Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The purchase of a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system will allow determining the performance and damage extent of various structural components and systems made of advanced materials used in civil/mechanical/materials engineering under different loading conditions for instance, static, dynamic, and fatigue loading. Utilization of these novel materials will substantially improve the service life of various structures under extreme load events and will have a profound impact to reach a sustainable solution to infrastructure and its management. However, it is critical to understand their behavior by closely observing their strain at various loading condition. The specific engineering pursuits of interest to this research proposal relate to the following: Smart Structures: This research focuses on the development of low-cost, easy to build precast structures and its components with large re-centering and high energy dissipation capacity during earthquakes. Such smart structures will experience almost no damage during a seismic event. Timber Structures: This research helps Canadian wood industries towards tall timber building initiative where testing of large timber wood products require careful monitoring of strain. This will help develop performance based design of timber structures. Composites for construction: This research deals with static and fatigue performance of advanced composite materials for instance, fiber reinforced polymer and textile reinforced mortar that possess high strength, light weight and good durability. BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure along with other industries are working with the applicants towards a sustainable solution to bridge repair and rehabilitation against seismic load. This requires extensive testing of bridge columns and monitoring of their damage state considering strain values. Multi-objective design optimization: This research deals with separate and combined durability and load effects on structural components and systems. This involves extensive experimental tests, numerical modeling, simulation, identification and optimization and finally develop multi-objective design optimization. The use of the proposed DIC equipment will substantially improve the ability of engineers to define damage states under various loading conditions. This will further help develop a sustainable Canadian infrastructure system through the use of innovative materials and structural system with better performance and long service life, which will be economically viable and environmentally sound.