FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lehigh University Engineers Pioneer Testing for Tall Structures Under Extreme Earthquake and Wind Loading
NSF-funded laboratory leverages cyber-physical technology to pave the way for safer, more resilient civil infrastructure
Bethlehem, PA, May 5, 2025 – Tall buildings face unique risks from earthquakes and windstorms: high altitudes amplify wind speeds, and building height can intensify seismic tremors. Now, in a breakthrough study, Lehigh University researchers have pioneered a novel technique for testing the performance of tall buildings, enabling accurate testing of structures too massive for traditional methods. The team’s real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) framework is detailed in the paper, “Development of multi-directional real-time hybrid simulation for tall buildings subject to multi-natural hazards,” Engineering Structures 2024 Paper of the Year. The research was conducted at the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Lehigh experimental facility, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, NSF.
Forty-story behavior. The paper’s case study tested the performance of a 40-story building under extreme, multidirectional wind and earthquake loading. To date, no other testing methodology has been able to reproduce and quantify specific natural hazard risks of tall structures.
Unlike shake table or wind tunnel tests, which are not feasible for tall buildings, Lehigh’s RTHS testing protocol gives engineers a practical, accurate method for evaluating the behavior of skyscrapers, bridges, power towers, and more.
“Our approach is a game-changer for understanding tall-building performance under extreme loads,” said James Ricles, co-author of the paper and director of the NSF NHERI Lehigh experimental facility, which specializes in large-scale, multi-directional cyber-physical simulation. “By integrating numerical simulations, computational modeling, and physical testing, our RTHS framework provides an accurate, real-time representation of how tall structures respond to natural hazards.”
Test setup. Working in the NHERI Lehigh experimental facility, located within Lehigh University’s Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) lab, the team utilized a real-time integrated control system, large-scale servo-hydraulic dynamic actuators, high-speed data acquisition systems, and structural damper test beds. These capabilities enabled complex cyber-physical simulations that captured the dynamic interaction between structural systems and their environments during seismic and wind events.
For earthquake simulation, the project utilized seismic loading derived from ground motion records archived at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER); for wind loading, wind tunnel testing was conducted at the NHERI Florida International University Wall of Wind experimental facility on a 1:150-scale model. The resulting 3D wind pressure data were used to generate wind loads for the RTHS conducted at Lehigh.
Future exploration. The novel cyber-physical testing developed at the NHERI Lehigh facility lays the foundation for future multi-disciplinary studies to understand the behavior of very large structures. The Lehigh team has ongoing collaborations with Florida International University exploring aeroelasticity and fluid-structure interaction.
The research was supported by NSF Grant Nos. 2037771 and 1463497, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance (PITA), MTS Systems Corporation, and Taylor Devices, Inc.
The NSF NHERI Lehigh experimental facility is part of the ATLSS Engineering Research Center at Lehigh University.
About the NSF NHERI Lehigh Experimental Facility
The NSF NHERI Lehigh experimental facility, located at the ATLSS Engineering Research Center at Lehigh University, is dedicated to advancing the sustainability and resilience of civil infrastructure through innovative research, state-of-the-art testing, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Visit https://lehigh.designsafe-ci.org/ to explore cutting-edge research and collaborate with the team.
Media Contacts
James Ricles, PhD, PE
Bruce G. Johnson Professor of Structural Engineering
Lehigh Unversity
jmr5@lehigh.edu