Welcome to the Structural Performance & Fluid-Structure Interaction (SP-I) LAB!

We are a laboratory that has a multiphysics approach to engineering problems. We focus on research problems related to new structural system technologies driven by contemporary structural materials, such as Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) and High-Strength Reinforcing Bars (HSRBs). Our viewpoint is that contemporary challenges related to new systems are complex and require a combined discipline approach. For example, new structural systems in onshore (coastal structures) and offshore (wave energy converters) environments are exposed to fluid loads driven by natural hazards or other processes and require to measure and predict fluid-structure interaction (FSI) effects.  Similarly, the behavior of new concrete technologies, like UHPC (or other fiber-reinforced concretes), are dependent on the fiber-fluid UHPC interactions at casting, which dictate fiber alignment and UHPC’s tensile behavior. Combining the fundamentals of fluid and structural mechanics creates a multiphysics approach that is needed to bridge knowledge gaps and provide thorough mechanics-based solutions.

Educational outcome of our research approach is the emergence of future engineers who will acquire the necessary multiphysics thinking to address climate-change-driven challenges related to onshore and offshore infrastructure and understand the physics of structural systems developed with contemporary materials.