Note: This podcast interview was recorded before the CFS10 shake table tests, which took place in June and July of 2025. In this episode, earthquake engineers Tara Hutchinson, of UC San Diego, and Ben Schafer, of Johns Hopkins University, explain how they collect data from the CFS10 shake table tests.

Note: This podcast interview was recorded before the CFS10 shake table tests, which took place in June and July of 2025. In this episode, earthquake engineers Tara Hutchinson, of UC San Diego, and Ben Schafer, of Johns Hopkins University, discuss the long-term nature of seismic engineering research. The CFS10 structure currently on the UC San Diego shake table represents over a decade of steel-framed component testing. On the strength of that research, Hutchinson and Schafer built the CFS10 structure to ten stories, four floors above current building code. That’s an unabashed goal of the landmark CFS10 project: to advance building code for steel-framed buildings in seismic zones.

Tara Hutchinson and Ben Schafer, principal investigators for the NHERI CFS10 project, introduce us to cold-formed steel and their long-term research interest in this resilient material.

University of Florida Professor and coastal engineer Nina Stark dives into the logistics of post-hurricane data collection.

Nina Stark studies soil mechanics and soil responses to coastal and riverine stresses -- like hurricanes and related flooding. During hurricane season, you will find her in the field, collecting perishable data.

Earthquake engineer and cold-formed steel researcher Ben Schafer introduces the NHERI CFS10 project underway at the NHERI UC San Diego shake table facility.

The strength of cold-formed steel is not well-known. In this podcast, Johns Hopkins earthquake engineer Ben Schafer discusses academic-industry research projects with CFS and the current understanding of cold-formed steel as a building material.

Research engineer Ben Schafer provides an excellent primer on cold-formed steel, CFS, and its benefits in framing structures susceptible to natural hazards like earthquakes and high winds.

Research engineer Erica Fischer notes that engineers, such as those in the NSF NHERI natural hazards community, are working on multiple fronts to leverage their skills and knowledge to reduce damage from future urban-wildland conflagrations. Follow Erica Fischer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fischererica/ And on the X platform: https://x.com/erica_fischer

Oregon State University research engineer Erica Fischer discusses ways people can reduce wildfire risk.