ACQUISITION OF AN INTEGRATED TESTING SYSTEM FOR CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

密苏里大学罗拉分校（UMR）获得了购买最先进设备和相关仪器的资金，以增加和促进主要在土木基础设施工程领域的研究、研究培训和综合研究/教育活动。UMR已将土木基础设施工程确定为密苏里大学系统“任务增强计划”下的六个发展领域之一。授予的设备将支持符合大学和国家科学基金会/主要研究仪器（NSF/MRI）计划目标的研究和教育目标的活动。一个新的最先进的结构工程研究/教育实验室刚刚在UMR土木工程系完成。有了这个全新的设施，再加上获得的设备，UMR将能够为其教师、研究生和本科生提供实验设施，并开展重要的研究和教育活动，以满足国家的需求。此外，与政府机构和私营工业的合作研究和发展活动将促进和实施国家和国家土木工程基础设施安全所需的科学知识。本建议书授予的设备和仪器包括：(1)三个液压执行器，带有伺服控制阀，能够进行静态、疲劳、动态和高速测试；(2)液压使用歧管和液压动力泵；(3)电控系统；(4)大容量数据采集系统单元。UMR的教职员工正在国家和国际一级积极开展研究/教育活动，以解决世界对发展民用基础设施的现代设计和维修方法的一些需求。这些研究/教育活动需要的设备能力远远超过密苏里州和/或附近地区大学目前的水平。此外，新建和装备齐全的实验室将使UMR及其卓越中心能够吸引大量的企业和政府研究资金，并吸引更多的研究生和本科生从事工程方面的职业。新的最先进的结构工程研究/教育实验室将使土木工程系的学生和教师以及其他学术部门（如航空航天工程、工程力学、电气工程、机械工程和采矿工程）的学生和教师受益。这些系的教师正在积极追求和开展跨学科研究项目，并成功地获得了私营企业以及州和联邦机构的支持。拟议设备将支持的研究、研究培训和教育活动的主要领域是：(i)组件和组件的结构测试；（ii）地震工程和智能结构的智能控制；（三）在建筑中使用先进材料和玻璃钢复合材料；（四）维修和修复老化飞机的结构部件；(v)冷弯型钢结构的性能；（vi）钢筋/预应力混凝土结构的性能。该奖项将使UMR能够解决以下大学和NSF/MRI项目目标：(1)加强和扩大现有的实验研究，研究培训和教育活动和设施；(2)通过获得和使用最先进的研究/教育设备，增加大学研究生和本科课程中女性和代表性不足的少数群体的人数；(3)在全校范围内开展跨学科综合研究和教育活动；(4)建立和加强工业联系和伙伴关系，以促进和增加全国以及密苏里州的研究、研究培训和教育机会。

PROJECT SUMMARYThe University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR) was awarded funds for the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment and associated instrumentation to increase access and promote research, research training, and integrated research/education activities primarily in the area of civil infrastructure engineering. UMR has identified civil infrastructure engineering as one of six areas for development under the 'Mission Enhancement Program' of the University of Missouri System. The awarded equipment will support activities that are in line with the research and educational goals of the University and the National Science Foundation/Major Research Instrumentation (NSF/MRI) program goals.A new state-of-the-art structural engineering research/education laboratory has just been completed in the Civil Engineering Department at UMR. With this brand new facility in place and in combination with the awarded equipment, UMR will be in the position to offer experimental facilities to its faculty, graduate and undergraduate students and to carry out significant research and education activities that address the nation's needs. In addition, cooperative research and development activities with government agencies and private industries will result in the advancement and implementation of scientific knowledge that is required for the safety of state and national civil engineering infrastructures. The equipment and instrumentation awarded in this proposal consists of: (1) three hydraulic actuators with servo-controlled valves capable of static, fatigue, dynamic and high-velocity testing; (2) hydraulic service manifolds and hydraulic power pump; (3) electronic control system; and, (4) high-capacity data acquisition system unit. UMR faculty members are actively pursuing research/education activities at the national and international levels that address some of the world's needs for the development of modern design and repair methodologies for civil infrastructures. These research/education activities demand equipment capabilities that far exceed current levels in the state of Missouri and/or at nearby regional universities. Additionally, the newly constructed and equipped laboratory will allow UMR and its centers of excellence in attracting significant corporate and government research funding and draw a larger number of graduate and undergraduate students to pursue careers in engineering. The new state-of-the-art structural engineering research/education laboratory will benefit students and faculty in the Civil Engineering Department as well as students and faculty from other academic departments such as Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Mining Engineering. Faculty in these departments are actively pursuing and conducting interdisciplinary research projects and have been successful in obtaining the support of private industry as well as state and federal agencies. The primary areas of research, research training, and educational activities that will be supported by the proposed equipment are: (i) structural testing of components and subassemblies; (ii) earthquake engineering and intelligent control of smart structures; (iii) use of advanced materials and FRP composites in construction; (iv) repair and rehabilitation of structural components in aging aircraft; (v) behavior of cold-formed steel structures; and, (vi) behavior of reinforced/prestressed concrete structures. This award will enable UMR to address the following University and NSF/MRI program goals: (1) strengthen and expand existing experimental research, research training, and education activities and facilities; (2) increase the population of women and under-represented minority groups in the university's graduate and undergraduate programs through access to and use of state-of-the-art research/education equipment; (3) expand university-wide integrated interdisciplinary research and education activities; and, (4) build and strengthen industrial contacts and partnerships to promote and increase the scope of research, research training, and education opportunities available nationally as well as in the state of Missouri.