This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) will support fundamental scientific research to develop a novel method for simulating fracture in structural steel members. The $399,915 award to the University of California, Davis, in collaboration with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, aims to improve computer models used to predict the performance of buildings and civil infrastructure under extreme hazard events. The research will integrate fracture mechanics with an enriched frame element formulation to represent the initiation and propagation of fracture and fatigue in steel structures. The resulting scientific formulation and associated open-source software implementation will enable greatly improved predictions of structural collapse under various hazards and loads, enhancing the resilience of buildings and other critical infrastructure. The project will broadly disseminate the new method and modeling capabilities to target audiences, including structural engineers and researchers, through the NSF-supported Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure.
Generated 2/25/25, 5:27 AM