ITR/AP(ENG)Development of Intelligent Civil Infrastructure for Hazard Mitigation

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

Modern buildings and structures equipped with embedded control technology can dramatically increase structural and occupant safety during earthquake or other hazardous load conditions. Recent progress in wireless communications and embedded systems can potentially eliminate the main impediments faced in developing such intelligent structural systems. In the proposed research, a new class of semi-active devices will be developed, along ith an analytical framework for their optimal design and operation, using specially designed embedded chips that will lead to significant benefits regarding the cost of maintenance and installation, as well as reliability. Testing and demonstration of the proposed approach with a large-scaled building model on a shaking table will also be conducted. The breath of this multi-disciplinary research project (PI's from Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and Computer Engineering) provides a unique opportunity for training of students that can bridge several critical fields, with eventual development of curriculum modules for long-term educational impact.