Presentation at 2013 PICE National Midyear Convention

On June 28, 2013, I went to Subic Bay to present a paper entitled "How to estimate 'site-specific wind loads?'" at the 2013 National Midyear Convention of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers. It is essentially a more formal paper version of an article I posted here on this blog earlier. The full video of the presentation is below. (Note: The slides are in English but the presentation itself is in Filipino.)

A report I prepared back in 2005: for #ThrowbackThursday ?

Back in 2005, I was a Short-Term Fellow under what was then the 21st Century Center of Excellence Program (on Wind Effects on Buildings and Urban Environment) at Tokyo Polytechnic University, Atsugi, Japan. As part of the requirements during that two-month stint in Japan, I was asked to prepare a report that shows typhoon/wind damages and wind speed information for the Philippines. I also took it as a chance to prepare a document that could be used as a starting point for those (Filipinos, particularly) asking the question of whether they should even study typhoon/wind engineering, why, and is there anything they could use now (i.e. what have people actually done). Of course, many things have already happened since 2005, but I still see this as pretty good material -- I am using the material in it as an introduction to this wind engineering class lecture that I am currently delivering to undergraduate civil engineering majors at the University of the Philippines. I hope this becomes indeed of some use in our quest to "mitigate if not totally eliminate" typhoon/wind damages in the country.

You can download the Main Report (14.6Mb) from this link:
http://sdrv.ms/136hiR1
And the full Appendices (30.0Mb):
http://sdrv.ms/14uv2Rk

Detroit DIYer cooks up stronger, lighter steel... shames scientists?

Read this article on Engadget from back in 2011 first.

The non-(civil-)engineers, of course, are in high praise for the "little guy" one-upping the "big guys" (i.e. the scientists). Because, sure, stronger and lighter steel is good. And faster production time.

But hey, a DIYer discovering something is also almost effectively a scientist. An accidental one, maybe. But yeah, journalism is about sensationalization, so, framing it like he's "one of us" and not one of those stupid people who studied for years to get a PhD and did whatever else in his career who can't even discover this thing -- that's good for a journalistic publication. Touches people's emotions, certainly.

Recent tornado damages in the Philippines

This just happened. Again.

Response to a Reader Question... from 2007! About Billboards.

The e-mailer asked:

I was wondering if we could discuss billboards of the flexible type? I am a BS Geography student finishing my thesis right now and trying to find resource persons or key informants.

My thesis is about the hazards the billboards pose to human life and property. In line with my recommendations part, I wanted to seek alternatives on billboards, if not alternatives for the laws for it. Since I see that billboards can not really be wiped out, due to its economic contributions to the LGU or National government, your concepts are deemed vital.

The initial plan I have in mind is to interview you RE solutions we could make if and when billboards can not be banned totally.

Billboards proved to be something that can affect adversely the lives and properties of people. As a social scientist, I saw it very interesting to tackle but not really focus on the technical aspects of it. Flexibility is understood as a solution to the social problem.  

I replied:

Wind-Induced Vibrations Damage Pedestrian Bridge

"The first cable-stayed bridge in Minnesota——a 686 ft dedicated bicycle and pedestrian crossing over a busy six-lane road in Minneapolis——was greeted with fanfare when it opened in 2007. But on February 19, 2012, two of the cables detached from the Martin Olav Sabo Pedestrian Bridge when the cable diaphragm plate holding them to the main pylon fractured and a portion of the plate fell to the ground... A new report has determined that wind-induced vibrations caused the failure of a cable diaphragm plate."

Framework for structural damping predictor models based on stick-slip mechanism for use in wind-resistant design of buildings

Article to be published in the June 2013 issue (Vol. 117, pp. 25-37) of the Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics. It was published online on 12 May 2013. Co-authored by yours truly and my former PhD supervisor at Tokyo Polytechnic University and current International Association for Wind Engineering president, Prof. Yukio Tamura.

Abstract:

On stick-slip phenomenon as primary mechanism behind structural damping in wind-resistant design applications

Article published in the April 2013 issue (Vol. 115, pp. 121-136) of the Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics. It was published online on 5 March 2013. Co-authored by yours truly and my former PhD supervisor at Tokyo Polytechnic University and current International Association for Wind Engineering president, Prof. Yukio Tamura.

Abstract:

Not the smartest thing I've heard from a relatively very senior structural engineer... [UPDATED]

Talking to a group of wind engineers, a structural engineer with years of experience in structural design said:

"Can't you people reduce the wind loads? The columns on core walls in our 400-meter tall or higher buildings are 1.5 meters thick wide. These are too big."*

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: experience does not equal expertise.

---
* Note: This is not a verbatim quote.

6.5 hours of videos during the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011

Check 'em all out at this website:

http://ronjie-raw.blogspot.com/2013/03/65-hours-of-videos-from-great-east.html

Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected, especially those who are, to this day, still suffering due to this tragic event.

I *want* this wind visualization app!

It is very useful for education purposes. Or as a screensaver. :D  But it's too expensive for me. $0.99. Hehe. :D

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/windscape/id590200094?mt=8