Dr. Grace Yan, associate professor of structural engineering and director of the Center for Hazard Mitigation and Community Resilience, is a co-principal investigator (co-PI) on a $14 million NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 grant (Mid-scale RI-1). The project, led by Iowa State University, is titled “National Testing Facility for Enhancing Wind Resiliency of Infrastructure in Tornado-Downburst-Gust Front Events (NEWRITE).”  The focus of the project will design a university-based facility that simulates realistic wind fields found in these windstorms. It will also enable physical testing of their effects on civil infrastructure using mid- to full-scale models. Yan and her team will develop a digital twin of the physical facility to create optimal design and allow virtual systematic “testing.”

To explore Yan’s research on tornado resilience, coastal resilience and climate change adaptation, visit the Wind Hazard Mitigation Laboratory and the Center for Hazard Mitigation and Community Resilience websites.

The National Science Foundation announced four Mid-scale RI-1 awards for fiscal year 2023-24. The four awardees chosen exemplify the best of American science and engineering. Mid-scale RI-1 awards support the design and implementation of research infrastructure, including testbeds, equipment, cyberinfrastructure, large-scale data sets and personnel, whose total project costs exceed NSF’s Major Research Instrumentation Program but are under $20 million.

Learn more about the Mid-scale RI-1 awards on the NSF website.