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I have become fascinated by the intersection of computer hardware and the fidelity of our numerical analyses. For example, graphics processors (GPUs), real-time computer chips used for gaming and machine learning, could be leveraged to accelerate our computational models, enabling faster and higher-fidelity simulations. In using GPU-based computing, the governing equations of motion would remain…

Last month, I gave a webinar through the Lehigh EF Seminar Series on the higher-mode force and acceleration demands in seismic-force resisting systems employing strongback spines. The presentation discusses the evolution of the strongback, from its initial days as auxiliary outcome of a study on vintage braced frames, to its current iteration with force-limiting connections…

This post is very belated. In August, I gave a webinar through MECHS, a research coordination network funded by the National Science Foundation, on the potential use of real-time hybrid simulation for wave-structure interaction problems. See the webinar below. The website for MECHS can be found here: https://mechs.designsafe-ci.org/

Although my background is in earthquake engineering, I’ve recently been fascinated by wave-structure interaction problems. From a structural perspective, we are often focused on deformations due to external loading on the structure. In contrast, fluid mechanics is often focused on the effects of boundary conditions on the fluid flow. In some situations, the solid and…

I’ve often used similitude requirements to argue for the use of real-time hybrid simulation in fluid-structure interaction experiments. Wave basin and flume experiments are, often by necessity, scaled due to the size and capacity limitations of the facility. This often results in small-scale structural models. There are three types of similitude: geometric, kinematic, and dynamic.…

I recently attended a joint workshop on the analysis, design, and testing of wave-energy converters (WECs) by the Pacific Marine Energy Institute (PMEC), Sandia National Labs, and OSU. A quote during one of opening presentations caught my attention: “It is estimated that if 0.2% of the ocean’s untapped energy could be harnessed, it could provide…

Hello again! This second set of Python video tutorials demonstrates how to plot a sinusoidal function. Although the concept is simple, the tools used in this example can be extrapolated to many other programming applications. It is one of the first examples given in my structural dynamics class, but many of the underlying concepts are…

Python is a great programming language. It’s open source, flexible, and – best of all – free. After receiving questions on getting started with Python, I’ve decided to create a few video tutorials on the Python Basics. These are not perfect videos, and any feedback on how to make them better would be greatly appreciated.…

Hello again! I recently gave a webinar on leveraging Python, Jupyter notebooks, DesignSafe, and SimCenter educational tools in the classroom. The webinar can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iSIK6wks5E&list=PL2GxvrdFrBlk31A0BhTFUGidpAbyJPXi4&index=28&t=0s Minjie Zhu, Michael Scott, and myself have begun to implement Python programming assignments in our graduate courses. In many ways our experience has been successful, but our approach…