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The theme of the Infrastructure Technology Institute is improving the technology and expertise available to address the problems of the nation’s transportation infrastructure.
Infrastructure is the connective tissue of our economy and society. The extent and capacity of U.S. transportation infrastructure are characteristics we take for granted until something goes wrong. The tragic collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis was a wake-up call about the importance of and risks to that infrastructure. While the emerging evidence on I-35W suggests that the failure may have been designed in from the start, the consequences of the loss of this structure, both immediate and long term, remind us of our dependence on such
connective tissue.
Northwestern University’s Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) is committed to ensuring our nation’s surface transportation infrastructure against failure. A primary focus of the work of ITI is structural health monitoring (SHM) – developing and deploying technologies and methods to assess the condition of key transportation components and to convert this condition and performance data into information that is useful in decision making.
ITI SHM research and development efforts gather data during different periods in the life of a structure – from construction through long term utilization and life extension. Using static or real-time measurements, our engineers deploy powerful tools to capture, transmit, store and display infrastructure data, often in challenging environments and over great distances.
ITI researchers are also engaged in the development of advanced structural modeling methods and the creation of new, designer materials that solve old transportation infrastructure problems and meet new needs. Much of the work of ITI is done in conjunction with external partners, usually owners and operators of major infrastructure facilities and systems who bring us problems and a willingness to collaborate in the pursuit of solutions.
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