Structural Engineering

Application of Particulate Models to Problems in Energy Geotechnics

Speaker: T. Matthew Evans

A diverse array of (broadly defined) energy applications is an increasingly large part of the geotechnical engineer’s portfolio, both in research and practice.

“Understanding the Use of Bentonite as a Buffer Material for the Geological Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste: Experiments and Numerical Modeling

Speaker: LianGe Zheng

Disposal of high-level radioactive waste in geologic repositories involves a multi-barrier system that comprises of an engineered barrier system (EBS) and the host rock (or natural barrier system). One of the common components of the EBS is a bentonite buffer material which has several beneficial features such as a low permeability as well as a high swelling and retardation capacity. Bentonite is a very complex geo-material: it is composed of swelling clay minerals (i.e.

FRP-Confined RC Columns with Transverse Steel Confinement: From Finite Element Modeling to Reliability-Based Calibration of Design Equations

March 02, 2022 - 12:00 pm

Speaker: Michele Barbato, Ph.D

External confinement of reinforced concrete (RC) columns with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps is a technique extensively used for strengthening and retrofit of structurally deficient columns. Due to modern design codes’ requirements, new RC columns tend to have higher amounts of both longitudinal and transverse steel when compared to older columns.

Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) for the San Diego Courthouse Commons Tunnel Project

Speaker: Tom Pennington, PE, P.Eng, M. ASCE

This seminar will present the recent application of Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) tunneling techniques used for construction of the Courthouse Commons (COCO) Tunnel in downtown San Diego. The COCO Tunnel is a component of the larger Courthouse Commons Development Project and involved construction of a 300-foot long, 28-foot diameter tunnel located directly beneath an existing multi-story building.

Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) for the San Diego Courthouse Commons Tunnel Project

Speaker: Tom Pennington, PE, P.Eng, M. ASCE

This seminar will present the recent application of Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) tunneling techniques used for construction of the Courthouse Commons (COCO) Tunnel in downtown San Diego. The COCO Tunnel is a component of the larger Courthouse Commons Development Project and involved construction of a 300-foot long, 28-foot diameter tunnel located directly beneath an existing multi-story building.

Safety and Certification of Discontinuous Fiber Composites (DFCs) For Aerospace Applications: Design, Testing, and Computational Modeling

Speaker: Marco Salviato, PhD

Composite materials are finding increasing use across the most important industrial sectors including e.g. aerospace, automotive, and wind energy. This is owed to their excellent specific mechanical properties and their taylorability paving new avenues for structural optimization and weight savings. Engineering marvels such as the Boeing 787 have already proven the benefits of composites and showed that it is possible to adopt these materials in the commercial sector.

Understanding Seismic Retrofit, Adaptive Reuse and Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings

Speaker: Matt Skokan, Ph.D., S.E. & Robert Randall, S.E.

This seminar will provide an overall understanding of seismic retrofit and adaptive reuse of existing buildings.  Topics covered will include a discussion of the following:

Geotechnical Conceptual Design for the Planned Redevelopment of Treasure Island, California

Speaker: Jeff Braun, Kevin McFadden, Manasa Vijayakumar, & Christopher Stouffer

The presentation addresses mitigation concepts for the geotechnical challenges that face the  proposed redevelopment of Treasure Island. The island is manmade, created in 1936-1937 for the  World’s Fair. It was constructed by placing approximately 30-million cubic yards of dredged sand fill  over a sand shoal. After the World’s Fair in 1940, the Navy assumed control of the island through  an exchange with the City of SF for Mills field in Millbrae. During WWII, Treasure Island became an  active naval base until it was decommissioned in 1997.

Physics-based Modeling of Heterogeneous and Additively Manufactured Materials: Combining Finite Element and Data-Driven Approaches

February 02, 2022 - 12:00 pm

Speaker: Maryam Shakiba

This presentation discusses finite element and physics-based data-driven modeling of progressive damage in fiber-reinforced composites microstructure. We focus on two- and three-dimensional representations of additively manufactured composites. Such simulations are critical in order to design optimized composites for additive manufacturing. In fiber-reinforced composites, cracks initiate around the fibers aligned transversely to the loading direction.

Blast-Liquefaction Tests to Evaluate the Deep, In Situ, Nonlinear-Inelastic Dynamic Response of Medium Dense Sands at PDX

January 26, 2022 - 12:00 pm

Speaker: Armin W. Stuedlein, PhD, P.E. (WA)

As part of its long-term resilience goals, the Port of Portland has determined that one of its two runways must be hardened against the vertical and lateral deformations anticipated following rupture of the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the nearby Port Hills fault. Deep (25 m), in-situ, blast-liquefaction experiments were conducted to provide a means to understand the seismic performance of the soils underlying the runways without the possible effects of sample disturbance, small sample-size effects, and artificial drainage conditions to support design efforts at the Port.