Acquisition of Instrumentation for Non-Contact Multi-Scale Material Response Measurement

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This project involves the acquisition of non-contact equipment that forms the foundation of a unique state-of-the-art laboratory for microscale and mesoscale characterization of traditional (e.g., concrete, steel, soils) and innovative (e.g., fiber reinforced polymers, shape memory alloys, geosynthetics) civil engineering materials under combinations of mechanical loading and environmental exposure. The requested equipment combined with the current resources will allow the development of a facility which will be an integral part of an educational/research initiative in progress in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. Development of this facility, through the acquisition of the proposed equipment, will stimulate a variety of research, educational, and institutional interactions, including:(1) Development of laser and infrared measurement techniques for in situ, non-contract characterization of material and structural response.(2) Provision of equipment for the characterization of materials at the micro and meso scales while subjected to various loading and environment conditions.(3) Integration of equipment and research results into new and existing courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels to generate and further develop expertise in the non-contact evaluation of materials and structures.(4) Stimulation of interactions with local and national industry and government agencies to monitor, assess, and improve performance of materials and existing structures by novel applications of the equipment for in situ, non-contract evaluation.This project is supporting the acquisition of complementary systems for infrared thermography, photoelasticity, laser extensometery, and materials characterization using scanning white light interferometry and laser scanning confocal microscopy. These systems will be used in tandem to measure material response (e.g., deformation and damage accumulation) to loading and/or environment. It is considered that concurrent integrated research at different scales will generate new scientific and engineering findings that are expected to have national and international significance.