UT Austin
NHERI Experimental Facility

Projects

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The science plan of NHERI@UTexas is focused on three main challenges. These three main challenges are: (1) performing deeper, more accurate, higher resolution, 2D/3D subsurface geotechnical imaging, (2) characterizing the nonlinear dynamic response and liquefaction resistance of complex geomaterials in situ, and (3) developing rapid, in-situ methods for non-destructive structural evaluation and soil-foundation-structure interaction (SFSI) studies.  A list of: (1) ongoing NHERI projects, (2) completed NHERI projects, and (3) Shared-Use Projects before 2015 are listed below.

Ongoing NHERI Projects

Please contact project PI or NHERI@UTexas site manager for potential piggyback project opportunities.

• Collaborative Research: 3D Ambient Noise Tomography (3D ANT) for Natural Hazards Engineering; PI: Khiem Tran (University of Florida)
• Collaborative Research: Advancing the Development of Realistic and Probabilistic Shear Wave Velocity Profiles Using Advanced Inversion Strategies; PI: Clinton Wood (University of Arkansas)
• Collaborative Research: Active and Passive Seismic Imaging of the Three-Dimensional Structure and Magma System beneath the Summit of Kilauea Volcano; PI: Guoqin Lin (University of Maimi), Roger Denlinger (USGS)

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Completed NHERI Projects

• Collaborative Research: Seismic Isolation of Embedded Foundations Using Periodic Meta-material Barriers to Create Resilient Structures; PI: Yi-Lung Mo (University of Houston); Project ID: PRJ-2758
• Decision Entropy: A New Theory for Representing Uncertainty in Managing Natural Hazard Risks; PI: Robert Gilbert (the University of Texas at Austin); Project ID: PRJ-2757
• RAPID Liquefaction Mitigation of Silts using MIDP and Field Testing with NHERI@UTexas Large Mobile Shakers; PI: Arash Khosravifar (Portland State University); Project ID: PRJ-2482
• RAPID Field Assessment of MICP/MIDP Test Sections (A CBBG Rapid Response Research Project); PI: Edward Kavazanjian (Arizona State University); Project ID: PRJ-2119
• RAPID Collaborative Research: Spatial variability of small-strain stiffness, Go, and the effect on ground movements related to geotechnical construction in urban areas; PI:  Richard J Finno (Northwestern University); Project ID: PRJ-2193
• Geotechnical Site Characterization with 3-D Seismic Waveform Tomography; PI: Khiem Tran (Clarkson University); Project ID: PRJ-2050
• Collaborative Research: Bridging the In-situ and Elemental Cyclic Response of Transitional Soils; PI: Armin Stuedlein (Oregon State University); Project ID: PRJ-2481
• EAGER: Informing Infrastructure Decisions through Large-Amplitude Forced Vibration Testing; PI: Nenad Gucunski (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey); Project ID: PRJ-1635
• CAREER: Revolutionizing Surface Wave Methods for Engineering Analyses - from Deterministic and Incoherent to Probabilistic and Standardized (DIPS); PI: Brady Cox
  (Univ. of Texas)
• Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association 2016 Meinong, Taiwan Earthquake Reconnaissance; PI: Jonathan Bray
  (Team led by: Joseph Sun, PG&E Inc.); Project ID: PRJ-2756

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Shared-Use Projects before 2015 (NEES Research Projects)

Geophysical Related Studies

• High-Fidelity Site Characterization by Experimentation, Field Observation, and Inversion-Based Modeling; PI: Jacobo Bielak; Project ID: NEES-2007-0391
• Topographic Effects in Strong Ground Motion - From Physical and Numerical Modeling to Design; PI: Adrian Rodriguez-Marek; Project ID: NEES-2010-0977
• Towards near-real-time site characterization: advanced computational methods and NEES-based validation experiments; PI: Loukas Kallivokas; Project ID: NEES-2007-0391

In-Situ Liquefaction Related Studies

• Collaborative Study of Field Evaluation of Liquefaction Resistance at Previous Liquefaction Sites in Southern California ; PI: Kenneth H. Stokoe; Project ID: NEES-2007-0414
• Mechanisms and Implications of Time Dependent Changes in the State and Properties of Recently Liquefied Sands; PI: Russell A. Green et al.; Project ID: NEES-2006-0166
• Seismic Risk Mitigation for Ports: nees@UTexas equipment will be used for an in-situ liquefaction investigation; PI: Glenn Rix et al.   ; Project ID: NEES-2005-0086
• Advanced Site Monitoring and Effective Characterization of Site Nonlinear Dynamic Properties and Model Calibration; PI: Mourad Zeghal; Project ID: NEES-2010-0956
• Induced Partial Saturation (IPS) through Transport and Reactivity for Liquefaction Mitigation; PI: Mishac . K. Yegian; Project ID: NEES-2011-1081
• Field Investigation of Shallow Ground Improvement Methods for Inhibiting Liquefaction Triggering; Christchurch, New Zealand; PI: Kenneth H. Stokoe; Project ID: NEES-2014-1204

In-Situ Soil Nonlinear Property Related Studies

• In-Situ Determination of Soil Modulus and Damping as a Function of Level of Strain; PI: Giovanna Biscontin; Project ID: NEES-2006-0163
• In-Situ Soil Nonlinear Properties Study; PI: Joan Gomberg  ; Project ID: NEES-2005-0090
• Seismic Response of Landfills: In-situ Evaluation of Dynamic Properties of Municipal Solid Waste, Comparison to Laboratory Testing, and Impact on Numerical Analyses; PI: Dimitrios Zekkos; Project ID: NEES-2010-0920
• Collaborative Study at Los Alamos National Laboratory; PI: Kenneth H. Stokoe; Project ID: NEES-2013-1174

Reflection and refraction Related Studies

• NW Nevada Seismic Experiment; PI: Simon Klemperer; Project ID: NEES-2006-0155
• Seismic Reflection Transect Across the New Madrid Seismic Zone: Imaging Spatial and Long-Term Temporal; PI: Robert Williams; Project ID: NEES-2006-0167
• Collaborative USGS-NEES Studies in the Mississippi Embayment ; PI: Robert Williams; Project ID: NEES-2007-0515
• Collaborative USGS-NEES Studies in the Santa Rosa Plain, California ; PI: Robert Williams; Project ID: NEES-2007-0515
• Collaborative USGS-NEES Studies in the Mississippi embayment and the Seattle Basin; PI: Robert Williams; Project ID: NEES-2007-0515
• Collaborative USGS-NEES Earthquake Hazard Studies in the Reno-Carson City Urban Corridor, Nevada, 2009; PI: William Stephenson; Project ID: NEES-2010-0870
• Collaborative USGS-NEES Earthquake Hazard Studies in the New Madrid Seismic zone and Puget Sound, Washington; PI: Robert Williams; Project ID: NEES-2010-0962
• Characterizing the geometry and time of deformation of the Meeman-Shelby Fault, near Memphis, TN; PI: M.Beatrice Magnani ; Project ID: NEES-2011-1029

Soil-Foundation-Structure-Interaction Related Studies

• Collaborative Research: Using NEES as a Testbed for Studying Soil-Foundation-Structure-Interaction; PI: Sharon Wood; Project ID: NEES-2005-0088
• Field Measurements of the Linear And Nonlinear Shear Moduli of Soils; PI: Sharon Wood; Project ID: NEES-2007-0516
• A Phase 1 Prediction of Dynamic Response of Spread Footings on Sand; PI: Dennis R. Hiltunen; Project ID: NEES-2006-0171

Shear Wave Velocity Profiling Using Surface Wave Measurements Related Studies

• Study of Surface Wave Methods for Deep Shear Wave Velocity Profiling Applied to the Deep Sediments of the Mississippi Embayment; PI: Brent Rosenblad; Project ID: NEES-2006-0164
• SASW Testing in the Salt Lake Valley, UT; PI: Kenneth H. Stokoe; Project ID: NEES-2006-0173
• Study of Surface Wave Methods for Deep Shear Wave Velocity Profiling Applied to the Deep Sediments of the Mississippi Embayment - Phase II; PI: Brent Rosenblad; Project ID: NEES-2006-0164
• SASW Measurements at USGS Hawaiian Strong Motion Network; PI: Ivan Wong; Project ID: NEES-2008-0523
• Deep Shear Wave Velocity Measurements in the Las Vegas Basin; PI: Barbara Luke; Project ID: NEES-2009-0672
• Shear Wave Velocity Measurements at Stanford University; PI: Ivan Wong; Project ID: NEES-2009-0736
• Revolutionizing Surface Wave Methods for Engineering Analyses - from Deterministic and Incoherent to Probabilistic and Standardized ; PI: Brady R. Cox; Project ID: NEES-2012-1172
• RAPID: Deep Shear Wave Velocity Profiling for Seismic Characterization of Christchurch, NZ - Reliably Merging Large Active-Source and Passive-Wavefield Surface Wave Methods; PI: Brady R. Cox; Project ID: NEES-2012-1173