This is a historic year on the Klamath River, where the biggest dam removal in the U.S. is underway. The hope for the monumental engineering project is that it will restore some balance to a damaged ecological system. We hear from Mark Bransom, who is overseeing the demolition and restoration, about why and how it’s happening and some of the challenges of the project. Bonus content: Video: Mark Bransom heads the historic dam removals  Clean Water Showcase: May 21-22, 2024.  Join us at the 2024 Clean Water Showcase hosted by Oregon State University to learn more about innovat ..read more

Will swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles be able to aid humans in wildland firefighting or package delivery? Research summarized in a new paper in Field Robotics represents a big step towards realizing such a future. In this interview, Professor Julie A. Adams describes the research showing that one person can supervise more than 100 autonomous ground and aerial robots.  ..read more

What is Oregon doing to prepare for earthquakes, tsunamis, and wildfire? Researchers at Oregon State University are working with the state Legislature to help them make informed decisions about how to prepare for natural hazards.  BONUS CONTENT: “A Song for Japan” project Japan 2011 Earthquake Japan quake: Infrastructure damage will delay recovery. BBC News, March 17, 2011 Mar 11, 2011 CE: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, National Geographic 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami: Facts, FAQs, and how to help, World Vision Earthquake and tsunami Oregon Resilience Plan,&n ..read more

The final episode of the season occupies a time of transition, as spinoff company Espiku ramps up. We get an update on two systems that received patents and a third that could provide an environmentally benign technology for extracting lithium. We also hear from four graduating students who reflect on their experiences. Bonus content:  Tapping technology to ensure the world has enough clean water  OSU-Cascades spinout is semifinalist in $4 million federal lithium extraction contest ..read more

Can plants fortify Oregon’s coastal dunes against storm surge? Meagan Wengrove, assistant professor of coastal and ocean engineering, built scale versions of dunes in one of the world’s largest wave flumes to find out. BONUS CONTENT: Protecting coastal regions with natural defenses New faculty members bring expertise in wave energy, structural and coastal engineering Four College of Engineering faculty win early-career investigator awards https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/dune-erosion-solutions-s11e7   ..read more

The pandemic didn’t stop Bahman Abbasi’s desalination research. In this third episode, we learn about the successful lab-scale demonstration of his team’s technology and the next steps toward its commercialization. Plus, the team takes on a new project to clean up wastewater from oil and gas production. Bonus content:  Espiku, OSU spin-off company  Turning freshwater into saltwater, Bend Source article  ..read more

In the second episode of this four-part season, we travel to Bend, Oregon to visit the Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory and meet the team that is inventing a new technology to desalinate water. Bahman Abbassi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, talks about building the lab from the ground up, and graduate student Mohammed Elhashimi demonstrates their system to desalinate water.  Bonus content:  Quest for Clean Water (story, video)  Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory  ..read more

What will it take for Oregon to recover after a magnitude 9.0 Cascadia subduction zone earthquake? Among other things, it will need a major airport to receive the tons of relief supplies from around the world. Prof. Armin Stuedlein and a research team from Oregon State University conducted crucial testing that guided engineers with big plans to make sure one of the runways at Portland International Airport survives the shaking.  BONUS CONTENT: Video: Blast-induced liquefaction tests at PDX Preparing for an earthquake Cascadia Lifelines Program https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season ..read more

Can turning seawater into drinking water be a cost-effective way to provide clean, fresh water for the growing numbers of people facing water scarcity? Bahman Abbasi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is taking up that challenge with a mobile, modular, solar-powered, desalination system. This is the first episode in a four-part season. Bonus content OSU-Cascades researcher awarded $2 million for research turning salt water into drinking water Department of Energy Solar Desalination program Energy Systems Engineering — OSU-Cascades ..read more

Wildfires that devastate mountain communities have the potential to foul the water distribution system running underneath residential structures. But knowing which water pipes have been affected is challenging. Erica Fischer, assistant professor of structural engineering, is working with a team of engineers and scientists to develop and test sensors that can easily indicate if water pipes need to be replaced following a fire. BONUS CONTENT: Oregon State University fire expert panel: Oregonians’ mindset needs to expect, accept wildfires Science Pub: Fires in the West Study of destructive Calif ..read more