Acquistion of Advanced Test Equipment for Infrastructure Materials Reliability, Risk Assessment and Performance Enhancement

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal is for the acquisition of advanced physical and chemical testing equipment to characterize structural performance of current and emerging infrastructure materials. The equipment requested would facilitate both acquisition of performance data on new materials and development of a mechanistic understanding of the relationships between physical and chemical processes that lead to failure. Physical challenges to the nation's infrastructure are being presented by several forces: (i) deterioration due to aging, (ii) security threats by malicious or terrorist actions, and (iii) demands for increased capacity and safety. Examples include bridge and roadway structures, pipeline conveyance of gas, petroleum, chemicals and water, aircraft and aerospace structures, automotive structures and, management of nuclear materials and wastes. Common amongst all of these examples are the needs for improved mechanistic understanding, in-situ monitoring, prediction and prevention of structural failure under environmental conditions. Common chronic stresses to these systems that must be mitigated include loading, thermal cycling and chemical environmental reaction, many of which may occur simultaneously and have currently poorly characterized synergistic effects. Acute stresses include sudden impact and high temperatures. The set of materials that has been the focus of our research, based on national infrastructure challenges are Portland cement concrete systems used for highway and building construction and also used as the basis for treatment of nuclear wastes. This also includes composites and reinforced polymer laminates used in building and transportation structures and structural rehabilitation. The equipment requested will facilitate non-destructive evaluation of material performance, and local inorganic and organic compositional testing to assess corrosion and other failure mechanisms that result from chemical changes in materials (e.g., during thermal stresses, chemical attack). The specific equipment requested includes (i) laser ablation unit for an existing inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer to facilitate elemental and isotopic profiling in materials, (ii) a thermogravimetric analyzer mass spectrometer system to determine organic composition as a function of environmental stresses, and (iii) an ultrasonic non-destructive analyzer to assess internal fracture formation during testing. The project team includes participation of faculty from the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Physics. The requested equipment will support and enhance ca. $10 million dollars per year of current sponsored research and training, including an NSF IGERT program in Risk and Reliability Engineering and Management. Complimentary collaborative linkages are provided with Sandia and Oak Ridge National Laboratories, DOE, Halliburton, and Tennessee Department of Transportation. $130,000 in matching funds are provided by Vanderbilt University for the $141,000 requested from NSF with a total project cost of $271,000.