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

In SP-I, our expertise lies in leveraging multiphysics to resolve fundamental engineering problems spanning structural and fluid domains. Our research advances the development of innovative structural systems using contemporary technologies, such as Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) and High-Strength Reinforcing Bars (HSRBs). We also develop computational methods to tackle critical problems of fluid-structure interaction.

Our planet has a finite number of resources and a growing population that overloads our aging infrastructure. These factors create the need for advanced long-lasting technologies, onshore and offshore, that deliver superior strengths and minimize repair-replacement cycles. Addressing these contemporary system challenges necessitates an integrated, multidisciplinary strategy. New structural systems in onshore (coastal structures) and offshore (marine energy systems) environments are exposed to extreme loads driven by natural hazards or other processes, which require a thorough understanding of fluid-structure interaction (FSI). 

FSI effects are omnipresent in engineering. The constitutive behavior of concrete technologies, such as UHPC (and other fiber-reinforced materials), is dictated by the fiber-matrix interactions during casting, which profoundly influence fiber alignment. By integrating fluid and structural mechanics, our multiphysics approach effectively bridges knowledge gaps and delivers comprehensive, mechanics-based solutions.

A pivotal outcome of our research is the training of a new generation of engineers uniquely equipped to re-conceptualize engineering problems by integrating multiphysics effects across fluid and solid phase states.