Design of smart composite material system for civil infrastructure retrofit

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

An investigation is proposed to develop an innovative built-in diagnostic technique for a reliable and quick initial assessment of composite retrofitted/rehabilitated civil infrastructure upon inspection after a major seismic event or at a routine maintenance. The major components of the smart composite system consist of composite materials for structural reinforcement and a diagnostic sensing system for assessing the integrity of the retrofit. The diagnostic sensing system is made of thin diagnostic sensor films, external hardware far signal generation and processing, and diagnostic software for signal interpretation. To assess the integrity of the retrofit after a major earthquake or at routine inspections, pre-determined diagnostic signals will be generated automatically from piezo-actuators built in the film to neighboring optical fiber sensors. Diagnostic software will compare sensor measurement with a baseline reference taken at a healthy condition to determine quickly and reliably the status of the integrity of the structures in three possible levels: Green-no damage and continuing usage, Yellow-minor damage and continuing usage with caution, and Red-severe damage and no usage with immediate repair. Upon completion of the study, a prototype of the proposed system will developed. Field implementation and tests will be followed to further verify the efficiency and reliability of the smart systems. This project will be conducted in collaboration with the Smart Structure Research Center of Japan and the California Department of Transportation