System-level Multi-element Analysis of Structures using Hybrid-simulation (SMASH) Lab

土木结构是复杂的不确定系统，在其使用寿命期间会受到各种荷载的组合（例如，活荷载、风荷载、地震荷载）。为了了解结构在组合载荷和极端事件下的行为，并确保准确，高效和安全的设计，研究人员依靠实验测试。进行这些实验的最全面的方法是在全尺寸下对整个结构进行测试，然而，这既耗时又昂贵。或者，研究人员传统上依赖于组件级实验，其中完整系统的子组件在理想化的边界条件和负载下进行测试。这种过于简单化的方法试图建立对组件级行为的完整理解，但在系统级结构性能方面存在重大知识缺口，导致设计效率低下，成本较高，并可能存在安全风险。 为了应对这一挑战，混合仿真有可能通过结合实验测试和计算机建模来改变土木结构的研究方式。这允许在实验室中在真实的载荷和边界条件下测试其行为尚未得到很好理解的结构的临界载荷，其中包括通过数值建模建立的结构其余部分的影响。多个物理测试可以连接到一个通用的计算机模型，以形成一个分布式混合仿真网络，从而能够对结构的更大部分进行准确的物理测试。这代表了一个具有成本效益的替代测试的一个完整的结构系统，可以推进我们的理解，如何复杂的结构行为下的组合和极端的负载，在组件和系统的水平，导致更准确和成本效益的设计，降低风险水平。 该NSERC RTI提案旨在通过支持购买液压控制器和软件包来实现多元素混合仿真，从而改变皇后结构实验室的发现，创新和培训能力。此外，购买的设备将连接到皇后地质工程实验室，形成一个分布式混合模拟网络。该网络将是加拿大第一个此类网络，具有以下独特能力：（1）在一个设施中测试多个全尺寸的土壤，（2）在混合模拟中包括复杂的土壤-结构相互作用，以及（3）将联合收割机混合模拟与最新的分布式传感技术相结合。这个独特的网络有望在我们对土木结构全面行为的基本科学理解方面取得重大进展，并为HQP提供尖端的实践培训机会。丰富的培训环境结合了结构和岩土工程方面的专业知识，这将促进创新和合作，并将为HQP在行业或学术界的职业生涯提供有市场的技能。

Civil structures are complex indeterminate systems that are subjected to a combination of loads over their service lives (e.g. live, wind, earthquake). To understand how structures behave under combined loads and extreme events and ensure accurate, efficient, and safe designs, researchers rely on experimental testing. The most comprehensive approach to conduct these experiments is to test a structure in its entirety at full-scale, however, this is time consuming and costly. Alternatively, researchers have traditionally relied on component-level experiments, in which a subassembly of the complete system is tested with idealized boundary conditions and loading. This overly simplistic approach seeks to establish a complete understanding of component-level behaviour but leaves significant knowledge gaps surrounding system-level structural performance that lead to inefficient designs, higher costs, and possible safety risks. To address this challenge, hybrid simulation has the potential to transform the way that civil structures are studied by combining experimental testing and computer modelling. This allows critical subassemblies of a structure whose behaviour is not well understood to be tested in the lab under realistic loading and boundary conditions that include the influence of the rest of the structure established through numerical modelling. Multiple physical tests can be connected to a common computer model to form a distributed hybrid simulation network, enabling accurate physical testing of a larger portion of the structure. This represents a cost-effective alternative to testing of a complete structural system that can advance our understanding of how complex structures behave under combined and extreme loads, at the component- and system-levels, leading to more accurate and cost effective designs with reduced levels of risk. This NSERC RTI proposal aims to transform the discovery, innovation, and training capability of the Structures Laboratory at Queen's by supporting the purchase of a hydraulic controller and software package to enable multi-element hybrid simulation. Moreover, the purchased equipment will be connected to the GeoEngineering Laboratory at Queen's to form a distributed hybrid simulation network. The network will be the first of its kind in Canada, with the unique ability to: (1) test multiple full-scale subassemblies in one facility, (2) include complex soil-structure interaction in the hybrid simulation, and (3) combine hybrid simulation with the latest in distributed sensing technologies. This unique network is expected to make major advances in our fundamental scientific understanding of the full-scale behaviour of civil structures and offer cutting-edge hands-on training opportunities for HQP. The rich training environment combines expertise in structural and geotechnical engineering that will foster innovation and collaboration and will prepare HQP with marketable skills for careers in industry or academia.