The SHED group provides expertise across a range of areas related to the interaction between the built and natural environment and with particular emphasis on hydro-environments such as river, estuarine, coastal and offshore settings and applications.

The group has undertaken numerical modelling at both a system level such as flood modeling of Cork city (Ground water) and at component level such as structural modelling of offshore renewable energy (ORE) (ORE paper) . The group is also engaged in monitoring coastal structures (e.g. Ballinskelligs pier, Co Kerry, Ireland), as well as the physical development and wave tank testing of ORE scaled model devices (e.g. the Ocean Energy wave energy converter model at the Ohmsett wave tank test facility, USA) and floating platforms in the case of floating offshore wind turbines. The group's capabilities and facilities are summarised on this page.

Facilities

• Structural Dynamics Testing Laboratory
  

UCC’s Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering structural testing laboratory facilities include a range of small and medium capacity test rigs, as well as more specialised equipment including sensors such as accelerometers, data acquisition equipment, modal shakers and impact hammers.  The structural dynamics testing capabilities include vibration analysis, experimental and operational modal analysis and modal parameter identification.

• Hydrodynamic Field sensing equipment
  

Ground water level monitoring equipment, temperature and conductivity. Ground water level and air temperature and barometric pressure are measured using In-Situ's Rugged BaroTROLL Data Loggers.

Capabilities

The Structural and Hydro-Environmental Dynamics group (SHED) delivers an integrated, multidisciplinary approach focussed on both ORE and understanding the dynamic behaviour of the natural and built environment. This includes but is not limited to numerical modelling of offshore renewable energy (ORE) and coastal structures, and the development of ORE scaled physical model devices and experimental laboratory and field testing of same.

In addition to the development of software scripts and programs for data processing using a range of programming languages including Python, R, MATLAB, C/C++, the SHED group are able to apply a wide range of software tools for modelling and analysis across the different projects and domains in which they are actively engaged in. These include but are not limited to:

• Flexcom: Integrated finite element analysis software for marine renewable energy industries
• Ansys Aqwa: Integrated hydrodynamic and mooring analysis software for marine and offshore applications.
• Rhinoceros: Integrated 3D computer graphics and computer-aided design (CAD) software for complex 3D models.
• AutoCAD: Computer-Aided design software for creating 2D and 3D technical drawings.
• OpenFAST : Multiphysics tool for simulating the wind turbine dynamics.
• Revit – building information modelling (BIM) and structural engineering design software.
• Mike21 – 2D modelling and simulation of water flow and movement in coastal areas, estuaries, and rivers
• FEFLOW - groundwater modelling and simulation software.
• TELEMAC-2D – hydrodynamic modelling software used to simulate free-surface flows in two dimensions of horizontal space
• HEC-RAS - Computational fluid dynamics simulation software to model the hydraulics of water flow through natural rivers and other channels
• HEC-HMS - simulates the complete hydrologic processes of dendritic watershed systems, and includes ability to simulate evapo-transpiration, snowmelt, and soil moisture.
• QGIS - open source geographic information system (GIS).

Some examples of the range of activities which the group have carried out include:

• Uniaxial and biaxial Shake testing to study the effect of earthquake ground motions on buildings, bridges, and towers.
• Non-destructive testing of concrete structures.
• Groundwater flood modelling and monitoring for Cork city centre.
• Model simulation of the behaviour of a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) in extreme Irish Atlantic conditions.
• Vibration monitoring and experimental mode analysis (EMA) of coastal structures.
• Wave tank testing of scaled offshore renewable energy (ORE) devices and floating platforms.