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation.
| Who: | Researchers from UNR; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, San Diego; Florida International University; Georgia Tech; Stanford University; University of Kansas; University of Illinois, Chicago; Tokyo Institute of Technology; and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia are participating in this research project.
| When: | Dec. 11, 2008, 1:30 p.m. ET
| Contact: | To view the event in person or via webcast (registration required), contact Mike Wolterbeek at awolterbeek@unr.edu. |
-NSF-
Facts About the Bridge Design: Four spans, one-fourth scale Weight: 210 tons (with added weight) Dimensions: 110 feet-long, 8 feet-wide, 10 feet-high Primary components: 60 cubic yards of concrete; 16,000 lbs of steel
Media Contacts
Joshua A. Chamot, NSF (703) 292-7730 jchamot@nsf.gov
Mike Wolterbeek, University of Nevada, Reno (775) 784-4547 awolterbeek@unr.edu
Program Contacts
Joy M. Pauschke, NSF (703) 292-7024 jpauschk@nsf.gov
Principal Investigators
M. Saiid Saiidi, University of Nevada, Reno (775) 784-4839 saiidi@unr.edu
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, its budget is $9.5 billion, which includes $3.0 billion provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 44,400 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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