Planning IUCRC at LSU & Agricultural and Mechanical College: Center for Innovations in Structural Integrity Assurance (CISIA)

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

Louisiana State University (LSU) and Louisiana Tech University (LA Tech) propose to establish the Center for Innovations in Structural Integrity Assurance (CISIA). Structural integrity and reliable life prediction of infrastructure and mechanical components have relevance in every public and private sector, ranging from oil & gas to aerospace to construction to energy processing industries. In addition to fundamental research for establishing linkages between material properties, infrastructure performance, and structural integrity ?which is beyond the scope of most industrial R&D organizations of today? the academic and industrial members of CISIA will work in concert to produce engineers who are trained in state-of-the-art facilities to utilize modern methods of structural health monitoring and analysis. These engineers will join a highly-qualified and productive workforce that significantly enhances the global competitiveness of U.S. industries. LSU site focuses on structural integrity and materials innovation, with emphasis on multiscale materials characterization/testing and multiscale physics-based modeling/simulation, to conduct research on component fatigue, wear, life-time assessment, and non-destructive accelerated testing. By integrating validated diagnostics, machine learning, and data-driven decision making, CISIA will be well-positioned to elucidate and translate the links between new materials, manufacturing processes, service histories, and their collective impact on reliability across all U.S. industrial sectors. 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.