Wittich aims to strengthen grain bins against earthquakes and wind gusts

When people think of structural engineering risks, they tend to imagine big city bridges, skyscrapers, etc., but rural America has major vulnerabilities that can cause major economic disruptions on a regional and even national level.

One researcher at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln focuses on a specific piece of structural engineering that is so ubiquitous across rural America, and barely noticed—the humble steel grain bin.

Christine Wittich, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, was awarded a five-year, $615,387 Faculty Early Career Development Program grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct this research.

Through her professional award, Wittich aims to improve the resilience of infrastructure and rural communities to natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes. It also incorporates an educational component to encourage rural students, who are generally less likely to go into engineering as a career, to see opportunities in the field firsthand at home.

The project is an outgrowth of Wittich's previous research following the tornado that struck parts of Iowa in 2020. That storm caused an estimated $11 billion in damage, making it the most damaging thunderstorm event in American history. Most of this damage was done to steel grain bins, with about 57 million bushels of stored grain destroyed.

Wittich began her career in California, where earthquake damage to statues was her initial interest. When she came to Nebraska in 2017, she noted that grain bins and center pivot irrigation systems were rural weaknesses.

“I quickly learned about windstorms…I became interested in the damage to the countryside. These structures seemed fairly weak, and not a lot of research had been done,” Wittich said.

There are an estimated 750,000 cereal boxes across the country; They are designed to withstand internal pressures, not wind or earthquakes. A single basket failure can result in losses exceeding $250,000, not including the basket itself. To make matters worse, crop insurance policies do not usually cover stored grains.

The funds are an essential part of the infrastructure of the U.S. agricultural economy and the food security of people across the country and the world, Wittich said. They are vulnerable to a range of damage, from even fairly moderate winds or earthquakes, from denting of walls or roof, to complete collapse and destruction.

“There is an urgent need to understand the response of agricultural infrastructure systems under extreme loads and evaluate the role of these systems in rural community resilience,” she said.

Wittich and her team are working to better understand how steel grain bins hold up under earthquake and wind loads through numerical modeling, large-scale experiments and other steps. This work will include research at Florida International University's Wall of Wind Research Facility, where banks of propellers can produce winds of up to 150 mph. Researchers will build actual boxes on site to see how they hold up.

The team will also experiment with earthquake simulation, using a seismic table in the Scott Engineering Center's Structures Laboratory, on which stepped boxes will be built that simulate ground movement during earthquakes.

Ultimately, Whitich's research could lead to different construction standards for funds.

Beyond that, Witich wants to create networking opportunities for middle and high school students, with the goal of encouraging more students from rural areas to pursue engineering.

“We will introduce them to structural engineering within their communities,” she said. “There is a marked disparity between students from rural areas who pursue engineering. It is much less than students from urban areas.”

A focus on agricultural areas can show students that engineering careers can be built in their home areas, not just in urban areas.

“Traditionally in structural engineering classes, we do case studies,” she said. “You look at the tall, jutting buildings or the long bridges. That's great, but that's not everyone's community.”

In her classes, Wittich will incorporate examples from small towns, including farming communities.

“Let's look at how the wind interacts with some of these other structures as well,” she said.

Witich also wants to promote awareness in rural communities through educational modules and a citizen science initiative for post-disaster reconnaissance reports. Since researchers can't scramble to every storm-stricken area, her project will include an app that farmers or other community residents can access to see past storm damage data and input new information. This information can help with further research.

This future research will include other types of agricultural infrastructure and other natural disasters. For example, a recent hurricane destroyed poultry housing in Florida, Wittich said.

The National Science Foundation's CAREER Award supports pre-service faculty who exemplify the role of educators and researchers through outstanding research, excellent teaching, and the integration of teaching and research.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://ianrnews.unl.edu/wittich-aims-strengthen-grain-bins-against-earthquakes-wind-storms 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