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Media Advisory 07-003
And the Bridge Came Tumbling Down
8.0 magnitude indoor quake to test massive bridge
February 7, 2007
Researchers studying the effects of earthquakes will use an array of three enormous shake tables to rend a 110-foot-long test bridge. Part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES), the University of Nevada, Reno, facility will be the first in the world to test a four-span bridge of this scale. The ultimate forces will reach twice the strength of the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
| Who: |
Project Director M. Saiid Saiidi, University of Nevada, Reno, and visitors from NEES affiliates across the country |
| What: |
Test of bridge span under extreme earthquake forces. The heavily instrumented structure will be recording data to help engineers understand the impact of earthquake forces on bridges and other construction. |
| Where: |
The University of Nevada, Reno, campus in the James E. Rogers and Louis Wiener Jr. Large-Scale Structures Laboratory. |
| When: |
Thursday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. local time |
The bridge model can be viewed anytime at: http://tpm.ce.unr.edu/perl/portal.pl?section=local_video.
The actual tests on Feb. 15 may be seen at: http://nees.ce.unr.edu/telepresence/
More information on NEES is available at: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/nees/index.jsp
-NSF-
Media Contacts
Joshua A. Chamot, NSF (703) 292-7730 jchamot@nsf.gov
Sue Putnam, University of Nevada, Reno (775) 784-1169 sueputnam@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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