 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Raleigh NC (SPX) Sep 30, 2010 The key to the stability of any building is its foundation, but it is difficult to test some building sites in advance - such as those on the moon. New research from North Carolina State University is helping resolve the problem by using computer models that can utilize a small sample of soil to answer fundamental questions about how soil at a building site will interact with foundations. "If you are going to build a large structure, you have to run a lot of tests on the building site to learn how the soil will behave in relation to the building's foundation," says Dr. Matt Evans, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. "How stable is it? How much might the foundation settle over time? Traditionally, that testing process involves a great deal of equipment, time and money." But in some situations, that equipment, time and money is not available. For example, it would be tough to transport the relevant equipment to the surface of the moon. "We initiated this project, with funding from the North Carolina Space Grant, to answer questions that are essential to the construction of buildings on the moon," Evans says. "It's cost-prohibitive to do traditional testing on lunar sites, so we developed a technique for applying computer models that can use a tiny sample to tell us about the potential interface between moon soil and anything we might build." And the model may also have applications closer to home. The model could potentially be used to assess soil conditions for remote building sites where traditional testing is impractical or unduly expensive. For example, it could be useful for military applications or for siting remote research facilities. The paper, "Analysis of Pile Behavior in Granular Soils Using DEM," focuses on how the model can be used when incorporating Earth-specific variables - such as gravity. However, those variables can be modified to account for conditions on the moon, or even on Mars. The lead author on the paper is NC State graduate student Jeremy Kress. The paper will be presented Oct. 13 at the 35th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations in Hollywood, Calif.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links North Carolina State University Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News
Glitch delays space station crew's return to EarthMoscow (AFP) Sept 24, 2010 An undocking error Friday prevented the Soyuz capsule from leaving the International Space Station, forcing three crew members to remain an extra day in orbit, Russian space officials said. "The commission has taken the decision to push back the date of the spacecraft's return. The landing will not take place today," an official at the mission control center near Moscow was quoted by the Int ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
