Research


Ongoing Projects

Updriver Dam in Spokane, WA

Digital Twining and Monitoring of Concrete Dams using AI and Fiber Optic Sensing

Concrete dams deteriorate during their lifespan due to continuous harsh environmental loads such as freeze-thaw, chemical attack, overload and debris impact, and natural weathering. This project aims at developing digital twin and monitoring technologies for concrete dams using computer vision, unmanned aerial vehicles, deep learning, and fiber optic sensing.
TPF-5(535)

TPF-5(535): Human-centered Steel Bridge Inspection enabled by Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence

This project is inspired by NCHRP IDEA 223 and aims at developing a full-fledged AR-based bridge inspection tool that leverages CV and AI to support field detection, quantification, and documentation of various damages and deteriorations for steel bridges.
IDEA 252

NCHRP IDEA 252: A Novel Constrained-Layer Damper for Wind-induced Vibration Mitigation of High-mast Illumination Poles

This project develops a novel Constrained-Layer Damper (CLD) for Wind-induced Vibration Mitigation of HMIPs. Unlike conventional CLDs, this new design introduces longitudinal slits into the constraining layer to effectively separate the neutral axes between the constraining layer and the base layer, drastically increase the damping performance for tubular structures.
KDOT HMIP

Vibration Monitoring and Mitigation of High-Mast Illumination Poles

This project aims at uncovering the underlying mechanism of excessive vibration of HMIP under wind loading through long-term monitoring and developing recommendations for vibration mitigation strategies.

Onging Projects

AR MOLA

Immersive Learning through Mobile Augmented Reality

This research introduces an innovative augmented reality (AR) application for mobile and tablet devices, designed to provide real-time visual feedback on the structural behavior of physical models. The application enhances students’ understanding of structural concepts by offering detailed and tangible insights into deflections, reactions, and the development of shear forces and moments within structural elements under applied loads.
Bridge Inspection

Enhancing Structural Safety by Improving Infrastructure Maintenance

Bridges are crucial civil infrastructure, but their deterioration over time poses significant safety risks. Traditional human visual inspections are limited in accuracy and efficiency, leading to challenges in maintaining the inventory of bridges in the United States, particularly in economically disadvantaged communities. This project aims at improving the accuracy and efficiency of bridge inspections through AI and AR, strengthening infrastructure maintenance and enhancing public safety.
WLASS

TPF-5(449): Robust Wireless Skin Sensor Networks for Long-term Fatigue Crack Monitoring of Bridges

This project aim at developing a wireless large-area strain sensor (WLASS) to measure large-area strain under fatigue cracks and creating an effective algorithm to process the measured strain data into actionable information. This project further develops the prototype system from TPF-5(328).

Completed Projects

TPF-5(328)

TPF-5(328): Strain-based Fatigue Crack Monitoring of Steel Bridges using Wireless Elastomeric Skin Sensors

This project developed a prototype strain-based fatigue crack monitoring system using a large size, high ductility, and high precision elastomeric skin-type sensor, along with wireless sensing technology to enable long-term, low cost, autonomous, and continuous fatigue crack monitoring for fracture critical bridges.
IDEA 223

NCHRP IDEA 223: Fatigue Crack Inspection Using Computer Vision and Augmented Reality

To overcome the challenges of traditional human vision inspections, this project integrated computer-vision-based motion tracking and augmented reality (AR) techniques to empower bridge inspectors to perform robust fatigue crack detection, characterization, tracking, and documentation in the field.
NCHRP 10-94

NCHRP 10-94: Mitigation of Weldment Cracking of Highway Steel Structures due to the Galvanizing Process

This project studied factors contributing to the occurrence of weldment cracking during the galvanizing process of steel highway structures and proposed improved design, materials, and construction specifications to help mitigate such cracking.