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Content archived on 2024-05-07

Applications of smart structures in engineering technology

Objective



The importance of smart structures and materials has been recognised in the US and Japan through targeted multimillion dollar programmes coordinating and stimulating research. In Europe, the various national and EC agencies have funded internationally competitive activities in contributory technologies. However, the necessary deliberate technology integration has yet to happen. ASSET will stimulate this integration in a forum where the contributory technologies may interact with each other and with the user community, catalysing applications in multiple industrial sectors. The potential benefits are well documented - protection of the immense social investment in infrastructure by optimising repair and maintenance schedules, enhancing design codes and through both these routes minimising the use of precious natural resource. The network will evolve a set of design paradigms in corporating smart structures technology into industrial sectors. This generic target will be approached through four activities. State of the artre views of contributory technology (e.g. sensing systems, polymeric materials within structures, new actuation techniques, applications requirements) will be generated using the specialist knowledge of selected partners. ASSET will produce a continually updated news service through web sites, one for network participants and the second to the international technical community complemented by biannual news letters.

In parallel, a programme of simple, carefully chosen, integrated hardware and software packages will be realised to facilitate the technology transfer process from the specialist areas into applications. Network members will interact through an annual general conference extending over two to three days complementing specialist cluster seminars, which will be organised on behalf of sectorial groups. The ASSET network comprises almost 50 participants from 12 countries and includes internationally recognised specialist research groups, primarily universities, systems integrators in industry and consultancy organisations and end users representing aerospace, civil engineering, energy systems and ground transportation sectors. The overall aim of ASSET is to integrate the specialist disciplines to accelerate their application into smart structures. The network will significantly enhance communications between specialised research communities, and between the total research community and end users. The realisation of the hardware and software technology transfer packages will stimulate industrial exploitation and enhance the general appreciation of the processes for effective integration of multidisciplinary research towards a specific goal. The widespread social, economic and environmental benefits optimise the use of transportation and infrastructure systems by initiating as needed repair and maintenance and influencing future design codes. This will considerably improve the reliability of the civil infrastructure minimising repairs in bridges, highways, buildings etc. and will reduce the costs of transportation fleet maintenance by replacing scheduled with as required procedures. New engineering design codes will optimise the use of precious natural resources. The international impact of the network will be significant, raising the profile of smart structures activity in Europe on a global scale and exposing opportunities in global markets.

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THN - Thematic network contracts

Coordinator

University of Strathclyde
EU contribution
No data
Address
204,George Street
G1 1XW Glasgow
United Kingdom

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Total cost

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Participants (47)

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