Investment in UTSA’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Pays Off | UTSA today | UTSA

Much of the research to support this ambition is being done in the university’s Large-Scale Testing Laboratory (LSTL), under the direction of Wassim Ghanoum, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. This 15,000-square-foot facility supports a wide range of research initiatives, including providing robust support for geotechnical and structural engineering projects such as bridges. The laboratory also creates new building components and materials needed for increasingly complex developments.

A laboratory of this size gives UTSA the ability to test large-scale systems and components spanning up to 70 feet. The laboratory has two 30-ton cranes for loading, unloading and transporting heavy samples. The large capacity hydraulic power unit provides the ability for civil and structural engineering researchers to simulate a wide range of problems including high cycle stress, earthquakes and blast loads. The LSTL has a 40 x 80 foot reaction floor for testing loads of up to four million pounds of force, making it the strongest reaction floor in the country.

“In terms of physical abilities, we have one of the best skeletal testing labs in the country,” Ghannoum said. “The pandemic has limited our access and use of the large-scale laboratory, but we are in the process of enhancing our equipment so that we can do different types of tests and have test equipment that matches the capabilities of the laboratory.”

Adding Key Personnel to the LSTL A full-time technician ensures students follow safety procedures when using laboratory equipment. The technician is also tasked with maintaining all of this advanced testing equipment to reduce downtime.

“The extensive testing lab research capabilities give our students excellent opportunities to develop skills that prepare them for careers in academia or in private business,” Browning said.

UTSA also invests in additional work experiences for engineering students. The Makerspace is located on the ground floor of the recently completed Science and Engineering Building, which provides a unique collaborative environment for students working on a range of projects. The 17,000 square foot facility features a wide range of tools so students can maximize their experiential learning opportunities. Engineering essentials include meeting space, a design studio, and an extensive machine shop. The 3D printing room contains several machines that print everything from basic plastic designs to complex metallic configurations.

“When the campus returns to normal operation, our engineering students will spend countless hours in the Makerspace working with senior design teams and presenting the presentation to project sponsors,” Browning said. “This unique learning area is designed to give our engineering students every opportunity to think big and succeed in completing their projects.”

Makerspace in the recently completed Science and Engineering Building features a 3D printing room that includes machines like these FormLabs 3D printers.

However, some of the most important advances in structural engineering come from sources other than traditional testing equipment, such as computer simulation. Arturo Montoya, associate professor with dual appointments in the departments of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, uses supercomputers to predict the impact of various events such as earthquakes on structures. Montoya is also doing this type of research for NASA in its early stages of developing human habitats for the Moon and Mars.

“My expertise is in computational mechanics, so I use computers to analyze structures,” said Montoya. “I take a structure and break it into little bits. You have to do calculations in all those little things. That’s what makes it a waste of time, but it’s really the only way to get a reliable solution to this problem.”

Montoya’s work requires massive processing capabilities that only a supercomputer can handle. UTSA has one of these computers in the Advanced Visualization Laboratory, or VizLab. The computer, known as Shamu, uses a combination of high-powered servers to process computational nodes that produce a visual simulation of how the structure will perform under duress from high winds, earthquakes or storms.

“The computations are complex and time-consuming,” Montoya said. “It takes at least five days to create a simulation that lasts a minute or less. Some simulations have taken 21 days to process. It is essential to have access to that kind of computational power to do the research we do for UTSA and special projects.”

To ensure UTSA could provide faculty and students with the computing power required by a leading research institute, Shamu was replaced. The University’s Research Computing Support Group (RCSG) will soon introduce Arcticus, or Arc for short. Named after the red giant star in the northern hemisphere of Earth’s sky, the Arc features several new features to enhance speed and reliability over Shamu. It is currently in beta testing mode and scheduled to be available to faculty and students in fall 2021.

Montoya appreciates the skilled maintenance support that RCSG provides to keep the supercomputer running. It is one of the factors that puts UTSA at an advantage when competing with other universities for research grants.

“It is essential to have a supportive structure to succeed in research,” Montoya reiterated. “Each proposal requires you to list your equipment and facilities. If you do not have excellent equipment, facilities and support, that plays an important role in our success in obtaining research funding.”

Investments in supercomputers, Makerspace and the untapped potential of a large-scale testing laboratory have factored into UTSA’s success in attracting top faculty, students, and more research projects. For example, in August 2020, the university welcomed the famous researcher Arturo Schulz. He joined UTSA from the University of Minnesota to become Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Robert F. McDermott Distinguished Chair in Engineering.

Outstanding faculty members like Schulz mean that top students will follow.

“We have a Fulbright student coming to UTSA in the fall. He just got accepted. These are students who can get into any university in the US. They chose to come to UTSA,” Matamoros said. “They see our faculty and they are excited about their credentials. They see our facilities and are excited about what we have. Combining the two is what it takes to be a leading research university.”

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.utsa.edu/today/2021/07/story/investment-civil-environmental-engineering-pays-dividends.html The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos