Masanobu Shinozuka University of California, Irvine
The purpose of this research is to develop a sensor-based real-time monitoring technology for urban water supply systems. Rapid detection of damage caused by natural and manmade hazards enables an effective emergency response minimizing human casualties, property losses, and societal disruption. Using the network serving the City of Westminster (CW), California as a testbed, a method for identification of pipe damage will be developed and field tests for verification will be carried out. The monitoring system consists primarily of advanced power-efficient wireless sensor networks developed at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The following tasks will be performed; (1) develop a low-cost and power-efficient sensor network suited for water pipeline applications, and (2) field-test the network at the CW water network by taking advantage of their scheduled maintenance events such as valve opening/closure and water discharge (as simulated pipe damage). Success of this project will be derived from synergistic interdisciplinary effort by PI, M. Shinozuka, experienced in lifeline earthquake engineering and Co-PI, P. Chou bringing his developmental expertise on advanced power-efficient wireless network including DuraNodes and Eco MEMS sensors. The partnership with CW will play an important role in validating the proposed method in real world.
