The multi-disciplinary research team affiliated with the Center conducts research in the following general areas of bridge engineering:
- Analysis and Design
- Advanced Materials
- Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
- Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)
- Advanced Sensors
- Asset Management
- Hydraulics
- Geotechnical Engineering
Current Projects
- Development of Structural Carbon Nanotube-Based Sensing Composites for Rehabilitation of Deteriorating and Fatigue-Damaged Steel Bridges; Thomas Schumacher, Erik T. Thostenson, and Jennifer Righman-McConnell; Funding: FHWA-EAR; Duration: 09/09/2013-09/08/2018.
- Exploration of Video-Based Structural Health Monitoring Techniques; Thomas Schumacher and Nakul Ramanna; Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation University Transportation Center (CAIT-UTC); Duration: 09/01/2013-08/31/2014; (Journal Article).
- Rehabilitation of Fatigue-Cracks in Steel Bridges: Evaluation of Fatigue Cracks in the Field and Laboratory Testing; Thomas Schumacher, Jennifer Righman-McConnell, and Erik T. Thostenson; Funding: DelDOT; Duration: 09/01/2013-08/31/2014.
- Multi-Sensor Sheets Based on Large-Scale Electronics for Advanced Structural Health Monitoring of Civil Infrastructure; Branko Glisic (Princeton University), Thomas Schumacher, and Raimondo Betti (Columbia University); Funding: CAIT-UTC; Duration: 01/0/12013-05/30/2014.
- Quantitative Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Fatigue Cracks in Fracture Critical Steel Bridges; Thomas Schumacher and Jennifer Righman-McConnell; Funding: CAIT-UTC; Duration: 09/01/2012-01/31/2014.
- Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Moment Frame Culverts; Thomas Schumacher; Funding: DelDOT; Duration: 09/01/2012-08/31/2014.
- Carbon Nanotube-Based Composites: A Novel Distributed Sensing Approach for Structural Health Monitoring; Thomas Schumacher and Erik Thostenson; Funding: CMMI-NSF; 08/01/2012-07/31/2015; (Website, Journal Article).
- Evaluation of Unpainted Weathering-Steel Highway-Bridge Performance; Harry Shenton, Dennis Mertz, Jennifer Righman-McConnell, and Seung-Kyoung Lee; Funding: FHWA; Duration: 10/01/2011-09/30/2013; (Abstract).
- Advancing Steel and Concrete Bridge Technology to Improve Infrastructure Performance (Collaborative project with Lehigh University (Lead), The State University of New York at Buffalo, Corven Engineering, Inc., and Modjeski & Masters); Nii Attoh-Okine, Michael Chajes, Jennifer Righman-McConnell, Dennis Mertz, Thomas Schumacher, and Harry Shenton; Funding: FHWA; Duration: 09/30/2011-09/29/2016.
- Instrumentation and Monitoring of the Indian River Inlet Bridge; Harry Shenton, Michael Chajes, and Gary Wenczel; Funding: FHWA and DelDOT; 08/01/2009-06/30/2014; (Website).
Completed Projects
- Investigation of Load-Path Redundancy in Aging Steel Bridges; Jennifer Righman-McConnell; Funding: UD-UTC; 09/01/2011-08/31/2013.
- Development of rapid assessment tools for structural parts after extreme events using stress wave methods; Thomas Schumacher and Nii Attoh-Okine; Funding UD-UTC; Duration: 09/01/2011-08/31/2013.
- Non-Destructive Testing of Deteriorated Concrete Bridge Decks Using Vibration and Stress Wave Methods; Thomas Schumacher and Dennis Mertz; Funding: DelDOT; Duration: 09/01/2011-08/31/2013; (Poster).
- Structural Health Monitoring of Concrete Structures Using Quantitative Acoustic Emission Methods; Thomas Schumacher; Funding: UDRF; 06/01/2011-05/31/2013.
- Field Testing and FEM Analysis of the Rt. 141 Newport Viaduct; Harry Shenton, Jennifer Righman-McConnell, Michael Chajes, and Dennis Mertz; Funding: DelDOT; Duration: 03/01/2009-05/31/2010.
- Near Real-Time Monitoring of Indian River Inlet Scour Hole Edge Evolution Seaward of the Bridge Piers; Jack Puleo, Jennifer Righman-McConnell, and Michael Chajes; Funding: DelDOT; Duration: 01/01/2007-09/30/2010; (Website).
- Analysis of Blast Loading Effects on Bridges; Jennifer Righman-McConnell; Funding: UDRF; Duration: 06/01/2006-05/31/2007.
- Moment Redistribution and the Service II Limit State; Jennifer Righman-McConnell; Funding: DelDOT; Duration: 07/01/2005-06/30/2007.