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PSU Engineering Professor Tests Green Building Structural Systems

In the past ten years green building construction, a process which aims to decrease environmental impact of buildings through recycled materials and improved efficiency, has taken root. A Portland State University professor, Peter Dusicka, Ph.D., P.E., is engaging directly with the community to study the seismic performance of green building materials.

Dusicka, an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University, has teamed up with a Portland-area start-up company to further develop products used in the construction of green buildings.

“Green building features are often not incorporated in structural elements of a building and currently little research exists on how public safety gets balanced with the new materials, especially during seismic events,” says Dusicka.

Dusicka and his team of student researchers, one graduate student and two undergraduate students, in the infraStructure Testing and Applied Research (iSTAR) Laboratory create full-scale building walls using recycled plastic and reinforced concrete. Using hydraulic actuators the research team is able to simulate seismic conditions and test the walls to the point of destruction. If the wall construction is suitable for the Pacific Northwest it will eventually be tested on the iSTAR Laboratory’s shake table. Dusicka hopes his research findings will be useful in further promoting green building construction.

Dusicka is directing research in the iSTAR Laboratory and works on other sustainability related infrastructure projects in collaboration with the Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University and faculty from the University of Washington and California State University, Los Angeles. The mission of the iSTAR Laboratory is to enhance durability and improve functionality of our infrastructure by conducting applied research and disseminating the gained knowledge to all sectors of the engineering community as well as the general public.

The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University creates an inspiring educational and research environment for students, faculty, and staff to expand knowledge and improve lives through innovation in research and engineering education. The hallmark of the college is a locally relevant and globally significant impact, demonstrated by: a diverse portfolio of collaborative and cross-disciplinary research; exceptional students who apply cutting-edge research to current issues and who are sought after in the global market; strong partnerships with industry, government, and non-profit organizations that promote economic opportunities and contribute to the economic development of the region.

Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science
P.O. Box 751
Portland, OR 97207-0751
Phone: 503-725-2820
Website: www.pdx.edu/cecs
Contact Person: Danielle Cox, External Relations Coordinator
danielle@cecs.pdx.edu