Natural Hazards Mitigation: Solutions through Advanced Simulations

December 5-6, 2024 | 8:30am – 1:00pm EST

The NHERI Lehigh Experimental Facility will be hosting an in-person Researcher Workshop on December 5-6. The workshop will provide 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 will be 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 will provide 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 will be 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 are 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.

For planning purposes, the workshop is scheduled to begin at 8:30 am EST on Thursday, December 5 and will conclude by 1:00 pm EST on Friday, December 6. Additional optional office hours will be available Friday afternoon.

Participant support funds up to a maximum of $1,300 per registrant are available for travel and lodging. Junior faculty and post-doctoral researchers are particularly encouraged to apply. Priority of funding support will be given to participants who are eligible and intend to prepare NSF research proposals that utilize the NHERI Lehigh EF. Requested travel support will be confirmed for registrants by November 18. Participant support funds will be reimbursed following the workshop upon the submittal of an expense summary and valid receipts to NHERI Lehigh by registrant.

Questions can be addressed to NHERI Lehigh Operations Manager Joe Saunders at jms815@lehigh.edu or 610-758-3223.