NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in China

Mueller Adam L, Kalamazoo MI

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Adam Mueller of Western Michigan University to conduct a research project in Engineering during the summer of 2013 at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. The project title is "Evaluation of Collaborative Tools for Economical Structural Seismic Simulation." The host scientist is Dr. Bin Wu. The proposed research consists of geographically distributed hybrid simulations, in which a prototype structure is separated into substructures that are tested or simulated in different geographic locations. This particular research project utilizes numerical and physical substructures at Harbin Institute of Technology in China and Western Michigan University in the US. Two collaborative tools, namely Multi-Site Substructure Pseudo-Dynamic Simulation Coordinator (UI-SimCor) and Networked Structural Laboratories (NetSLab), that were developed in the US and China respectively to coordinate such distributed hybrid simulation, are implemented in this project. This project evaluates structural seismic responses obtained from geographically distributed hybrid simulations and demonstrates the effectiveness and reliability of this economical seismic simulation method. In addition, the functionality and compatibility of the two software frameworks are studied through implementation, and recommendations of using these two frameworks for future hybrid simulations are made. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, the knowledge gained through the research is applied to a wide-ranging audience. The Fellow will incorporate new understanding of distributed hybrid simulation into graduate level education in structural dynamics at Western Michigan University. In addition, the Laboratory of Earthquake and Structural Simulation (LESS) at Western Michigan University participates in educational outreach to local middle school and high school students. The Fellow will integrate his newfound knowledge into these outreach activities to further promote earthquake engineering education.