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

Mccarthy Emily R, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Emily Ruth McCarthy of William Marsh Rice University to conduct a research project in Engineering during the summer of 2013 at Hongik Univeristy in Seoul, South Korea. The project title is "Improving the Seismic Reliability of Bridges with Innovative Shape Memory Alloy Devices." The host scientist is Dr. Eunsoo Choi. Within transportation networks bridges are recognized as the most vulnerable links during earthquakes, with associated damage resulting in high repair costs and socio-economic disruption to the affected region. Through the use of innovative shape memory alloy devices, which can be strategically placed within an analytical bridge model, improvements in bridge reliability (i.e. the probability of survival) can be demonstrated for representative seismic events. Many existing methods for enhancing bridges' seismic resistance focus on developing components that activate in a single directional of motion while the device presented in this work aims to exploit the material's superelasticity effect to limit detrimental effects due to multi-directional displacements. The superelasticity effect most notably describes the material's ability to recover large deformations after application and removal of stress. Improved bridge reliability translates into increased public safety and long term reduction of related repair costs. Through fragility analysis, which describes the probability of failure of a system or component given a set intensity measure, the effectiveness of the proposed device to improve reliability is demonstrated. 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 specific benefits of pursuing this research topic relate to improving public safety during seismic events and reducing post-event repair costs related to bridge damage. Additionally emergency responders requiring immediate connectivity between regions need functioning bridges and this maintenance of functionality can be facilitated through the incorporation of shape memory alloy devices in the system.