Structural Design for Disaster Resilience

Dr. Fahim H. Sadek, PhD., P.E.
Leader, Structures Group, Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Monday, April 7, 2014

This presentation provides an overview of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s research on disaster resilience of buildings, infrastructure, and communities, including component programs and projects.  These programs include fire risk reduction in communities, fire risk reduction in buildings, earthquake risk reduction in buildings and infrastructure, and structural performance under multi-hazards.  NIST’s efforts aim at developing the scientific basis required to enable technological innovation, improve predictive capabilities, and improve codes, standards, and practices for the cost-effective improvement of disaster resilience, including life-safety and reduction of property loss due to natural and man-made hazards.  Special emphasis will be provided for two key research efforts related to structural design for disaster resilience currently underway at the NIST.  These include mitigation of disproportionate collapse and fire performance of structures.  For each effort, an overview will be provided, followed by details of recent work carried out by the NIST including experiments and computational studies for the assessment of disproportionate collapse potential and the design and construction of the National Fire Research Laboratory (NFRL).

Dr. Sadek is the Leader of the Structures Group at the Engineering Laboratory, NIST.  He received his Ph.D. in structural engineering from Southern Methodist University in 1996 and has worked at NIST since then.  Dr. Sadek has extensive experience in finite element modeling and computer simulation of linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic structural response, particularly for structures subjected to seismic, wind, impact, and other extreme loads.  His research specialties include mitigation of progressive structural collapse, structural dynamics and earthquake engineering, active and passive structural control, and wind engineering and structural reliability.  Dr. Sadek is the author and co-author of more than eighty technical publications.  Dr. Sadek is the recipient of the Department of Commerce’s Gold Medal Award in 2005 for his role in conducting the NIST federal building and fire safety investigation of the World Trade Center disaster and the Department of Commerce’s Silver Medal Award in 2007 for his role in conducting the NIST reconnaissance following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Dr. Sadek also received the Department of Commerce’s Special Act Award for his contributions to the investigation of the World Trade Center Building 7 collapse in 2008 and the Building and Fire Research Laboratory Communication Award in 2002.  In 2012, he received the ASCE’s Moisseiff Award.