Design and testing of subscale concrete frame to demonstrate applicability of testing method under SBIR Phase I grant

Weidlinger Associates was awarded a Small Business Innovative Research Phase I grant to develop improved methods for assessing the potential for progressive collapse of damaged buildings. The project demonstrated the applicability of small-scale testing methods to the field of progressive collapse. It also focused on the use of progressive collapse modeling software to represent joint connections. As part of this project, Weidlinger designed and tested a subscale reinforced-concrete frame that was fabricated by SRI International and tested in the centrifuge at the Engineer Research and Development Center. The testing is a key component in the development of accurate and validated software tools for assessing a structure's potential for progressive failure. Joint model studies using Weidlinger’s NLFlex software laid the foundation for future development in a later phase of this project of more accurate joint representations. These efforts have helped to increase the accuracy of Weidlinger's ProCAT software program, a fast-running tool that provides high-fidelity collapse assessments. Extending the range and applicability of ProCAT software benefits security planners and government organizations charged with counterterrorist missions.

Completion Date: 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Owner or Client: Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
Prime Consultant(s): WAI Prime