Gerasimidis Group
Stability of Structures and Materials

Two open Funded PhD positions in our lab! See descriptions below:

​

3D printing and Steel Structures: Innovation in Repairs

​

In recent years there has been a significantly increased interest in additive manufacturing (also frequently referred to as 3D Printing), a design platform largely unexplored within infrastructure projects. The PhD student will build on recent findings and explore further the feasibility of 3D printing applications for highway construction and maintenance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The research aims at  exploring the feasibility of additive repair technologies for corroded steel. Different additive manufacturing solutions and repair technologies will be examined in the lab and on-site. Research will also explore the key factors related to the different repair technologies and equipment investigated that can impact the success of an attempted repair (Example: velocity of material being deposited).

​

AI and Machine Learning - based predictive tools for structures: Laser Scanning of deteriorated structures

​

With the advancement of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, point cloud data has been increasingly available and widely employed in transportation and infrastructure applications, thanks to its accurate and repeatable geometry measurement. A recent laboratory-based study explored the potential of using LiDAR technology to acquire field data on beam end conditions with promising results. The research aims at evaluating the performance of point cloud data in measurement and classification of important parameters that have not yet been typically measured in the past. There is an emerging need to leverage the strength of LiDAR point cloud data and incorporate such a promising technology into bridge inspection practices if it deems feasible. The research ultimately aims at using Machine Learning and AI to develop powerful predictive models from LiDAR data.