Dr. Matthew Hoehler is a Research Structural Engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) where he provides program support to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and the National Fire Research Laboratory (NFRL) to further NIST´s mission to ensure a resilient national infrastructure. Dr. Hoehler received his B.S.E. from Princeton University in 1998, his M.Sc. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2000 and his Dr.-Ing. from the University of Stuttgart, Germany in 2006 (Highest Honors). He has nearly twenty years of experience in experimental testing and analysis of the performance of materials, components, and structures associated with structural collapse, natural disasters, or human-initiated events. Prior to joining NIST in 2014, Dr. Hoehler worked in the management and execution of applied research for private and public entities in both the United States and Europe. Dr. Hoehler is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California.
ABSTRACT - Large-Scale, Real-Fire Structural Testing: A unique testing and metrology challenge
This talk will address large-scale experiments of structures subject to real fires and the challenges associated with measurement of structural performance in this environment. While dramatic structural collapse during a fire is thankfully rare, our understanding of how fire interacts with a diversity of existing and emerging structural systems – as well as experimental validation of the systems we do understand – is too limited. The actions (loads and deformations) imposed on a structure by a fire are complex and often necessitate testing at full scale. The scarcity of experimental data motivated the construction of the new National Fire Research Laboratory (NFRL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The talk will highlight recently completed and ongoing projects in the NFRL and discuss possible solutions to improve deformation measurements in burning structures.
