Resilient Infrastructures

Aerial,view,of,singapore,city,at,day

Oxford Economics forecasts a US$94 trillion investment in global infrastructure by 2040 to meet the demand for access to critical resources required by societies. The next-generation infrastructure in Singapore faces a series of new challenges, characterized by both climate-change driven environmental conditions and artificial hazards in an increasingly sophisticated modern infrastructure system. Multiple hazards may act simultaneously to pose safety threats to infrastructure systems, which were conventionally designed against a single extreme event. “Resilient infrastructure” here is therefore defined as infrastructure systems which are capable of retaining the basic operation and functionalities of the structures with sufficient structural capacity by absorbing multiple disruptions caused by artificial and environmental actions.

This research cluster aims to deliver multi-disciplinary and sustainable solutions to create smart and resilient infrastructural systems, which are not only robust in multi-hazard events, but also digitally enhanced to optimize the life-cycle cost in the framework of circular economy. To promote the understanding of resilience, knowledge-based analytics will be essential to profile the risks in infrastructure system failure and the dependence in the infrastructure network. The new resilient infrastructure relies fundamentally on the integration of sustainable high-strength materials in innovative structural solutions to deliver a durable system with reliable structural resistance. In the framework of the circular economy, infrastructure systems, which are adaptable to different purposes and functionalities in their design life, will significantly enhance the whole life value of the system and minimize the carbon footprint.

To equip our society with infrastructure adaptable to the future challenges described above, this research cluster thus embraces the following themes: design for multi-hazard robustness; risk of systemic failure of infrastructure and lifeline systems network; resilient infrastructures to mitigate climate change and seawater rise; sensor-interfaced digital twin solution for infrastructure resilience; mitigation measures in design of buildings against progressive collapse.

Director: Assoc Prof Qian Xudong
Co-Director: Assoc Prof Poh Leong Hien

Research Focus

Design of multi-hazard robustness

Develop design solutions for the next-generation infrastructure capable of sustaining multiple, extreme environmental and/or artificial actions

Risk of systemic failure of infrastructure and lifeline systems network

Enhance the reliability of the infrastructure and lifeline systems network by understanding the risks of the failures and the inter-dependence of the lifeline systems.

Resilient infrastructures and sustainable materials

Propose new infrastructure solutions to address the sea level rise caused by the climate change and to optimize the use of spacing in Singapore, by exploring green, low-carbon construction materials with improved long-term properties

Sensor-interfaced digital twin solution for infrastructure resilience

Develop digital prototype for physical structures with data driven models extended beyond the sensor data for real-time monitoring as well as predicting the future performance of infrastructure

Mitigation measures in design of buildings against progressive collapse

Evolve innovative design solutions to increase the resistance against the progressive collapse of next-generation buildings under extreme loading conditions

Highlights

Ongoing Projects

TITLE  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Understand and Predict: Marine Concrete Degradation under Climate Change Dr Geng Guoqing
Effective Absorption of Low Concentration CO2 Flue Gas for Sustainable Urban Development Dr Geng Guoqing
Fast Installation Connection Design for Steel and Composite Structure Assoc Prof Pang Sze Dai
Data Driven Design of Concrete Structure Against Impact Loading Assoc Prof Poh Leong Hien
Tailored Auxetic Metamaterial for Protection Against Impact Events
Development of Design Guidelines for Precast Concrete and Steel-Composite Structures Against Progressive Collapse (Precast/ Steel Concrete)
3D Printed Shaped Charge Copper Liners with Improved Performance
Resolving the 3D Porous Structure of
C-A-S-H at the Mesoscale
Dr Geng Guoqing
Engineering a Sustainable Cementitous Material Containing Clay and Limestone
Survivability

(Partner Centre: Centre for Offshore and Research Engineering)

Assoc Prof Low Ying Min
Enhanced Connection Technology for Modular Structures in Strong Seismic Regions Assoc Prof Qian Xudong
Integrity

(Partner Centre: Centre for Offshore and Research Engineering)

Development of Sustainable Self-Healing Concrete by Use of Recycled Materials Dr Kong Kian Hau

People