Wednesday, October 3, 2001

NSF Awards Grants to Assess Damage at Terrorist-Attack Sites By TIM SWARTZENDRUBER The National Science Foundation awarded eight grants on Monday for researchers to collect data on structural engineering and damage assessment while debris is being removed from the terrorist attack sites in New York and Washington. The data will be used in engineering studies to help improve the structural integrity of buildings and other infrastructure during explosions, fires, and other hazards. A list of the recipients, their research, and grant amounts: Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl, of the University of California at Berkeley, will collect data on the mechanical and structural properties of the World Trade Center towers; $15,000. David Bloomquist, of the University of Florida, will lead a team using a land-based laser system to produce 3-D "maps" of the interior and exterior of damaged buildings at the attack sites; $45,000. J. David Frost, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, will collect data on structural damage at the World Trade Center; $20,000. John Harrald, of George Washington University, will study the coordinating and communications of emergency, medical, and law-enforcement personnel; $25,000. George Lee, of the State University of New York at Buffalo, will work with other researchers to assess the damage to buildings surrounding the World Trade Center and to study the response of hospitals and other emergency services; $100,000. Dennis Mileti, of the University of Colorado at Boulder, will coordinate the travel of quick-response teams from the Natural Hazards Research Application and Information Center, in Boulder; $10,000. Frederick W. Mowrer, of the University of Maryland at College Park, will study the performance of fire-protection materials and systems during the collapse of the World Trade Center towers; $15,000. William A. Wallace, of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will lead a team studying infrastructure interdependence, such as how the loss of electricity affects control systems; $70,000. Issues in depth: Background articles on the terrorist attacks Easy-to-print version E-mail this article

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