REU SITE: INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ON SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE MATERIALS

REU 网站：可持续基础设施材料的跨学科研究

• 批准号: 1359064
• 负责人: Aaron Sakulich
• 金额: $ 29.91万
• 依托单位: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-04-01 至 2017-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1359064&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; SITE; INTERDISCIPLINARY; RESEARCH; SUSTAINABLE

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:Over $100 billion is spent on infrastructure maintenance in America each year. Despite this spending, groups such as the American Society of Civil Engineers rate US infrastructure to be on the D+ level, and the Department of Homeland Security considers "ageing infrastructure" to pose as much of a threat to the nation as terrorism or pandemic. New materials and new technologies, with improved durability and longer service lives, are needed to address this growing infrastructure crisis. The REU site hosted at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and supported by the National Science Foundation's Division of Engineering Education and Centers will focus on developing such materials and technologies. The performance of a variety of conventional and experimental infrastructure materials exposed to deterioration mechanisms will be investigated. Materials of interest include alternative cements, novel asphalt systems, and bio-inspired materials for structural applications; deterioration mechanisms include electrochemical corrosion, frost damage, and fatigue due to mechanical loading. The objective of this research is to identify the fundamental material properties that lead to improved durability in infrastructure materials, ensuring that current and future infrastructure needs can be sustainably supported. An interdisciplinary approach, blending materials science and civil engineering methodologies, will ensure that the fundamental scientific and technical issues are investigated in a holistic, multiscalar manner. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The nation's infrastructure, including buildings, transportation systems, energy facilities, and other public services, is in a critical state of disrepair. Infrastructure materials with improved durability and longer service lives would lead directly to less frequent maintenance carried out at lower cost; improved safety for the average user and for maintenance personnel; and a reduction in the environmental impact of the built environment through reduced consumption of energy and material resources. The goal of this research is to identify the fundamental scientific principles on which such materials can be developed, ensuring that current and future infrastructure needs can be sustainably met. The results of this research will be applicable in the US as well as globally. A recruitment plan designed specifically for this REU site, based on interpersonal relationships with local institutions, will ensure the participation of a high percentage of students from under-represented groups that would otherwise have limited opportunities for undergraduate research. Programmatic assessment by an experienced third-party evaluator will lead to the continuous improvement of the research program, as well as wide-spread dissemination of the results. Finally, two educators participating in the site will be supported in the development of lesson plans, so that the research conducted can be used to inspire and encourage high school students for years to come.

技术摘要：美国每年用于基础设施维护的费用超过1000亿美元。尽管如此，美国土木工程师协会等团体将美国基础设施评为D+级，国土安全部认为“老化的基础设施”对国家构成的威胁与恐怖主义或流行病一样大。为了解决这一日益严重的基础设施危机，需要新材料和新技术，提高耐用性和延长使用寿命。REU网站位于伍斯特理工学院，由国家科学基金会工程教育和中心部支持，将专注于开发此类材料和技术。将研究各种传统和实验基础设施材料暴露于劣化机制的性能。感兴趣的材料包括替代水泥，新型沥青系统和用于结构应用的生物启发材料;劣化机制包括电化学腐蚀，霜冻破坏和机械负载引起的疲劳。这项研究的目的是确定基础设施材料的基本材料特性，从而提高基础设施材料的耐久性，确保当前和未来的基础设施需求能够得到可持续的支持。一个跨学科的方法，混合材料科学和土木工程方法，将确保基本的科学和技术问题进行调查，在一个整体的，多标量的方式。非技术性总结：美国的基础设施，包括建筑物、交通系统、能源设施和其他公共服务，都处于年久失修的严重状态。耐用性更好、使用寿命更长的基础设施材料将直接导致以更低的成本减少维修频率;提高普通用户和维修人员的安全性;通过减少能源和物质资源的消耗，减少建筑环境对环境的影响。这项研究的目标是确定开发此类材料的基本科学原则，确保可持续地满足当前和未来的基础设施需求。这项研究的结果将适用于美国以及全球。专门为这个REU网站设计的招聘计划，基于与当地机构的人际关系，将确保来自代表性不足的群体的高比例学生的参与，否则本科生研究的机会有限。由经验丰富的第三方评估人员进行的方案评估将导致研究方案的不断改进，以及结果的广泛传播。最后，参与该网站的两名教育工作者将得到制定课程计划的支持，以便所进行的研究可以用来激励和鼓励高中学生在未来几年。