Weidlinger Presents 10 Papers at SAVE Symposium

New York, NY, November 15, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Weidlinger Associates, Inc., presented 10 papers at four sessions of the 84th Shock and Vibration Symposium, which took place November 3-7, 2013, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. The symposium, hosted by HI-TEST Laboratories and the Shock and Vibration Exchange (SAVE), is the “leading forum for the structural dynamics and vibration community to present and discuss new developments and ongoing research.” Dr. Raymond Daddazio, president and CEO of Weidlinger Associates, delivered the keynote address for the event.

“For more than 60 years, innovation has been a driving force behind the success of Weidlinger Associates,” said Daddazio. “The symposium provides the perfect opportunity for Weidlinger engineers to share their research in many of the areas where the firm has been a recognized groundbreaker in the industry.” His keynote speech, “Innovation in Engineering Solutions," expressed his views on how incremental yet creative thinking can solve problems of global significance.

Daddazio was a co-instructor, with Mr. Fred Costanzo of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD), of a November 4 tutorial, “UNDEX Analysis of Floating Structures.” The three-hour workshop addressed free-field underwater explosion (UNDEX) phenomena, physics-based UNDEX simulation, and fluid-structure interaction problems, along with simulation strategies for structural responses to UNDEX and issues associated with energy dissipation, frequency ranges of interest, and validation through comparisons with existing data.

At a November 5 dedicated session, “Recent Developments in Progressive Collapse Research,” organized and chaired by Weidlinger Principal Dr. Mohammed Ettouney and Project Engineer Ms. Margaret Tang, a presentation by Ettouney and Dr. Sreenivas Alampalli of the New York State Department of Transportation explored factors that influence and/or initiate the progressive collapse of bridges, including design, analysis, inspection, and maintenance, drawing comparisons with the progressive collapse of buildings. The presentation emphasized methods of cost-effectively improving safety by applying risk-management processes to the progressive collapse of bridges.

Ettouney and Tang co-chaired an additional session, “Objective Methods in Resilience Management,” on November 6, during which engineers explored the relationship between sustainability, resilience management, and engineering mechanics.

As part of a November 7 session on modeling for structural response, Weidlinger scientists and engineers introduced an implosion evaluation tool that facilitates the design of submersibles to resist implosion due to UNDEX and hydrostatic loading. This newly developed software tool enables users to identify the specific conditions under which a structure is likely to implode, calculate the characteristics of pressure pulses that would emanate from the structure if it imploded, and ascertain the impact such pressure pulses would have on surrounding structures.

During an open session on UNDEX testing, Weidlinger presented two related papers on the source modeling of seismic air guns. Engineers detailed the methodology for developing and validating source model parameters using the U.S. Navy’s Gemini software, and then developed a generalized procedure to generate underwater pressure signals from an array of air guns.

Papers Presented
Tutorial: “UNDEX Analysis of Floating Structures,” by Dr. Raymond Daddazio and Mr. Fred Costanzo (NSWCCD)

Open Session: “UNDEX Testing I”

“Airgun Source Modeling—Development and Validation,” by Ms. Margaret Tang, Mr. Ryan Anderson, Mr. Adam Hapij, Mr. Joseph Wright, and Dr. Raymond Daddazio

“Development of Airgun Source Model Library,” by Mr. Ryan Anderson, Dr. Kirubel Teferra, Ms. Margaret Tang, Mr. Joseph Wright, Mr. Adam Hapij, and Dr. Raymond Daddazio

Dedicated Session: “Recent Developments in Progressive Collapse Research”
(Session Chairs: Dr. Mohammed Ettouney and Ms. Margaret Tang)

“An Analytical Tool for the Identification of the Type of Progressive Collapse Mode of Steel Moment Frames Subjected to Corner Column Removal,” by Dr. Simos Gerasimidis, Ms. Athina Spyridaki, Dr. George Deodatis (Columbia University), and Dr. Mohammed Ettouney

“Progressive Collapse of 3D Steel Moment Frames Due to Loss-of-Stability Phenomena,” by Dr. Simos Gerasimidis, Ms. Thaleia Kontoroupi, Dr. George Deodatis (Columbia University), and Dr. Mohammed Ettouney

“A Global Loss of Stability Study for Progressive Collapse of Tall Steel Moment Frames,” by Dr. Simos Gerasimidis, Mr. Yan Yan, Dr. George Deodatis (Columbia University), and Dr. Mohammed Ettouney

“Retrofit of Existing Buildings to Prevent Progressive Collapse,” by Dr. Macarena Schachter Adaros and Dr. Robert Smilowitz

“Progressive Collapse Considerations for Bridges,” by Dr. Mohammed Ettouney and Dr. Sreenivas Alampalli (NYSDOT)

Dedicated Session: “Objective Methods in Resilience Management”
(Session Chairs: Dr. Mohammed Ettouney and Ms. Margaret Tang)

“Resilience Management and Engineering Mechanics,” by Dr. Mohammed Ettouney

“Sustainability and Resilience in Infrastructure,” by Ms. Margaret Tang, Ms. Colleen Kirk, and Dr. Mohammed Ettouney

Open Session: “Modeling for Structural Response”

“A Fast Running Implosion Evaluation Tool,” by Dr. Najib Abboud, Dr. Pawel Woelke, Dr. Michael Shields, Mr. Kenneth Stultz Jr., Mr. Adam Hapij, and Mr. David Rubin

The Shock and Vibration Exchange (www.savecenter.org) was founded to serve as a clearinghouse for persons interested in shock and vibration and related specialties. The primary goals of SAVE are to maintain the continuity and offerings of the annual Shock and Vibration Symposium and to continue offering five-day shock courses.

Weidlinger Associates, Inc., is a structural engineering firm that designs and rehabilitates buildings, bridges, and infrastructure and provides special services in applied science, forensics, and physical security. The firm, which employees about 300 full-time staff, celebrated its 60th year in 2009. It is recognized worldwide for its innovative and practical design solutions and for its long-term commitment to advancing the state of the art in engineering. Headquartered in New York City, the firm has branch offices in the United States and the United Kingdom. For more information, please see www.wai.com.