MRI: Acquisition of a State-of-the-Art Servohydraulic Structure Test System to Enhance Engineering Research and Research Education at San Francisco State University

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The objective of this Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award is to acquire a state-of-the-art servo-hydraulic structure test system that will serve to continue building research capacity in the School of Engineering at San Francisco State University (SFSU) and to expand faculty and student research opportunities. The requested instrument will be used to establish robust, experimentally-driven research programs at the forefront of seismic hazard mitigation and wireless sensor technology and will comprise a key addition to the existing Structure and Earthquake Laboratory. Specific research programs that will be supported include: real time hybrid simulation, seismic retrofitting of timber residential buildings, vibration energy harvesting for wireless sensors, and energy-efficient wireless sensor networks. In addition to these existing research projects, the instrument will provide investigators at SFSU the platform to collaborate on long-awaited research in seismic hazard mitigation and structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure, including error quantification in real-time hybrid simulation, self-centering structural systems, wireless sensor networks, cyber-structural testing platform development, and tilt table control that is central to space simulation. It will provide investigators at SFSU the necessary platform to collaborate both nationally and internationally and to continue to build nationally-known student training programs.If successful, the acquired instrument will significantly enhance the research capability in engineering at one of the nation?s most ethnically and culturally diverse universities (60.1% minority; 37.5% underrepresented minorities) that is known for its engagement, opportunity and scholarly activity. It will advance the research careers of the researchers at SFSU by enabling them to bridge the gap between theoretical development and experimental validation. A website will be created to share and showcase instrument-enabled research and educational outcomes with the scientific community. Moreover, the instrumentation will provide a vehicle for reaching out to the broader scientific community to advance engineering discovery by partnering with emerging leaders in the field both nationally and internationally. The instrument will be integrated into the existing undergraduate and graduate engineering curriculum. Enabled by the state-of-the-art equipment, students will engage in cutting-edge research, thereby gaining a leading edge when applying for competitive positions in industry or Ph.D. programs. It will add a research focus to the already strong teaching program, positioning the School of Engineering to emerge as one of the premier engineering programs in the country. The instrument acquisition will strengthen already-established programs with the premier Hispanic-serving institution Cañada College and provide its students with unparalleled opportunities to conduct summer research. Overall, the instrument will pave the way to increase diversity while training the next generation of highly skilled entrepreneurs in the engineering-driven technologies of the future.