Our Projects

Over the years, SEESL has conducted research projects with university faculty and students, as well as working with groups such as NEES and MCEER. Below you will find current and past research projects that have been conducted here at SEESL.

Current Research Projects

Mechanical hardware-in-the-loop (mHiL) and virtual tuning of automotive dampers
7/9/24
A mechanical hardware-in-the-loop (mHiL) testbed is being built to demonstrate efficacy our control algorithms in automotive applications. It combines physical testing and tuning of a damper with real-time computation of car and environment dynamics and driver experience in a simulator.

Completed Research Projects

Experimental Study on Pre-stressed Concrete Box Beams from a Decommissioned Bridge Strengthened with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Anchors and Laminates
7/18/25
This study addressed the need to increase the flexural capacity of deteriorated pre-stressed concrete box beams through an experimental campaign involving the design, application, and testing of a retrofit scheme. The retrofit scheme considered in the study involved the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates which are attached to the beams using epoxy and CFRP anchors.
Damage Classification of Reinforced Concrete Structures for Fire: Rebar Temperature
1/8/24
The goal of this study is to investigate rebar temperature thresholds for damage classification of reinforced concrete structures exposed to fire, considering the temperature effects on the rebar-concrete bond as well as material properties.
Bolted Splice Details for Composite Plate Shear Walls—Concrete Filled (Part I: Component Level Test)
8/28/23
This project aims to develop and validate bolted splice details for C-PSW/CF, a structural system designed for non-seismic regions like New York City and Boston. The focus is on areas where bolted splices are preferred over welded ones due to wind demands outweighing elastic seismic forces in splice design.
Seismic Retrofit of Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls to Enable Reparability
6/21/22
This project quantified the improvement in structural behavior of reinforced concrete shear walls retrofitted with a new method that allows the walls to rock over the foundation and self-center after an earthquake. The goal of the retrofit is to reduce seismic damage and allow rapid repair for resiliency.
Achieving Resilient Multi-Span Bridge by using Buckling-Restrained Braces
6/16/22
The concept uses inexpensive braces called Buckling Restrained Braces (BRBs) and sliding bearings that work together to protect the bridge columns and superstructure from damage, so that the bridge can withstand the three-dimensional ground motions caused by earthquakes.
Real-time hybrid fire testing of a steel column
6/13/22
A real-time hybrid fire simulation algorithm is developed and tested to capture the expected behaviour of a steel column within a structural frame, considering the slow thermal expansion of the stiff steel column at early stages of fire, followed by a dynamic failure when it buckles.
Experimental investigation of a mid-height seismic isolation for slender safety-class equipment in advanced nuclear power plants
6/3/22
Recent studies have shown that the seismic load case can substantially increase the overnight capital cost (OCC) of safety-class equipment in advanced nuclear power plants.
Experimental Assessment of Fire Damage to Reinforced Concrete Tunnel Liners
6/2/22
Furnace tests were conducted on large-scale loaded and restrained reinforced concrete tunnel slabs to evaluate the level of fire damage.
Impedance matching control design for executing conventional earthquake-simulator experiments and real-time hybrid simulations
5/31/22
This experimental program focuses at development, implementation, and validation of a novel control design strategy, based on impedance matching, for executing real-time hybrid simulations
Earthquake simulator experiments for validation of numerical models for seismic fluid-structure interaction analysis of advanced reactors
5/26/22
An experimental program using a 6 degree-of-freedom earthquake simulator at the University at Buffalo was executed to generate data for supporting validation of numerical models for seismic fluid-structure interaction analyses of conventionally supported and base-isolated advanced reactor vessels.

Facilities Spotlight

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Wind Tunnel
6/11/26
The multi-fan wind tunnel is is controlled by 64 inertia array (8x8) of small axial fans. These fans can be controlled individually or in groups using the the supplied software. Each individual fan can reach a maximum of 5,500rpm (rotations per minute). Learn more about it.
Dynamic and Static Actuators
6/11/26
SEESL is equipped with many large-scale, high-performance, dynamic and static actuators. These actuators provide the ability to conduct dynamic, pseudo-dynamic, and hybrid pseudo-dynamic testing. Find out more about our actuator capabilities.
Earthquake Simulation Shake Tables
6/11/26
For earthquake simulations, one of the services we provide are shake tables. Currently, there are two, relocatable 7.0m x 7.0m platforms with six-degrees of freedom. Each table is capable of 50 tons payload. Find out more about our shake tables.
Furnace
6/11/26
The electric furnace has a maximum operating temperature of 1,000°C (1,800 °F) and is designed to accommodate a fast ramp-up heating rate. The furnace roof is removable and includes a central closure hole to allow placement and force loading of vertically oriented element. The closure hole on one side allows for placement and loading of a horizontally oriented element. Learn more about it.

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Our Projects

Current Research Projects

Completed Research Projects

Facilities Spotlight