MRI: Acquisition of 3D Laser Scanner for Research Evaluating Structural and Agronomic Damage from Catastrophic Meteorological Events in "Tornado Alley"

西德克萨斯农工大学(WTAMU)通过这项重大研究仪器(MRI)奖购买了一台Faro X330激光扫描仪，这使跨学科的研究人员能够快速准确地收集和保存由强风风暴造成的易腐烂的损坏数据，在这些数据中，出于安全考虑或由于访问、时间和人员的限制，传统的(接触)测量无法完成。激光扫描快速提供损坏情况的永久记录，以便随后进行详细分析，包括风对建筑物造成的损坏和雷暴对农作物造成的损坏。这种对受损结构的分析使调查人员能够确定龙卷风的强度，因为直接测量龙卷风风速既困难又危险。增强藤田(EF)等级(美国官方龙卷风强度测量标准)的风速目前仅基于估计，需要验证或修订，以便工程师能够设计出提供更高安全性、弹性和经济性的结构。在年轻的本科工程课程中购买激光扫描仪的教师和学生，以增加在高水平(国际)国家研究工作中的角色，帮助WTAMU(标题III下的合格机构)扩大未被充分代表的群体参与教育和研究的目标。WTAMU通过NSF赞助的新的NHERI DesignSafe-ci.org数据库共享损害信息，从而促进了与其他国家和国际危害研究人员的合作。USDA-ARS保护与生产研究实验室的科学家与工程和农业科学本科生和研究生以及教职员工之间的互动将因这一新机会而进一步加强。激光扫描仪将用于获取龙卷风破坏结构的全面3D模型。结构构件尺寸和变形的测量将与有限元建模软件一起使用，以确定结构的阻力以及产生观察到的破坏所需的相关风压和风速。这些结果将为EF尺度中的风速提供必要的验证或修正。激光扫描仪将允许调查人员以类似的方式估计受飓风破坏的建筑物的阻力，从而通过考虑飓风海岸建筑物的阻力增加来帮助调查人员扩大用于飓风的EF标度。农业研究人员将使用激光扫描仪测量多种高平原作物的植物生长、密度和冠层覆盖率，并进行行距、水分条件、品种和养分施用等各种处理；非侵入性的远程测量允许简化和更健壮的实验设计。使用位于德克萨斯州灌木丛的USDA-ARS保护和生产研究实验室(CPRL)的研究地块，用扫描仪测量的作物成熟和生长效率可以与质量增加相关，CPRL的大型称重蒸渗仪表明，在恶劣天气后立即进行作物损害的实际田间测量通常是不可行的；然而，非侵入性的远程扫描可能会在植物恶化之前通知调查人员实际的风暴破坏情况，可能会导致更具弹性的基因类型。这种做法符合发展精密技术以更有效地种植作物，同时减少对环境的不利影响的大趋势。

Acquisition of a FARO X330 laser scanner by West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) through this Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award enables cross-disciplinary researchers to rapidly and accurately collect and preserve perishable damage data resulting from the action of severe wind storms where traditional (contact) measurements cannot be accomplished due to safety concerns or due to limitations on access, time, and personnel. Laser scanning rapidly provides a permanent record of damage conditions for subsequent detailed analysis, including wind-induced damage to structures and thunderstorm-induced damage to agricultural crops. Such analysis of damaged structures enables investigators to determine the intensity of tornado winds since direct measurements of tornado wind speeds are difficult and dangerous to obtain. Wind speeds in the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale (the official U.S. measure of tornado intensity) are currently based on only estimates and are in need of validation or revision so that engineers can design structures that provide improved safety, resilience, and economy. Acquisition of the laser scanner postures faculty and students in the young, undergraduate engineering program for increased roles in high-level (inter) national research efforts, aiding the goal of WTAMU (an Eligible Institution under Title III Hispanic Serving Institution) in broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in education and research. Collaboration with other national and international hazards researchers is facilitated by WTAMUs sharing of damage information through the new NSF-sponsored NHERI DesignSafe-ci.org data repository. Interaction between scientists at USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory with undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in engineering and agricultural sciences will additionally be enhanced with this new opportunity.The laser scanner will be used to acquire comprehensive 3D models of tornado-damaged structures. Measurements of structural member sizes and deformations will be used along with finite-element modeling software to determine the resistance of the structure and the associated wind pressure and wind speed required to produce the observed damages. These results will provide necessary validation or revisions for wind speeds in the EF Scale. The laser scanner will allow investigators to similarly estimate the resistance of hurricane-damaged structures thereby assisting investigators in expanding the EF Scale for use in hurricanes by accounting for the increased resistance of structures along the hurricane coast. Agricultural researchers will use the laser scanner to measure plant growth, density, and canopy cover of multiple High Plains crops with such various treatments as row spacing, water regimen, variety, and nutrient application; the nonintrusive remote measurements allow for simplified and more robust experimental designs. Using research plots at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory (CPRL) at Bushland, TX, crop maturation and growth efficiency measured with the scanner can be correlated with mass gain as indicated by the large weighing lysimeters at CPRL It is often not feasible to make actual field measurements of crop damage immediately following severe weather; however noninvasive remote scanning may inform investigators of actual storm damage conditions prior to plant deterioration, possibly leading to more resilient genotypes. This approach is consistent with the general trend of developing precision technology to more efficiently grow crops while at the same time reducing adverse impacts on the environment.