REU 2021 Has Been Postponed Until 2022 – Learn More Here
Please Review the REUs and Select Your Choice Below for an REU to Apply For
Modeling, Analysis, Testing, and Monitoring of Railroad and Highway Bridge Infrastructure
Primary PI: Ramesh Malla
The research team supervised by Prof. Ramesh B. Malla intends to host two students with a good understanding of physics, math, structural and mechanics related engineering fundamental knowledge. Classwork with Dynamics or Strength of Materials is a bonus. The student would have the opportunity to work on a project funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) University Transportation Center (UTC) – Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC). The research team’s current effort include finite element modeling, analysis and testing of railroad bridges to study dynamic behavior and to develop suitable structural health/condition monitoring system for the bridge structures. . . Students at the level of Junior or Senior are preferred. The students should have relevant coursework on mechanics, structural analysis, design, modeling and experience with structural design and analysis software engineering computer software. Successful applicants will gain exposure to industry and government agency professionals and get the opportunity to utilize their classroom knowledge to solve real-life problems, improve their knowledge on structural dynamics, analysis and design, and gain experience working in a research environment.
RFID-based crack sensor development for crumbling foundations’
Primary PI: Shinae Jang
Crumbling foundation is a problem present in Connecticut that weakens the structural integrity through a series of chemical attacks on the foundation, impacting a number of residential and municipal buildings as well as their occupants. This project focuses on the detection of cracks as well as their propagation through the use of inexpensive and efficient passive RFID tags. The project focuses on providing a cost-efficient and effective solution to the current crumbling foundation problem that exists in Eastern Connecticut, as well as parts of Massachusetts. Students will work with passive RFID wet inlay tags as well as data analysis tools to establish a damage index that will help to monitor cracks in buildings affected by the crumbling foundation.
Project 21
Primary PI: Kay Wille
Several thousands of homes in CT have been at risk of failing to the deterious effect of pyrrhotite containing aggregates in concrete foundation walls. There is a significant need to develop a rapid and cost-effective test method to identify and quantify the presence of pyrrhotite in concrete, as well as understand what level of pyrrhotite is critical under what concrete conditions. Currently, there is no standard method for the identification and quantification of pyrrhotite. In the Advanced Cementitious Materials and Composites (ACMC) Laboratory the student would work closely with graduate researchers to understand and quantify the effect of pyrrhotite containing aggregates on the deterioration of concrete. This will include supporting the synthesis of pyrrhotite, designing and mixing of concrete, exposing the material to various curing conditions and analyzing the test results. It also includes meticulous material preparation for petrographic analysis and micro-structural analysis. Once a more in depth understanding of the deterioration mechanisms has been formed, potential solutions to prevent excessive deterioration can be investigated.
Project 23
Primary PI: Kay Wille
During the summer internship, the undergraduate student will support the research team in the development and characterization of an ultra-high performance concrete tailored to the environmental conditions of our New England area. The student will closely work with graduate and undergraduate students in the Advanced Cementitious Material and Composites (ACMC) laboratory. The PI’s research team is one of the leading research groups on ultra-high performance concrete in the United States. Supported by the Department of Transportation (DOT) this research project aims at increasing the service life of our current and future infrastructure. The student’s research work will include supporting the design and mixing of concrete, exposing the material to various curing conditions, characterizing the material’s mechanical and durability performance and analyzing the test results.
Design and Analysis of Lunar and Deep Space Habitat structures
Primary PI: Ramesh Malla
Name: Ramesh B. Malla, , Ph.D., F. ASCE, F. EMI, A.F. AIAA Email: Ramesh.malla@uconn.edu College: Engineering Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering Number of Students you wish to host: 2 Project Mentor(s): – Dr. Seungwook Seok (Post-Doctoral Research Associate) – Jeffrey Steiner (PhD Student) The research team supervised by Prof. Ramesh B. Malla intends to host two students with competencies in physics, math, and structural and mechanics related engineering fundamentals knowledge. Students at the level of Junior or Senior are preferred. The students should have relevant coursework on mechanics, structural analysis, design, modeling and construction materials. These competencies are necessary to contribute to the research of development and analysis of Space structures/habitats, and construction of a physical testbed, meant to simulate a Lunar habitat and associated environmental hazards. This research requires working with computer models to simulate conditions experienced on the Lunar surface (including temperature fluctuations, meteorite impact, and radiation), construction of a model Lunar habitat for physical testing, and working closely with other researchers in the lab to deliver models and reports. Students with MATLAB and/or other computer programming and experience with structural design and analysis software are preferred. Successful applicants stand to gain exposure to professionals in industry and government agencies, get the opportunity to work on NASA-funded projects researching deep space structures/habitats, improve their knowledge of structural analysis and design, and gain experience working in a research environment.
Next Generation Wireless Water Sensors for Real-time In situ Monitoring Nutrients in Wastewater for Energy-saving Treatment Process
Primary PI: Baikun Li
Dr. Baikun Li’s group at the Environmental Engineering Program at UConn has conducted frontier research of biosensor and bioenergy. She has made groundbreaking research on water/soil sensing technology for monitoring contaminant fate in water, wastewater and soil. With close collaboration with industrial partners, Dr. Li’s group have developed wireless solid-state ion-selective membrane (S-ISM) nitrogen sensor prototypes for real-time in situ wastewater monitoring. In addition, Dr. Li is a pioneering researcher on wastewater conversion to bioelectricity and value-added bioproducts, and currently her team is conducting frontier research of microbial-electrochemical systems for bioresource recovery from wastewater. For students interested in sensing technology and bioresource, Dr. Li’s lab will be a fantastic group to join and gain E-REU experience. Dr. Li has hosted numerous undergraduate researchers in the last decade, and students have gained the precious hands-on experience of multi-disciplinary research and learned the new concepts of “Data Science” “Digital Water-Energy Future” and “Citizen Science” through the exciting summer program.
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