Workshop Information

The NHERI Lehigh Experimental Facility (EF) hosts multiple workshop throughout the year to provide prospective users with the knowledge of facility capabilities, Experimental Protocol and discuss details toward developing research proposals. Materials and results from previous Lehigh workshops are available below.

NHERI LEHIGH RESEARCHER WORKSHOP: SOLUTIONS THROUGH ADVANCED SIMULATIONS

December 5-6, 2024 | 8:30am-1pm EST

About the Researcher Workshop

The NHERI Lehigh Experimental Facility hosted an in-person Researcher Workshop on December 5-6. The workshop provided participants with the opportunity to learn more about the facility by attending presentations and demonstrations of the capabilities and resources of the facility, taking part in a laboratory tour, and having the opportunity to interact with the facility’s staff. Participants were exposed to advanced simulations by witnessing demonstrations of component-scale and large-scale multi-directional experimental tests, multi-physics real-time hybrid simulations of soil-foundation-structural systems, and civil infrastructure subjected to climate change induced natural hazard events including wind, waves, and earthquakes. The workshop provided prospective researchers with valuable information and insight that enables them to develop strategies for writing successful NSF research proposals that utilize the NHERI Lehigh Experimental Facility. Workshop participants were given the opportunity to attend office hours to discuss their interests and gain mentorship in preparing research proposals through face-to-face meetings with the PI, co-PIs, and facility staff.

The goals of this workshop were to:

• Disseminate information on the use of the NHERI Lehigh Experimental Facility (EF) to conduct state-of-the-art research and recent advances in simulation to mitigate the effects of natural hazards on infrastructure including the use of large-scale testing, hybrid simulation, AI-based models, and fluid-structure and soil-structure interaction models.
• Highlight testimony of researchers who have used the facility to provide examples of how prospective researchers can utilize the NHERI Lehigh EF.
• Demonstrate experiments and simulations which utilize component scale, hybrid simulations, and large-scale test beds to illustrate how prospective researchers can utilize facility equipment.
• Identify the latest challenges for the natural hazards research community and discuss how the facility can accommodate user needs to achieve their goals.
• Facilitate sharing of ideas and research collaboration among workshop participants.
• Provide guidance for preparing competitive NHERI research proposals that involve the NHERI Lehigh EF.

Presentations and outcomes of the workshop:

Day 1

Overview of NHERI Lehigh EF – J. Ricles (PI, NHERI Lehigh EF)
NHERI Lehigh Experimental Facility Capabilities and Protocols – J. Ricles (PI, NHERI Lehigh EF)
NHERI Lehigh Experimental Facility IT Capabilities and Protocols – T. Marullo (IT Manager, NHERI Lehigh EF)
Example Research Projects at NHERI Lehigh – L. Cao (Research Scientist, NHERI Lehigh EF)
NHERI Lehigh Facility User Experience – O. Ozbulut (University of Virginia)
Developing and Implementing a FSSI-RTHS Framework Presentation – C. Reis (Co-PI, NHERI Lehigh EF)

Day 2

Guidelines for Proposal Preparation – J. Saunders (Operations Manager, NHERI Lehigh EF)
Payload Project Protocol, Small Group Planning and Training Workshop Opportunity – J. Saunders (Operations Manager, NHERI Lehigh EF)
NHERI User Forum Lighting Talk – M. Khosravi (Montana State University and NHERI User Forum Committee Chair)
NHERI Lehigh Facility User Experience – R. Fleischman (University of Arizona)