Geotechnical Design has traditionally been done using working stress design (WSD), a design approach in which a factor
of safety is used to either magnify the applied loads or reduce the available resistance to ensure safety. In WSD,
all the uncertainties are lumped in the factor of safety. Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) is an approach in
which the uncertainties related to the imposed loads are accounted for by magnifying these loads, while the uncertainties
involved in reducing resistances are accounted for by reducing the resistances.
Sybil Sharvelle, environmental graduate student, received the Greeley and Hansen Elmer F. Ballotti Memorial Fellowship and the Association of University Women Dissertation Fellowship.
Ph.D. student Victor M. Nakano was selected as the poster winner in the multidisciplinary category for his work on "Multizone Modeling to Predict Contaminant Dispersion within a Healthcare Facility" at the 2006 St. Vincent Hospitals and Health Services Research Symposium, held on June 7, 2006.
Purdue researcher uses remote sensing to study environmental and property related issues in the aftermath of Texas coast hurricanes, monitor endangered species' habitats at Kennedy Space Center, assess earthquake damage in Algeria, and map wildfires in the Australian outback.
Three Purdue researchers put their heads and labs together under the umbrella project of using UV radiation to treat drinking water, their collaboration became a breakthrough.
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are a group of chemicals added to many products, including computers, TVs and household textiles, in order to reduce fire risk. The widespread production and use of BFRs are raising concerns due to evidence of increasing contamination of the environment, wildlife, and people; and limited knowledge of potential effects heighten the importance of identifying emerging issues associated with the use of BFRs.
In our Fall 2005 issue of Impact you will read how well-paved roadways can lead to energy savings, how more women break into engineering fields once reserved for men, how energy demands call for civil engineers, plus much more.
Purdue University is already earning dividends on the new Robert L. and Terry L. Bowen Laboratory for Large-Scale Civil Engineering Research, a high-tech facility that was dedicated today (Friday, 10/3).