Many scientists and engineers would like to realize the advantages envisioned by the NSF blue-ribbon panel on cyberinfrastructure (Atkins et al. 2003), but struggle to identify best practices and tools. To address this need our CI-TEAM implementation project will enable and analyze the use of Sakai, an open-source collaboration and learning environment, by an international community of researchers focused on engineered cementitious composities (ECC). Through evaluation of the ECC community's experience we will produce lessons-learned that can be extended to other scientific and engineering communities. These lessons include improved coordination of joint activity at a distance, more effective transfer of procedural knowledge across distributed sites, and accelerated practical application of research findings. A key intellectual contribution of this project is demonstration of how to realize benefits of CI-based tools without special individual or organizational circumstances, such as dependence on CI-savvy individuals.
In terms of broader impacts, our project will expand use of ECC in civil infrastructure systems (e.g., bridges, tunnels, roadways, pipelines) with a corresponding decrease in the vulnerability of these systems due to deterioration through normal wear-and-tear or catastrophic events like earthquakes. Additionally, our project will inspire and motivate researchers to organize more activity via cyberinfrastructure where barriers to participation are reduced. For example, students are able to interact directly with leading reseachers via blog, chat and discussion tools that are included in Sakai. Finally, our project will show how cyberinfrastructure can be used to increase interest among women, underrepresented minorities, and the general public in cutting edge research on next generation civil infrastructure.
