The ECN No Name Newsletter is no longer being published. This is an archived issue.
[previous article] [next article]I would like to extend a special welcome to the new Head of Civil Engineering, Dr. Vincent Drnevich. His computer experience ranges from using cards at 4:30am and hating the computer as an undergraduate, through learning 18 different editors during his career (so far!), having a PC on his desk and in his lab, and in his own words, being a "wave chaser". His research involves
"...generating waves in materials and structures and measuring the wave propagation velocities of the various wave components which are formed. The structures vary from soil and pavement systems to buildings and bridges.
Measurements are made with vibration transducers (velocity and acceleration) connect ed to a spectrum analyzer. The analyzer is capable of taking data in either the frequency or time domains. It utilizes a high end PC as a controller. Data obtained are operated upon to determine such things as mode shapes, natural frequencies, and more interestingly, internal characteristics of the system being tested. For example, in pavement systems, vibrations applied to the pavement surface are used to "back calculate" the layer thicknesses and elastic modulus."
The terminal room in Civil will be turned into a PC classroom with 20 GATEWAY 386 color PC's in December. Classes will have the room reserved. Many software packages used in Civil Engineering are written for PC's; so, an exciting new base of software should be available for use in undergraduate classes in the Spring.
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