This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) project will provide enhanced understanding of the mechanical response behavior of porous infrastructure materials. Porous infrastructure materials are critical to the foundations of civilized life, from underlying structural bedrock to the tallest concrete structures in the world. Societal pressures for increased material efficiency are expanding the use and specifications of these materials. In addition, improved monitoring of such materials is necessary to extend material life, safely and economically, and ensure public safety for the nation infrastructure. However, progress toward expanding design and inspection of porous infrastructure materials is hampered because some aspects of their mechanical response behavior are poorly understood. This study addresses the gaps in existing knowledge through direct observations using new experimental techniques that can shed light on the micro-seismic initiation behavior of rock, establish a new non-linear basis to interpret vibration and wave propagation responses in concrete structures for structural health monitoring, and potentially provide new insight about time dependent material behaviors including shrinkage and creep in concrete.
Dynamic Mesoscale Nonlinear Elastic (DME) behaviors in porous infrastructure materials will be studied using innovative experimental measurements at two different length scales. The study is composed of the following efforts: (i) Design and carry out macroscale observations of material nonlinear DME behaviors through vibrational studies across environmental conditions; (ii) Design and carry out microscale observations of nonlinear DME behaviors through Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) measurements across environmental conditions; (iii) Evaluate the observations between the length scales to formulate a feasible basis for new physically-based phenomenological theory underlying DME behaviors. The findings of the work will provide unique insight and a new foundation to understand and interpret dynamic mechanical responses of a broad range of porous engineered materials, and as such offer benefits to broad swaths of the academic community.
