Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), NSF NHERI 2025: Structural Behavior Monitoring of a Full-Scale 10-Story Building using Drone-Based Tools

This project focused on the structural analyzation of a full-scale 10-story building using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the Large High Performance Outdoor Shake Table (LHPOST6) at the University of California, San Diego. The goal was to evaluate how the 10-story cold formed steel (CFS) building responded under seismic simulations using UAV-based imagery and other data-acquisition devices. This data can serve to inform researchers on the convenience and reliability of using UAVs for post-disaster damage assessments and the steps to accurately achieve structural displacement results applying UAV-data, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and accelerometers. Unlike other projects, the CFS10 LHPOST6 experiment was a large-scaled structure that combined real-world hazards and laboratory research. Natural hazard researchers, structural engineers, civil engineers, and other industry professionals interested in structural or infrastructure safety can use this to learn and enhance their understanding of UAVs and their capabilities to assist in post-disaster assessments and multi-hazard scenarios.