A Center for Innovative Design, Diagnostics, and the Maintenance of Constructed Facilities is planned at West Virginia University. The Center will be a joint venture with the West Virginia Department of Highways, West Virginia University, and various private institutions representing materials and manufactured products. The center will focus on the transformation of innovative ideas and techniques into practical application for the nation's existing infrastructure. Efficient and durable structures utilizing combinations of conventional, composite, and new materials will be developed for existing as well as new facilities. Contemporary computer technologies will be integrated with modern transducers to produce new diagnostic techniques and tools to improve the productivity and reliability of inspection and maintenance engineers. Emphasis will be given to the identification of safety problems associated with constructed facilities and to design and analysis based on expert systems concepts and life-cycle costs. The final products of the Center will be ones that can be used directly by practicing engineers.
