Next Generation Infrastructure

The Center for High Performance Materials, Sensors and Structures for Next Generation Infrastructure  has assembled a team of enthusiastic researchers from within the College of Engineering to perform pioneering work in the design and structural applications of novel materials and advanced sensing systems for the design of durable infrastructure systems. The research activities of the center occur at all structural length-scales. Smart materials, such as fiber reinforced cementitious composites, are designed at the molecular level. Smart sensors, such as microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors, are used to monitor the behavior of infrastructure systems and are fabricated on micrometer length scales. High performance materials and micro-sensors are then assembled into structural elements to create intelligent infrastructure systems.

The center concentrates its research agenda within three thrust areas: micro- and nano-scale technology for the creation of high-performance materials, wireless sensing systems for structural health monitoring, and development of high-performance and intelligent structural systems.