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| Bridge deck fatigue study |
Undergraduate
Research Opportunities
During the school year there are
opportunities, for all undergraduate
students to conduct research in the
laboratory. Undergraduate research for
credit is available by taking a three credit
independent study course (CEE 4612).
Students work with a Graduate student mentor
and faculty advisor for one semester and
present their results at CEE Day.
Summer fellowships are offered every
summer. Students work on a group research
project and are responsible for setting up
and performing the tests and synthesizing
the results of the experiments. Your
responsibilities would be for setting up and
performing the test along with the written
analysis of the experiment. Students gain
exposure to all research conducted in the
laboratory and learn how to use the testing
equipment. Additionally employment
opportunities exist for lab assistants
during the academic year. Students
interested in participating in undergraduate
research should contact the lab director.
Structural
Engineering Research Fellowship Recipients
2006: Eric Buckley, Meredith Mitchell,
Jessica Olownia,
2007: Matthew Maddalo, James Sweeney, Sean
Tully
2008: Timothy Harrington, Thomas Kulesher,
Christopher Rappone
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| Rigging for specimen placement |
Research
Projects
Structural Behavior
of Rod Web Joists
This project investigates the flexural
behavior of open web steel joists with
continuous rod web members. The joists are
loaded under a uniform distributed load
until failure. Ten different joist designs
with three replicate specimens per design
being tested. all 16 feet long.
Sponsor: Commercial Materials
Corporation
Undergraduate Students: Timothy
Harrington, Thomas Kulesher, Christopher
Rappone
Concrete Durability
Test The US infrastructure continues to
deteriorate. One of the problems facing our
campus is the scaling of concrete walkways.
This project aims to quantify the durability
behavior of three different concrete mixes
subjected to four different de-icing salts.
Standard durability tests will be conducted
on slab specimens to quantify the impact
that concrete strength and de-icing agent
type and concentration has on the durability
of concrete. Ultimately, this research will
provide insight on how to better protect the
campus infrastructure.
Sponsor: Villanova University
Facilities Management Office
Graduate Student: Matthew Costantino
Undergraduate Students: Christopher
Rapone, Michael Salera
Gypsum and Wood Viscoelastic Polymer
Connections
The objective of this project is to
improve the cyclic performance of woodframe
structures subjected to seismic load. The
study includes the cyclic testing of
conventional nailed wood connections and
screwed gypsum connections. The performance
of these traditional fasteners is compared
to VE polymer connections. The experimental
data is used in conjunction with finite
element models to predict full-scale wall
behavior.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation,
Villanova Office of Research and Sponsored
Projects
Graduate Student: Kristin Leese
Undergraduate Students: Colin Doyle,
Sara Patterson
Continuous Concrete
Beams Reinforced with GFRP
The purpose of this study is to evaluate
the flexural behavior of continuous GFRP
(glass fiber-reinforced polymer) reinforced
concrete beams under various loading
conditions. The width and propagation of
cracks in the concrete will be studied,
along with deflections and load capacity in
order to develop methods to reasonably
predict flexural behavior.
Sponsor: Villanova University Office
of Research and Sponsored Projects, Hughes
Brothers, Inc.
Graduate Student: Matthew DeSimone
Ductile Joist Study
The goal of this project is to test and
evaluate the failure method of joists,
provided by CMC Steel. Currently, there are
strength requirement for joist design,
provided by the Steel Joist Institute (SJI).
However, unlike with other materials in
structural engineering, there is no current
standard for ductility, which leaves the
maximum deflections of these joists
relatively uncertain. After this phase of
the study has been completed, it is the goal
of Villanova University and CMC Steel to
display the results before SJI, with the
anticipation of modifying the current
standards for design.
Sponsor: Commercial Materials
Corporation
Graduate Student: Paul Cianci
Undergraduate Student: Zachary Els
Flexural
Performance of Composite Concrete Flooring
Systems
Sponsor: Girder-Slab Technologies,
LLC
Graduate Student: Joshua Pudliner
Undergraduate Student: Spring 2009 |
