PhD on Architected Materials and Advanced Repair Techniques for Resilient Civil Infrastructure
Explore the frontier of architected materials to enhance civil infrastructure resilience. Develop innovative additive repair methods to extend steel bridge lifespan, combining advanced manufacturing and structural engineering for sustainable infrastructure solutions.
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Project Description
Project Overview
This PhD project explores the design, testing, and application of architected materials such as lattice and auxetic structures to improve performance metrics like energy absorption and durability in civil infrastructure. It also aims to develop advanced additive manufacturing repair methods for restoring deteriorated steel bridge components, addressing challenges linked to aging infrastructure.
What You Will Do
The student will work on creating novel materials with tailored mechanical properties to enhance structural resilience. Experimental and analytical methods will be employed to characterize these materials’ behavior under different conditions. Additionally, the candidate will develop cutting-edge additive repair techniques using cold spray or similar technologies to rehabilitate steel bridge elements, enabling extended operational life and cost-effective maintenance.
Expected Outcomes
The project aims to deliver new architected material designs with superior mechanical properties validated through rigorous testing. A set of practical, scalable repair protocols for steel bridges will be established, demonstrating enhanced longevity and reduced lifecycle costs. These outcomes will contribute significantly to the maintenance and resilience of civil infrastructure assets.
Why This Matters
Aging infrastructure poses critical challenges in safety and sustainability. By advancing architected materials and additive repair technologies, this research supports the development of more resilient, longer-lasting civil structures. This directly impacts public safety, environmental footprint, and economic efficiency of infrastructure systems.
How to Apply
Eligibility
Supervisor Profile
Associate Professor Simos Gerasimidis at University of Massachusetts Amherst specializes in architected materials and resilient infrastructure. His research combines analytical and experimental approaches to study structural stability, damage, and progressive collapse in steel frames and shell structures. He is recognized for contributions establishing correlations between topology and elastic properties of truss-lattice materials, advancing structural safety and performance.