SBIR Phase II: MetaMaterial for Seismic Energy Absorption

The broader impact/commercial opportunity of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project stems from creating a paradigmatic shift in the way we achieve seismic protection. The use of mechanical metamaterials fosters new opportunities to increase current levels of seismic protection of buildings and infrastructure, which could ultimately increase the resilience of communities and save lives. Mechanical metamaterials are materials specifically designed to have unprecedented properties. Evolving from a traditional system-based design to a material-based design has the potential of creating seismic solutions that are more customizable and easier to install than most of the current technologies. This technology could replace current seismic protection systems that are traditionally aimed at saving building occupants' lives, but may not address the important equipment therein. An enhanced level of seismic protection constitutes an immediate value for commercial activities and services requiring continuity of operations after earthquakes. The extensive application of the innovation has the potential of increasing the resiliency of communities in seismic prone areas and reduce seismic related direct and indirect losses. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project addresses the need for increasing the seismic resilience of our critical infrastructure, and in particular Information Technology (IT) facilities. The projects will result in a revolutionary advance in the seismic protection of vibration sensitive electronic equipment through the use of novel mechanical metamaterials made with an innovative hybrid additive manufacturing (AM) process. The feasibility of combining multiple AM processes to manufacture the multi-component internal architecture of such metamaterials will be demonstrated. In particular, the effectiveness of AM processes in combining hard and soft materials in a highly-complex architecture will be addressed, with the aim of enhancing the design space of the mechanical metamaterial. The effects of this enlarged designed space on the seismic resilience of IT facilities will be investigated by developing a specific seismic resilience framework. The framework will be used to analyze and compare the seismic resilience of data centers with traditional systems and highly customizable metamaterials, as resulting from the manufacturing process. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.