From NHERI Research to Engineering Practice
Engaging with NHERI's Technical Transfer Committee
Published on February 25, 2022
Aftermath of Dec. 2021 tornado outbreak in Kentucky. Photo by Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash.
It is immensely satisfying to see ones research idea leave the lab and enter common practice as a useful tool. Just recently, wind engineers were pleased to see that the ASCE 7-22 wind load standard added material based on recent research. Among other things, the new provisions define an elevated building and provide direction for calculating the wind loads for elevated-building supporting elements and the loads for the bottom surface of the elevated building. These specifications come directly from the NSF-funded NHERI project RAPID: Assessing the Performance of Elevated Wood Buildings, including Manufactured Housing, in Florida during 2018 Hurricane Michael, from PI Elaina Sutley of the University of Kansas.
The NHERI Network Coordination Office well understands the complexities of transferring engineering research into practice. The NCOs Technical Transfer Committee exists to ensure NHERI-affiliated researchers, especially early-career researchers, have the information and support they need to design implementable projects and shepherd their work into application.
The TTC is a group of 20 individuals, mostly engineers, who are experienced in design and the various aspects of technology transfer. The team reviews NHERI-affiliated research projects and encourages and facilitates research teams who have implementable results.
To have the TTC review your NHERI project or proposal, or if you have questions about technology transfer, contact the committee chair, Bill Holmes: ttc-inquiry@designsafe-ci.org.
Members of the committee are also available to speak at facility conferences and workshops.
Already, the TTC has conducted a wide-ranging investigation and analysis of NSF-NHERI funded projects. The 2021 Tech Transfer Phase 1 report is available in the NHERI DesignSafe Data Depot.
The committee is finalizing its 2022 Phase 2 report, which will be published shortly.
The TTC website provides the TTC committee roster, details about its review process, and helpful information about designing a research project for optimum technology transfer.
As part of NHERIs emphasis on technology transfer, the NCO is planning a tech-transfer themed publication. Stay tuned for details.