Innovative Developments of Advanced Multifunctional Nanocomposites in Civil and Structural Engineering

Innovative Developments of Advanced Multifunctional Nanocomposites in Civil and Structural Engineering focuses on nanotechnology, the innovation and control of materials at 100 nm or smaller length scales, and how they have revolutionized almost all of the various disciplines of science and engineering study.

In particular, advances in synthesizing, imaging, and manipulating materials at the nano-scale have provided engineers with a broader array of materials and tools for creating high-performance devices. Nanomaterials possess drastically different properties than those of their bulk counterparts mainly because of their high surface-to-mass ratios and high surface energies/reactivity. For instance, carbon nanotubes have been shown to possess impressive mechanical strength, stiffness, and electrical conductivity superior to that of bulk carbon.

Whilst nanotechnology has become deeply rooted in electrical, chemical, and materials engineering disciplines, its proliferation into civil engineering did not begin until fairly recently. This book covers that proliferation and the main challenges associated with the integration of nanomaterials and nano-scale design principles into civil and structural engineering.

• Examines nanotechnology and its application to not only structural engineering, but also transportation, new infrastructure materials, and the applications of nanotechnology to existing structural systems
• Focuses on how nanomaterials can provide enhanced sensing capabilities and mechanical reinforcement of the original structural material
• Analyzes experimental and computational work carried out by world-renowned researchers

Dr. Kenneth J. Loh is the Director of CITRIS at UC Davis and an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Davis. He received his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2004. He continued his graduate studies at the University of Michigan where he completed his M.S. degree in Civil Engineering in 2005, a second M.S. degree in Materials Science & Engineering in 2008, and the Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering in 2008. His research interests include the development of multifunctional nanocomposites and biologically-inspired materials for sensing, actuation, and power harvesting applications.

Prof. Satish Nagarajaiah holds a joint appointment between the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and the Mechanical Engineering Department at Rice University. He has tenured as a full professor since 2006. Satish obtained his Ph.D. (1987-1990) from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he was a post-doctoral researcher before starting his academic career in 1993. Prof. Nagarajaiah's teaching and research interests are in the areas of structural dynamic systems; seismic protection; earthquake engineering; smart structures; system identification; and structural health monitoring and applied Nanotechnology. Satish's research is funded by the NSF, NASA, Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Naval Research, other State, Federal, Private Agencies and Industries. The National Science Foundation has awarded Satish the prestigious faculty early CAREER award for innovative research in Adaptive Stiffness Structures.