SimCenter Collaborates on AI Workshop for Natural Hazards Engineering

March 13, 2020

 

 

NHERI DesignSafe in collaboration with NHERI SimCenter organized and hosted a 1-½ day workshop on artificial intelligence/machine learning/deep learning (AI/ML/DL) and their application in natural hazards engineering (NHE) . The purpose of the workshop was to build a research agenda determining where AI/ML/DL is and can be productively employed in natural hazards engineering research, what techniques hold key promise, and how these techniques may be adapted to the hazards engineering domain moving forward.

The workshop was an interactive event, including anchor talks by experts across the hazards engineering and AI/ML/DL domains as well as interactive breakout, reporting, and discussion sessions. Attendees included experts with diverse backgrounds including those in earthquake engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, coastal engineering, computer science, social science, and public policy — all with a common interest in AI/ML/DL. The workshop was held on February 18-19, 2020, at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, The University of Texas at Austin, and home to DesignSafe.

The SimCenter provides AI/ML/DL components within its software products for advancing simulation research in Natural Hazards Engineering. Workshop attendees from the SimCenter included:

Workshop plenary presentations are available through the DesignSafe Education and Training webpage or https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2GxvrdFrBlm24bdFNQzef-Ds2zn5canv.

For more information about SimCenter tools that employ AI technology please refer to:

  • SURF - which includes an AI-based spatial uncertainty quantification tool for data enhancement for regional analyses.
  • BRAILS - which provides an AI-powered tool for regional-scale building information modeling.
  • SWIM - an educational application that uses AI to assist students as they create shear wall models.