Title : NSF 93-4 - Engineering Brochure on Infrastructure Type : Letter NSF Org: ENG Date : March 19, 1993 File : nsf934 CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS RESEARCH: STRATEGIC ISSUES Executive Summary of a Report by the Civil Infrastructure Systems Task Group National Science Foundation In January 1992, the NSF Civil Infrastructure Systems Task Group was established by the Engineering Directorate's Strategic Planning Committee. In April 1992, NSF organized a workshop on Civil Infrastructure Systems (CIS) Research to determine the need for a national focus on such research and to develop the basis for a broad-based, interdisciplinary CIS research program. Forty experts from universities, industry, professional practice, and federal agencies recommended that NSF establish a multidisciplinary initiative to conduct basic research on materials and infrastructure components, to integrate systems, and to turn research results into industrial applications. The report of NSF's workshop and written contributions from other experts helped formulate the following recommendations. @INSIDE COVER = The text of this booklet is excerpted from the National Science Foundation Report <169>Civil Infrastructure Systems Research: Strategic Issues.<170> For copies of this booklet or information about the full report or the NSF CIS Workshop report call: Sherri Swann, (202) 357-7737, Room 1132, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. 20550, USA. The opinions expressed in this document are those of the Task Group participants and do not necessarily represent NSF policy. Recommendations of the Task Group are currently under review by NSF. Printed in the United States of America Expert Committee onCivil Infrastructure SystemsResearch Workshop IAN G. BUCKLE, State University of New York,Buffalo G. WAYNE CLOUGH, Virginia PolytechnicInstitute & State University STEPHEN A. MAHIN, University of California, Berkeley THOMAS J. PASKO Jr., U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration BOYD PAULSON, Stanford University CELESTINO R. PENNONI, American Society of Civil Engineers Civil Infrastructure Systems A civilization's rise and fall is linked to its ability to feed and shelter its people and defend itself. These capabilities depend on infrastructure--the underlying, often hidden foundation of a society's wealth and quality of life. A society that neglects its infrastructure loses the ability to transport people and food, provide clean air and water, control disease, and conduct commerce. In the last 100 years or so the United States invested heavily in canals, fresh water, interstate highways, airports, rapid mass transit systems, and modern fiber optic systems, etc. But excessive demand, misuse, and neglect take their toll. In 1992 alone, the Chicago flood and Hurricane Andrew illustrated the fragility of these systems and the staggering losses their failure incurs. There is an urgent need to rebuild America. But the cost is prohibitive if this is not done intelligently, and the burden of such an investment could jeopardize the U.S. economy's future growth. Instead, the nation must strive for intelligent renewal, a process that cost- effectively uses limited economic, material, and human resources. There is also an increasing need to put existing knowledge to work in industry, and to develop new engineering and scientific knowledge. This is a tough intellectual challenge: the nation's infrastructure is made up of hundreds of large, intricate, engineering, political, and economic systems that interact in complex ways. Past research focused on the performance and operation of individual components in separate systems. The result is incremental improvement in some areas but relatively unaffected system performance. Background Construction, including structural and geotechnical engineering, is among the largest U.S. industries, making up 7.3 percent of the 1991 GNP and employing six million people. At the same time, industry spending on research and development (R&D) is among the world's lowest--about 0.4 percent of gross sales. Intense foreign competition and a lack of R&D are eroding the technological advantages of U.S. construction companies, causing the U.S. construction industry to lose ground in both the domestic and international markets. Every country has civil infrastructure systems (CIS), and most countries undertake CIS research. Japan, Canada, Australia, and most European countries have state-funded research foundations similar to NSF. Japan's Ministry of Construction operates the well-funded Public Works Research Institute and the Building Research Institute; the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Science and Technology Agency have nationally coordinated CIS research programs. Based on a 1987 Congressional Office of Technology Assessment report on construction and materials R&D for U.S. public works, Japanese construction companies spend about 30 times more than U.S. counterparts on construction research, while major European construction firms outspend the U.S. about eight times. Increasingly, foreign laboratories have the technological and human means to excel nationally and internationally. Strong public and institutional interest in urban infrastructure has grown with the recognition that U.S. civil infrastructure systems are not benefiting from advances in emerging technologies, and have not been adequately maintained. Revitalization has been sporadic, largely without a holistic approach to deficiencies. The nation needs a cohesive strategy to revive inner-city, suburban, and rural environments. Academic and industrial research over the last decade has spurred advances in new materials, structural systems, automated construction, ground enhancement, prefabricated assemblies, electrokinetic geotechnology, corrosion inhibition, electro-optical communication, understanding of public decisions, management, location and siting, and public finance. Yet barriers still exist to transferring this basic knowledge into civil infrastructure practices. Today, it generally takes 5 to 20 years to move such knowledge from research institutions to the marketplace. Although many federal agencies support infrastructure systems research, the National Science Foundation (NSF) accounts for 65 percent of federal funding for basic civil engineering research-- almost all of which is related to CIS. This complements industrial research but generally is more basic and longer term. NSF support provides the knowledge base in engineering and science upon which will rest many industrial CIS innovations. By creating a national focus of continuous CIS research (in cooperation with the DOD, DOT, EPA, and other CIS-based or CIS-pertinent agencies), NSF will provide an environment that encourages the vigorous, industry-based investment in CIS research critical to our future progress and competitiveness. Recommendations NSF should move quickly to put existing knowledge about civil infrastructure to work and generate new engineering and scientific knowledge. NSF's approach should be holistic, targeting optimal system performance and innovative techniques and methods. NSF should seek to Promote proof-of-concept research, knowledge transfer, education and training, human resource development, and federal, state, and private-sector partnerships. Systematically address issues of deterioration science, assessment technologies, and renewal engineering. Strengthen research programs at infrastructure-related academic research centers. Encourage university and other investigators to pursue critical civil infrastructure systems research needs. The Research Thrust A CIS research effort should be developed with two thrusts: one for performing basic research, and another for addressing knowledge diffusion--enabling research results to be turned into products and services for industry. In this effort, NSF should target three elements of infrastructure renewal: DETERIORATION SCIENCE: A fundamental issue in understanding why constructed facilities decay is to understand better the science of deterioration. Most such efforts involve proof tests that subject new materials to some <169>extreme<170> condition that causes the material to fail, and this is then proposed as an indicator of the material's performance. Unfortunately, few tests are dependent on the basic mechanisms that cause failure for even the limited test conditions, much less actual conditions. Even conventional construction materials can be thought of as systems whose properties continually evolve over time, and complexity increases when materials are repaired or upgraded. A major component of this research will be materials science and mechanics. Other contributions are expected from programs in failure processes; risk and reliability; materials processing, fabrication, manufacturing, and assembly; corrosion, fatigue, and environmental hazards; performance criteria; extension of service life; and strength and durability. ASSESSMENT TECHNOLOGIES:A major problem in repairing and upgrading infrastructure is an inability to assess accurately the state of health of a constructed facility. The sheer number of facilities to be evaluated, and the difficulty of accessing vital structural components adds to the problem. This differs from diagnosing a system like the human body, whose parts and general placement are known and documented. Current methods for assessing constructed facilities are relatively primitive and unreliable, prompting conservative, often costly decisions. This situation could be reversed with a modest research investment. Research in this area will focus on nondestructive evaluation, smart materials, damage processes, advanced instrumentation, evaluation of service life and long-term monitoring; system evaluation; characterization of performance under extreme events; acceptable risk; interdependence of infrastructure systems; geographical information systems; and social and economic effects. RENEWAL ENGINEERING: Constructed facilities--the nation's largest, tangible resource--include facilities for transportation, energy, waste collection and treatment, water supply and protection, environmental protection, and for living, working, playing and performing functions of education and government. These physical underpinnings of society need renewal, modification, and upgrading, and research will emphasize new design and construction methods. Other opportunities include using new or modified materials, trenchless technology (e.g. microtunneling), batch manufacturing techniques in construction, simulation, innovative repair and modification, and modified construction techniques suited to robotics applications. Innovative electrical and communication systems could play a role in intelligent highways. Other research topics include performance criteria and repair strategies; demolition, disposal, and recycling; preservation of national resources; information theory, expert systems, and artificial intelligence; and integrating structural design, processing, and fabrication. Each element addresses cross-cutting research in materials science, mechanics, social sciences, geotechnical and structural engineering, fluid mechanics and water resources, environmental engineering, chemistry, and mathematical, computer, and information science. This broad-based, multidisciplinary program emphasizes system integration and builds on NSF strengths in engineering and science. Culture and Infrastructure Civil infrastructure research is a multidisciplinary effort that requires contributions from all engineering disciplines--and the earth, physical, chemical, biological, mathematical, computer, and social sciences, as well as education and human resources. Infrastructure solutions involve social, political, environmental, and economic elements as well as technical elements. The general public and elected officials are often reluctant to support infrastructure projects because of high, uncertain direct costs; disruption and costs to neighborhoods and businesses during construction; the impact of projects such as freeways on familiar environments and valued lifestyles; and effects on the natural environment. Technology could better target these concerns. For example, microtunneling is far less disruptive than open trenching for installing utility lines, and research on lowering the cost of large-bore tunneling could permit transportation corridors to be moved underground economically. While many barriers to solving infrastructure problems are social, economic, environmental, and political, technology improvements are fundamental. In addition to its critical relationship to people and food transport, clean air and water, public health and commerce, infrastructure is equally important as a cultural symbol. Its physical image, placement, and relationship to communities and landscapes represent a vast, uncharted territory for future research. To paraphrase writer Cornell West, from a New York Times Magazine article, "Learning to Talk of Race," The vitality of any public square ultimately depends on how much we care about the quality of our lives together. Our public infrastructure reflects our economic policies and the priority we place on our common life. NSF Programs in Civil Infrastructure Systems (CIS)-Related Research DIRECTORATE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (BIO). Research supported by the Biological Sciences Directorate (BIO) on genetic, biochemical, physiological, and economic traits of organisms in relation to their physical environment offers a way to understand and improve the role of living organisms in infrastructure deterioration. DIRECTORATE FOR COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (CISE). The CISE Information, Robotics and Intelligent Systems Division includes the Robotics and Machine Intelligence program, which funds research in automated intelligent machines and sensing systems. This includes robotic systems for excavation, material handling, exploration, construction, and repair; computer vision and other advanced sensing and metrology systems for automated construction; and nondestructive testing and inspection. The Database and Expert Systems program funds information systems research relevant to facilities design, data management, and fault diagnosis. DIRECTORATE FOR EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES (EHR).<MS> CIS research is intrinsically interdisciplinary, relying heavily on scientific and engineering research, education, practice, and methodology. Programs that support undergraduate engineering and science education (particularly at the introductory level), laboratory development, engineering and scientific research in CIS-related areas, faculty enhancement, and career and graduate program access constitute a significant portion of EHR activity. DIRECTORATE FOR ENGINEERING (ENG). ENG-supported research enhances the knowledge base of and is most directly related to CIS. The topics currently supported include structural analysis and design, construction and fabrication, material processing and synthesis, power and communications, environmental engineering, and safety against earthquake, wind, and other hazards. ENG programs that support CIS research are: Structures, Geomechanics and Building Systems; Construction Processes; Mechanics and Materials; Earthquake Hazard Mitigation; Natural and Man-Made Hazard Mitigation; Fluid, Particulate and Hydraulic Systems; Environmental and Ocean Systems; Small Business Innovation Research; Engineering Education and Centers Division programs (Engineering Research Centers and Industry-University and State-Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers); and the Electrical and Communications Systems Division Programs. Most of these programs have jointly engaged in interdisciplinary research focused on innovative approaches to CIS problems. DIRECTORATE FOR GEOSCIENCES (GEO). All engineered structures and societal lifelines are subject to environmental stresses and natural hazards. These include high winds, floods, wave action, marine corrosion, freezing and thawing, and earth movements ranging from sudden earthquakes to prolonged soil creep. GEO supports research on characterizing these environmental factors and assessing the resulting natural hazards. DIRECTORATE FOR MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES (MPS). MPS supports many activities that are related or relevant to CIS. Materials research addresses the preparation, processing, and properties of advanced and novel materials for structural applications, communications, sensors, energy storage, and transportation. Materials chemistry, surface chemistry and physics, electrochemistry, analytical chemistry, and photochemistry contribute both to development and construction of infrastructure and to understanding and preventing its deterioration. Theoretical and computational research in support of CIS areas includes development of modeling and simulation techniques and performance prediction. Many research topics in mathematical sciences contribute in important ways to deterioration science, assessment technologies, and renewal engineering. Research in physics and astronomical sciences, leading to high-speed data acquisition devices and improvements in the state-of-the-art measurement science, has long-term implications for CIS. DIRECTORATE FOR SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES (SBE). CIS-pertinent programs supported by this directorate have critical, far-reaching social and economic significance in renewing and maintaining the physical infrastructure. Research to improve the physical infrastructure must address the need for viable urban economies, strong urban tax bases, and a trained urban work force. About the National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) Act of 1950 (Public Law 81-507) created NSF to promote the progress of science and engineering, and education in those areas. NSF is independent-- not part of any other federal department or agency--and run by a presidentially appointed director and a board of 24 scientists and engineers, university officials and industry leaders and a staff of about 1,200. NSF accounts for almost a fourth of all federal support to academic institutions for basic research. With assistance from more than 55,000 outside experts, NSF reviews nearly 30,500 proposals a year and awards more than 16,000 grants and contracts to some 2,000 universities, colleges, academic consortia, nonprofit institutions, and small businesses. NSF ensures that the spectrum of research fields receives adequate federal support, and that America's human resources in science and technology are replenished. NSF plays a leadership role in identifying the "grand challenges" of science and engineering research and--because research increasingly requires cooperation among universities, federal agencies, public and private sectors, and nations--marshalling the resources to tackle them. At least 40 federal agencies engage in activities that range from research on coastal erosion to new forms of energy to improving the national defense. Only NSF can sponsor basic research anywhere in the United States or, in cooperation with other nations, the world.