Representative:

Professor Christopher Higgins
Oregon State University
220 Owen Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331-3212
Tel.: 541-737-8869
Fax: 541-737-3052
e-mail: chris.higgins@oregonstate.edu

Members:

Scott Ashford, Stephen E. Dickenson, Christopher C. Higgins, Thomas H. Miller, Harry Yeh, and Solomon Yim

Other Directory Information

O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory
NW 35th and Jefferson, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
web site: http://www.ccee.orst.edu/wavelab/index.html

Gene D. Knudson Wood Engineering Laboratory
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
web site: http://forestproducts.orst.edu

Website(s):

www.oregonstate.edu

Analytical and experimental research in earthquake

Gene D. Knudson Wood Engineering Lab

engineering and tsunami effect on structures at Oregon State University are primarily conducted in the School of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE), Forest Engineering (FE), and Forest Products (FP) Departments. There is a strong collaboration among structural, geotechnical and ocean engineering faculty members in these three departments. Research projects are typically supported by federal and state agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Naval Research (ONR), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Examples of recent research projects include:

• Seismic performance of pile-supported wharves
• Deformation-based seismic design models for waterfront structures
• Seismic vulnerability of sheet-pile bulkheads
• UCIST instructional shake table
• Upgrading Oregon State’s multidirectional wave basin for tsunami research
• Seismic performance of wood shearwalls
• Dynamic characteristics of metal-plate-connected wood truss joints
• Friction-damped energy dissipating connectors for timber structures
• Earthquake damage and loss estimation
• Manufactured home anchoring for seismic and high wind events
• Performance-based design of woodframe shearwalls
• Durability and aging effects on dynamic performance of wood shearwalls
• Performance-based engineering of light-frame structures for natural hazards

The School of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) at Oregon State University offers Master of Science, Master of Ocean Engineering, and Ph.D. degrees with an emphasis in earthquake engineering and related areas. The Forest Products (FP) Department offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with an emphasis on wood engineering and mechanics.

Master of Science Program
The Master of Science degree is offered in the areas of structural engineering, structural mechanics, geotechnical engineering and ocean engineering (through CE), as well as wood engineering and mechanics (through FP). The program for the M.S. degree candidate consists of a minimum of 45-quarter hours, of which approximately two-thirds of the work must be in the major area and one-third in the minor area. A student may, with major professor approval, elect either a thesis or a non-thesis (technical report) option. A maximum of 9 term hours is allowed for a thesis and 6 for a non-thesis.

Doctoral Program
Students and their committee of graduate faculty members formulate Ph.D. degree programs. The Ph.D. degree is granted primarily for attainments and proven ability, with a normal requirement of 90-quarter hours (including thesis) beyond the M.S. degree.

Dual-Major Program
Oregon State University offers a dual-major option in which a student can earn an M.S. or Ph.D. degree in both Civil Engineering and Forest Products by completing the course requirements for both degrees while writing only one thesis or dissertation. This is a unique opportunity, not found at most universities, and may serve to prepare students for an even wider range of post-graduate opportunities.

Oregon State University houses two structural testing laboratories. In Richardson Hall, the Department of Forest Products operates the Gene D. Knudson Wood Engineering Laboratory. The main reaction floor is designed for heavy loads and measures 7 by 17 m and has 4 m high reaction walls on two sides. The School of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering operates the Large-Scale Structural Testing Laboratory with a 7.5 by 18 m strong-floor and 2.4 m thick 8.5 m high strong-wall. Anchorages are located 1.2 m on-center with 1.5MN capacity at each point. The structural laboratories contain a variety of universal testing machines, including a 2.7 MN capacity machine. Shop facilities are available and specimen fabrication can be performed on-site.

Laboratories are serviced by cranes and have large doors to permit semi-trucks to enter the facility. A wide range of hydraulic actuators of various force capacities and stroke displacements is available for specimen loading. Support fixtures include a variable span portal frame, shearwall fixtures, and other general attachment apparatus so that the hydraulic actuators can be mounted on the floor or reaction walls at any elevation or angle. Data acquisition and instrumentation are available to support static and quasi-static testing as well as nondestructive assessment of materials and structural assemblies. The structural laboratory is supplemented by materials laboratories for testing, composite materials development, and biodegradation assessment, as well as four environmentally controlled rooms (hot/wet, hot/dry, cold, and standard [20C, 65% RH]). Additional laboratory space of 12 by 26 m provides floor space for long-term loading experiments and other experiments that require layout space or an undisturbed environment. Time-dedicated faculty research assistant and instrumentation specialists provide support for experimental setup and testing.

The Ocean Engineering faculty and staff operate the O. H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory which includes a wave channel that is 342 ft. long, 12 ft. wide and 15 ft. deep; a three-dimensional wave basin that is 87 ft. long, 60 ft. wide and 5 ft. deep; and a circular wave basin that is 50 ft. diameter and 5 ft. deep. Both random and monochromatic waves can be generated in all three facilities. This is the largest, most sophisticated wave research laboratory available at any university in the world. Contemporary electronic instrumentation complements the laboratory for dynamic and kinematic measurements.

In support of the National Science Foundation’s

Oregon State University NEES Tsunami Wave Basin

George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulations (NEES) Program and the national tsunami research community, Oregon State University has extended and enhanced the multidirectional wave basin at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory to create a Tsunami Basin that is the only facility of its kind in the world, from three perspectives. First, it is the largest and most advanced tsunami testing facility of its kind, fulfilling the NEES goal to provide next-generation experimental research equipment. Second, a comprehensive Information Architecture supporting remote users has been developed by experienced usability engineers to ensure a positive impact on researcher effectiveness and productivity. Third, a Tsunami Experiment Databank is being established so the broader research community can study the results of tsunami experiments, reducing the need for experimentation and providing data for validating numerical models. The Tsunami Basin addresses all the requirements laid out by the tsunami research community. The basin dimensions (approximately 27m x 50m x 2m) and wave generation capabilities (2m maximum stroke and 2m/s maximum velocity) closely match the tsunami community’s vision of an “ideal basin.” The total cost of the basin expansion project, to be completed by September 2004, is slightly over $7M, with approximately $4.8M provided by NSF. Together with other NEES sites, the Tsunami Basin receives partial support for maintenance and operation from NSF for 2004-2014 and possibly beyond.