Civil and Systems Engineering Seminar Series

About this event

Barbara Simpson, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, will give a talk titled "Large-Scale Physical Simulations of Complex Dynamic Systems" as part of the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering's Fall 2026 Seminar Series.

Abstract:

Large-scale experimental testing can holistically represent the dynamic and nonlinear response of complex civil systems. Beyond the generation of unique datasets, these experiments provide opportunities to demonstrate proof-of-concepts and translate established structural engineering methods across application domains. This presentation describes two complementary areas of large-scale testing: the seismic performance of building structures and the dynamic response of marine energy systems. Representative testing programs include: (i) full-scale shake-table testing of high-performance mass-timber and steel seismic-force-resisting systems; and (ii) real-time hybrid simulation of offshore marine and wind-energy systems. These testing programs were conducted at the NHERI Experimental Facility Large High-Performance Outdoor Shake-Table at the University of California, San Diego; E-Defense in Japan; and the NHERI Experimental Facility O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University. While the shake-table experiments advance understanding of resilient, high-performance building systems, the marine energy experiments investigate structural response in offshore environments, where multi-hazard and multi-directional loading, fluid-structure interaction, and coupled dynamic response introduce new challenges. Collectively, these studies demonstrate how large-scale dynamic testing can provide critical data for civil infrastructure with limited experimental evidence and poorly characterized nonlinear response. This work highlights the expanding role of structural engineering in advancing the design, reliability, and resilience of increasingly diverse infrastructure applications.

Biography:

Barbara Simpson is currently an assistant professor at Stanford University. She uses advanced computational and experimental methods to characterize structural response. Her aim is to develop innovative structural systems that improve building performance and reduce the effects of natural hazards on the built environment. Simpson's research areas include resilient and sustainable design and retrofit of building structures and offshore renewable energy systems, performance-based earthquake engineering, and next-generation computational modeling. One of her current pursuits is the development of real-time hybrid simulation frameworks for fluid-structure interaction problems. Simpson received her doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Bachelor of Science from the University of Kansas.