Carbon-Wrapped Bridge Columns for Earthquake Protection

(Pictures)

The actual bridge that we are using in our tests (Hwy 99 and Second St.).                                   The three shaking table tests are part of a Caltrans study

                                                                                                                                                            to apply carbon-wrapping to bridges to increase ductility

                                                                                                                                                            and confinement in highly-plastic zones under near-field

                                                                                                                                                            excitations                                                                                                                                                       

Graduate Students Chris Abela and Mike Wesson            That's Mike locked away in a house      ... and that's Chris in front of the College of Engineering              

on their way to San Francisco for a carbon-wrapping          on the shaking table!!

seminar organized by BASF

Column cage and footing construction in the seismic lab at California State University, Fresno.