Carbon Nanotube Integrated Fiber Composites

for Structural Health Monitoring and

Strengthening of Steel Structures
Authors: Sagar M. Doshi, Shaque Ahmed, Thomas S. Schumacher, Jennifer McConnell, and
Erik T. Thostenson
Introduction and Motivation
Over 200 million trips across nations structurally decient bridges daily
1 out of every 9 of bridges are structurally decient
Average age of bridges 42 years
Estimated investment required over $20 billion annually
I-35W Bridge Collapse, Minnesota
13 people died, economic impact of over 500 million dollars
The NTSB states lack of inspection guidance and inadequate use of technologies for
assessing the bridge condition as one of the main reasons for the collapse
Background:
CARBON NANOTUBE-BASED TESTING
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can form a nerve-like electrically conductive network
The resistance of this network changes under deformation and due to formation of cracks
Conventional sensors such as strain gages provide only point
measurements
Carbon nanotube-based sensors enable distributed sensing capability, allowing damage
detection over large areas
World-Class Research 09.09.16
2016 Summer
Undergraduate Research
Symposium 08.04.16
Sensing Trouble 07.08.16
2016 Medal of Excellence
Winners 02.01.16

Research Summary
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