On February 22, 2011, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Canterbury region of New Zealand, devastating the city of Christchurch and killing 185 people in one of the nation’s deadliest disasters. The event was a follow-up to a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in the region on September 4, 2010, and along with a number of powerful aftershocks, caused billions of dollars in damage and left many areas of Christchurch, the nation’s third largest city, inhabitable.

The primary reason for the extensive damage was significant liquefaction that affected the eastern suburbs of the city, an event where soil behaves like liquid in response to the seismic shaking. The damage caused by the liquefaction was estimated to be as high as $30 billion as the nation continues to struggle to rebuild the eastern parts of the city.

In an effort to rebuild and prepare for future seismic events, the country’s Earthquake Commission has funded an extensive ground improvement research trial to “find a balance between improving land and foundation design to contribute to cost effective, construction solutions and better outcome for home-owners.”

The research team, made up of leading engineers from around the world, recently gathered in New Zealand for a two-week controlled blasting trial, simulating the events of an earthquake through a series of land explosions. As part of the research team, Oregon State University School of Civil and Construction Engineering geomatics engineers Mike Olsen and Dan Gillins, along with graduate assistant Kengo Kato, joined the group to provide LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) mapping data for the study.

“It was a great opportunity to do full-scale testing,” Gillins said. “As a group we were able to use explosives to re-create a large amount of soil liquefaction, similar to the amount caused by an earthquake event, in order to see how various improvement techniques to structures, pipelines, and foundation systems performed. This type of testing is rare and the results will undoubtedly increase our understanding of how to design and construct systems that are resistant to liquefaction.”

In their role during the two-week testing, the OSU geomatics researchers used LiDAR scanning to create highly accurate and

detailed, three-dimensional before-and-after maps of the testing area. From there, the research team will use the maps to analyze the land and structural deformations in order to determine how various improvement techniques held up after the blasts induced liquefaction.

“The data provided by Dan, Mike and Kengo will inform the decision-makers in New Zealand about how to move forward with reconstructing the area,” said OSU Civil and Construction Engineering School Head Scott Ashford, who is an adviser for the project. “It’s a several-billion dollar decision, and the LiDAR data plays an extremely important role.”

(...continued, page 3)

MAPPING A PATH FOR THE FUTURE

CCE NEWSFALL/WINTER 2013

LIDAR SCANNING (LIKE THIS IMAGE FROM JAPAN) WILL AID THE RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS IN NEW ZEALAND.

School of Civil & Construction Engineering

WELCOME TO CCE NEWSWelcome to the first edition of CCE News, the newsletter for the Oregon State University School of Civil and Construction Engineering. After

serving on other assignments for nearly two years (first as interim dean for the OSU College of Engineering, then on sabbatical), I am excited to return to my role as school head. I am thankful to Professor David Trejo for stepping up in my absence, and I continue to be amazed by the outstanding work of our students, faculty and staff. Their efforts allow the school tomake an impact, not just in Oregon, but across the country and around the world.For instance, geomatic engineering professors Mike Olsen and Dan Gillins (page 1) recently returned from a two-week trip to New Zealand where they teamed with leading engineers for a study on earthquake and soil liquefaction. Their efforts will lead to a better understanding of what types of structures could survive a soil liquefaction event, possibly saving billions of dollars in future damages while allowing the region to rebuild from the catastrophic 2010-2011 Christchurch earthquake swarm. As our school continues to grow, we welcome three new, world-class faculty members. They join a team of devoted faculty and staff that help students like Sara Quitugua (page 3) grow into leaders in the industry. In addition, our faculty continue to be recognized for their outstanding work, including Bob Schultz, who earned the 2013 Society Award for Surveying and Mapping from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Finally, our industry ties remain strong as companies work with the school and student chapters to conduct seemingly nightly speaker meetings, giving students the chance to learn about industry from real-world professionals. The meetings are just one example of how these relationships help our students forge a long and successful career path in the industry. It is an exciting time to be a part of Beaver Nation, and I hope you have the chance to return to campus soon. Feel free to drop me a line at any time, as I am always excited to hear about the excellent work our alumni and friends are doing around the world.Go Beavs!

Scott A. AshfordKearney Professor of EngineeringSchool Head

Shane Brown - Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Oregon State University, 2005Brown’s research interests are in cognition and learning, with a particular emphasis on conceptual change and situated cognition. His conceptual change research examines why concepts are harder to learn than others and how to develop environments that facilitate understanding, particularly within transportation and solid and fluid mechanics. His situated cognition research explores differences in ways of knowing

and how core concepts are used in engineering practice. His efforts to develop and assess research-based educational interventions aim to enhance success and improve how they assimilate complex engineering concepts. Brown has more than five years of professional engineering experience. He has been recognized for both his research and teaching expertise, with a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the prestigious ASCE ExCEEd New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award.

Daniel Gillins - Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Utah, 2012 Gillins’ current areas of research include geospatial data management, land tenure systems, boundary surveys and law, and geologic hazard mapping. Recently, he developed new liquefaction hazard mapping techniques to estimate the probability and uncertainty of liquefaction-induced ground failure under funding provided by the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program. He was also

instrumental in mapping site- specific strong ground motions during an assessment of seismic vulnerability of University of Utah buildings, a project funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Utah Department of Homeland Security. As a result of his research accomplishments, he received the Wayne Brown Fellowship, the largest fellowship bestowed by the College of Engineering at the University of Utah. In addition, Gillins has more than ten years of practical experience working in cadastral surveying where he led numerous large-scale and complex geodetic control and land-line survey projects for the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

Sal Hernandez - Ph.D., Transportation Infrastructure Systems Engineering, Purdue University, 2010 Hernández’s research and teaching interests encompass transportation and infrastructure systems, including large-scale freight networks. Specifically, he uses mathematical and econometric modeling to understand the safety, security, environmental impacts, and corresponding policy implications within the transportation sector. He

is developing novel modeling and assessment tools that will integrate traffic safety early in the transportation planning process to mitigate crashes and reduce infrastructure costs. In addition to his research efforts, Hernández has served in leadership positions for the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. At the University of Texas at El Paso, he was co-principal investigator for a multi-million dollar research partnership funded by the Department of Agriculture that aims to increase opportunities for Hispanic students pursuing careers in sustainable energy.

CCE WELCOMES THREE NEW FACULTY MEMBERS

BOB SCHULTZ RECEIVED THE 2013 SOCIETY AWARD FOR SURVEYING AND MAPPING FROM ASCE (see panel on right).

Civil & Construction Engineering

The LiDAR data is just one aspect of a study that has taken an organized, coordinated and creative approach. “The project has involved a number of people with various areas of expertise,” Olsen said. “It has required a lot of ideas and discussion and truly is a world-wide effort.”

The effort should yield world-wide results. With numerous areas around the globe at great risk of liquefaction due to major earthquakes, including the Willamette Valley

in Oregon, the project will give engineers a great idea of what types of construction techniques could withstand a significant, liquefaction event.

“The research the group is doing will have a tremendous impact,” Ashford said. “While helping New Zealand rebuild, it has the potential to save billions of dollars in future damage to the country and in seismic areas around the world.”

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT - SARA qUITUGUASara Quitugua, a junior in construction engineering management in our school, is heavily involved in the College of Engineering, serving as a COE Ambassador and is the social chair for the Associated General Contractors of America Student Chapter. She recently sat down with CCE News to talk about her experiences at Oregon State University. YOU GREW UP IN MEDFORD, ORE. WHAT DREW YOU TO OSU AND CCE?“I always knew I wanted to attend OSU, and in high school I took a skills test that showed a career in engineering might be right for me. I’ve always wanted to have a hand in creating things; so, after learning what the civil and construction engineering program at OSU had to offer, I realized it would be a great fit for what I wanted to accomplish during my career.”OVER THE SUMMER YOU INTERNED AT PERLO CONSTRUCTION. HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE?“It was such a terrific experience. I had the opportunity to see everything that went into a construction project and have had a chance to apply what I have learned so far at OSU. I was able to interact with everyone involved in the construction process and I really learned a lot about myself as well. They treated me like part of the family and I’m excited to go back this winter.” WHY IS THE INTERNSHIP WORK EXPERIENCE IMPORTANT?“There is so much to learn about the industry outside of the classroom. Internships, such as the one at Perlo, have given me a great idea of what I want to do for a living. They give you an opportunity to see how the industry works and how to be more professional and assertive.”HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST TWO YEARS AT OSU?“I have really enjoyed my time. The opportunities I have had at OSU have been tremendous. I am excited about what is ahead, and OSU has played a huge role in preparing me for my future career.”

LIDAR CONTINUED...

SARA qUITUGUA (CENTER) WORKED WITH PERLO CONSTRUCTION PROjECT MANAGERS TYLER MILDREN (LEFT) AND CHRIS GREGG (RIGHT) THIS PAST SUMMER.

CCE NEWS AND NOTESBOB J. SCHULTZ WINS PRESTIGIOUS ASCE AWARDBob J. Schultz, longtime CCE geomatics faculty member, was recently honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers with the prestigious 2013 Society Award for Surveying and Mapping. Schultz received the honor “for devotion and contributions to the advancement of surveying and mapping, particularly in providing leadership, standards and educational opportunities to the profession of Geodetic Sciences.”

JOHN GAMBATESE NAMED OEG FACULTY FELLOWThe fellowship, made possible through a generous gift by the Oregon Electric Group, will support Prof. John Gambatese’s research and work in the areas of construction design and safety.Gambatese has been a leader in a variety of construction design research topics, primarily focusing on safety and health, innovation, automation, alternative contracting methods and sustainability.“Safety is the first priority of the construction industry and we are excited to help support Oregon State University’s and Prof. Gambatese’s research in this area,” said Jeff Thiede, CEO of Oregon Electric Group.Prof. Gambatese will use the award to aid in his research and study for a number of ongoing projects, including the safety of motorists and workers in construction zones; design, safety and re-use of temporary formwork for casting concrete; and risk and safety assessments associated with the construction of mechanical and electrical systems in building designs.

UPCOMING EVENTSFEB. 20 - OSU Engineering Career FairFEB. 21 - Oregon Stater AwardsMARCH 6 - PDX CCE Graduation ExpoJUNE 13 - CCE Graduation CelebrationJUNE 14 - OSU Commencement

SPEAKER MEETINGS PROVIDE STUDENTS A GLIMPSE INTO INDUSTRY

IN THIS ISSUE OF CCE NEWSWELCOME TO CCE NEWSA message from CCE School Head and Kearney Professor of Engineering Scott Ashford.

MAPPING A PATH FOR THE FUTUREOSU researchers use LiDAR scanning to understand how structures respond to a soil liquefaction event.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTSara Quitugua sits down to discuss her time at OSU and her recent internship with Perlo Construction.

NEW FACULTY JOIN CCECCE welcomes three new faculty members.

CCE NEWS AND NOTES News briefs from around the school.

INDUSTRY SPEAKER MEETINGS Industry partners provide OSU students an opportunity to learn about the construction industry.

CCE News is written and produced by Michael Collins, marketing and communications contact for the Oregon State University School of Civil and Construction Engineering. Comments and questions about this publication can be sent to michael.collins@oregonstate.edu.

Abbott ConstructionAdvanced AmericanAGC Oregon – ColumbiaAndersen ConstructionApollo MechanicalBarnard ConstructionBMWC Constructors, Inc.BNBuildersBoeingBuild GroupCH2M HillCharter ConstructionCondon-Johnson & AssociatesContech Engineered SolutionsCity of BeavertonDavid Evans & AssociatesDCI EngineersEnergy NorthwestFederal Highway AdministrationFortis ConstructionGeorgia-PacificGeotechnical Resources, Inc.Granite Construction

Hamilton ConstructionHenkels & McCoyHensel PhelpsHoffman ConstructionHoward S. WrightHydro Temp MechanicalIntelJE Dunn ConstructionKiewit UndergroundKPFF ConsultingKramer-GehlenLease Crutcher LewisMackenzieMadden & BaughmanMcCarthy ConstructionMcKinstryMortensen ConstructionMurray, Smith & AssociatesODOTParametrixPCI ConstrcutionPCL ConstructionPerformance Contracting

R&H ConstructionRobinson ConstructionS.D. DeaconShimmick ConstructionSkanskaSlayden ConstructionSNC LavalinSSOE GroupTCMTobolski Watkins EngineeringTodd Hess BuildingTraylor BrothersTurner ConstructionUnion Pacific RailroadWH PacificWalsh ConstructionWhiting-Turner Contracting

The start of the fall 2013 term coincided with the annual tradition in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering of industry partners and organizations coming onto campus to conduct ‘speaker meetings’ with CCE students. Working with the school and student chapters for organizations such as AGC and ASCE, the speaker meetings give students the chance to learn about the industry directly from real-world professionals in a classroom setting. The meetings also serve as an opportunity for industry partners to learn more about students interested in their company or organization. Often, industry partners will organize on-campus interviews for full-time and intern positions to coincide with their speaker meetings, giving students a chance to break into the industry.To learn more about speaker meetings, or to schedule a visit, contact Lauren Farmen, Outreach and Industry Relations Coordinator, at lauren.farmen@oregonstate.edu, or 541-737-4096.

The following is a list of companies to visit CCE during the fall 2013 term to participate in opportunities such as speaker meetings and Meet-A-Civil Engineer Day:

School of Civil & Construction EngineeringOregon State University101 Kearney HallCorvallis, OR 97331