Two New Projects Funded from RFP 24-01; 8 Projects Receive Continued Funding

January 23, 2025

PEER has continuing funding from the State of California related to the seismic performance of transportation systems. This funding supports the Transportation Systems Research Program (TSRP), the purpose of which is to lessen the impacts of earthquakes on the transportation systems of California, including highways and bridges, port facilities, high-speed rail, airports, and other related structures.

In Fall 2024, The PEER Research Committee solicited proposals for one- to two-year projects related to the experimental investigation of components, structures, and systems exposed to seismic, tsunami, fire and other natural hazards, using an experimental facility at a PEER core institution. After a minimum of two independent reviews for each proposal, two new experimental projects were awarded, comprising a total funding of $250,000. PEER thanks all the PIs who submitted proposals, and the efforts and detailed feedback from the reviewers. Details of the funded projects are provided below.

Jeffrey BermanTopic 2, Framework of Identifying Shear Cracking in Bridge Columns using Lidar PI: Jeffrey Berman, University of Washington; Co-PI: Mark Eberhard, University of Washington

Dimitrios KonstantinidisTopic 2, Effects of Reinforcement Characteristics on the Response and Stability of Elastomeric Isolation Systems PI: Dimitrios Konstantinidis, UC Berkeley; Co-PI: None

The TSRP funding from the State of California is released on a yearly basis. PEER received continued funding for the second year of the projects funded in the previous cycle. Details of these projects are provided below.

Topic 2 - Forward uncertainty quantification; Project Title: Probabilistic Regional Seismic Risk Assessment of a Los Angeles Bridge Network using a New Generation of Fragility Functions PI: Henry Burton, UCLA; Co-PIs / Collaborators: Yazhou Xie, McGill University, Ibbi Almufti, ARUP, Jamie Padgett, Rice University

Topic 2 - Forward uncertainty quantification; Project Title: Regional Scale Simulation of Uncertain Responses of Transportation Infrastructure Soil- Structure Systms PI: Boris Jeremic, UC Davis; Co-PIs / Collaborators: Norm Abrahamson, UC Berkeley

DeJongTopic 3 - Cost effective instrumentation and data collection; Project Title: Performance Monitoring of Centennial Bridge
PI: Matthew DeJong, UC Berkeley
Co-PIs / Collaborators: Laura Lowes, University of Washington

Topic 3 - Cost effective instrumentation and data collection; Project Title: Next Generation Liquefaction Susceptibility Database and Modelling; PI: Jonathan P. Stewart, UCLA; Co-PIs / Collaborators: Scott J. Brandenberg, UCLA

Topic 2 - Forward uncertainty quantification

Project Title: Bayesian Inference for Mechanics-based Digital Twinning of Bridges
PI: Hamed Ebrahimian, University of Nevada, Reno

Topic 3 - Cost effective instrumentation and data collection; Project Title: Informing Predictions from Above with Community Data from Below: A Hierarchical AI Ground Failure Model for Rapid Response and Simulation; PI: Brett Maurer, University of Washington

Topic 3 - Cost effective instrumentation and data collection; Project Title: Next Generation Liquefaction Susceptibility Database: Expansion of the Laboratory Component to Leverage Pacific Northwest Soils; PI: Armin Stuedlein, Oregon State University

Topic 6 - Going beyond earthquakes; Project Title: Cascading Seismic and Tsunami Loads for the Design of Open Wharves; PI: Andre Barbosa, Oregon State University; Co-PIs / Collaborators: Claudia Reis, Oregon State University