George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES)

NEES - a major research equipment project
of the National Science Foundation (NSF)

The George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) will provide a national resource that will shift the emphasis of earthquake engineering research from current reliance on physical testing to integrated experimentation, computation, theory, databases, and model-based simulation. As a national resource, NEES will:

• Include 15 major earthquake engineering experimental research equipment installations networked through the high performance Internet. [Initially through 2004, NEES will include equipment sites funded through NSF program solicitations. NSF envisions, however, that other globally significant earthquake engineering equipment sites will participate in NEES and bring unique experimental capabilities to NEES.]
• Be developed by September 30, 2004.
• Be operational through September 30, 2014.
• Improve the seismic design and performance of our Nation's civil and mechanical infrastructure systems.
• Use advanced experimental and simulation capabilities to test and validate more complex and comprehensive analytical and computer numerical models.
• Provide end-to-end system connectivity to operate distributed experimental research equipment, including teleobservation and teleoperation, and to enable computation and distributed simulation for earthquake engineering experimentation.
• Provide researchers with remote access to a curated repository of databases, user-developed simulation software, and models for use in model-based simulation and visualization through access to a computational grid.
• Form an integrated network that facilitates interdisciplinary global collaboration among scientists and engineers.
• Enable participation from a broader earthquake engineering community, including educators, students, practitioners, and public sector organizations and individuals, who will have access to the equipment, data, models and software from NEES.

Additional sources for NEES information.

• NSF 01-164: "NEES Earthquake Engineering Research Equipment, Phase 2".
• Document URL: http//www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf01164
• Issued: September 2001
• Focus: Establishment of the Phase 2 NEES Earthquake Engineering Research Equipment Portfolio through construction, expansion, and modernization of the Nationīs earthquake engineering experimental facilities.
• Award Information available at a labortory expeimentation systems, and http://ww.eng.nsf.gov/nees/Awards/awards.htm.
• NSF 00-6, Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES): Earthquake Engineering Research Equipment
• Document URL: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf006
• Issued: December 1999.
• Focus: Establishment of the Phase 1 NEES Earthquake Engineering Research Equipment Portfolio through construction, expansion, and modernization of the Nation's earthquake engineering experimental facilities.
• Award information, listing shake tables, geotechnical centrifuges, a tsunami wave basin, large-scale laboratory experimentation systems, and field installations and monitoring equipment: http://www.eng.nsf.gov/nees/Awards/awards.htm.
• NSF 00-7: Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES): System Integration
• Document URL: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf007
• Issued: December 1999.
• Focus: Development of the high performance Internet network system for NEES.
• Award information: One scoping study award was made in August 2000 and completed in February 2001. Information on the scoping study award and its activities are available at http://www.neesgrid.org. The scoping study awardee conducted an earthquake engineering community workshop in Marina del Rey, CA, on November 16 and 17, 2000, to gain community input for the NEES network system design. A report from this workshop will be posted on the NEESgrid website at http://www.neesgrid.org when it becomes available. One award for system integration was made in August 2001 and its activities are available at http://www.eng.nsf.gov/nees/Awards/awards.htm and http://www.neesgrid.org.
• NSF 01-56, George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES): Consortium Development
• Document URL: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf0156
• Issued: January 2001.
• Focus: Three tasks: (1) development of the NEES Consortium on or before October 1, 2003, to operate NEES from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2014; (2) facilitation of earthquake engineering community input for design of the NEES network system; and (3) coordination of outreach and training activities for the NEES equipment sites as they become operational before September 30, 2004.
• Award information: One award was made in September 2001. Information about this award may be found at http://www.eng.nsf.gov/nees/Awards/awards.htm and http://www.nees.org.

Information on NEES Program awards, solicitations, reports, workshops, and other activities may be found at the NSF NEES web site, at http://www.eng.nsf.gov/nees. Inquiries about NEES can be sent via e-mail to:  nees@nsf.gov mailto:nees@nsf.gov.

Support for NEES

View the Summary of FY 2003 Budget Request to Congress: Major Research Equipment at http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/bud/fy2003/mre.htm

Division of Civil and Mechanical  Systems
        4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 545
                 Arlington, VA 22230
 Telephone: (703) 292-8360   Fax: (703) 292-9053

Send questions and suggestions about NEES to nees@nsf.gov