Led by Oregon State University, a multidisciplinary research collaborative has completed a series of large-scale tests to determine fire behavior in mass timber structures. The findings are expected to fill gaps in knowledge about the design of mass timber construction, inform building codes for multistory mass timber structures, and augment knowledge about smoke, emissions, char formation, and structural integrity.
The chief counsel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Melody Drummond Hansen, met on campus with transportation experts from the College of Engineering in October.
In 2023, wind turbines generated upwards of 425,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity in the United States, enough to run more than 39 million average American homes. Wind is the country’s largest renewable energy source, representing about 10% of all electricity production.
Oregon State University researchers are helping preserve the legacy of Silver Falls State Park by using three-dimensional scanning to produce digital replicas of the park’s historical structures.
The work is especially timely given the increasing frequency of wildfires in Oregon and throughout the West, with fires destroying similar historical structures at Jawbone Flats in the Opal Creek Wilderness and at Breitenbush Hot Springs in Oregon in 2020.
When we think about our health, we are likely to think about the food we eat, activities we do, and hours we sleep each night. But the buildings we spend time in – our homes, schools, and workplaces – also have a huge effect on our health.
For example, just look at two recent crises, said Parichehr Salimifard, assistant professor of architectural engineering–mechanical engineering track and Culbertson Faculty Scholar.
