Research projects – Mohammad Moravvej

Development of a damage identification technique (DIT) for smart structural health monitoring (SSHM) of bridge infrastructure
University of Calgary
May 2014 – May 2018 (Expected)

Conduct an interdisciplinary research effort encompassing fields of study such as structural engineering, mechanical vibrations, and advanced signal processing techniques (wavelet entropy analysis)
Design the DIT to be input-independent and reference-free in order to be applicable to in-situ cases
Implement the DIT in test-induced damage identification in different bridge structural systems including truss girders, strengthened concrete beams, post-tensioned girders
Evaluate the DIT against varying environmental conditions through exposing test specimens to different environmental conditions in an environmental test chamber
Evaluate the DIT against varying operational and structural conditions through damage identification under different loading and support conditions as well as damage characterizations
Predict the remaining service life of bridges using the outcome of the DIT

Test setup of an 8-panel girder specimen

Typical arrangement of accelerometers for damage identification in a truss panel

Vibrational signals affected by (a) slight damage and (b) severe damage

Mapping of six levels of wavelet decomposition (7 groups of wavelet coefficients) on the frequency spectrum of acceleration signals affected by (a) slight damage and (b) severe damage

Structural condition of the girder after the test

Graphical representation of normalized damage indices

Long-term structural health monitoring of the Deh Cho bridge
University of Calgary
September 2016 – April 2017

1 km long truss bridge with cable-stayed span crossing the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence, NWT
Gained experienced in structural condition evaluation and inspection of existing bridges using OSIM
Researched the latest technologies, criteria and specifications for SHM of civil infrastructure
Obtained first-hand information built on site visits and meeting with DOT staff, designers, and operators

Comprehensive study on a precast pre-stressed slab-on-truss bridge girder system
University of Calgary
May 2014 – May 2018 (Expected)

The system consists of pretensioned top and bottom concrete chords connected by vertical and diagonal truss members made of concrete-filled GFRP tubes and are suitable for short and medium span bridges
Fabricated a total of eight full-scale truss girders reinforced with steel and FRP rebars
Tested the girders under static loading and fatigue loading with different loading amplitudes
Assessed the performance of the structural components of the girders under different loading conditions

Perspective view of a precast pre-stressed slab-on-truss bridge girder system

From right: Dr. El-Badry (the designer of the bridge system), myself, and Arik Hagh are discussing different aspects of the bridge

A joint study on image-based structural deformation monitoring techniques
University of Calgary
May 2014 – August 2015

Fabricated a SRP-strengthened concrete beam and tested under fatigue loading with 3 Hz loading frequency
Captured 3-D image time series of the beam using a Microsoft time-of-flight Kinect 2.0 sensor
Evaluated the accuracy of the technique with measurement recorded using laser transducers

The SRP-strengthened concrete beam after the test

Comparisons between the fatigue loading results obtained using different measurement techniques employed in the study (Lahamy et al. 2016, Measurement of Deflection in Concrete Beams Using the Kinect 2.0, Journal of Applied Geodesy 2016; 10(1): 71–77 )

Investigation into an innovative hybrid FRP-concrete truss girder system
University of Calgary
January 2012 – January 2014

Produced detailed design drawings using AutoCAD for fabrication of test specimens
Drew 3-D models of the girder system and test specimens using SketchUp
Fabricated and tested 20 truss girder specimens with varying span-to-depth ratios and reinforcing details
Investigated the static and fatigue behaviour of the girder specimens under static and fatigue loadings
Modeled and analyzed the girder system under different loading conditions using CPF and SAP2000

Comprehensive study on the effects of expansive cement on the strength of concrete-filled FRP tubes
University of Calgary
January 2012 – January 2014

Fabricated +100 concrete-filled FRP tube specimens
Monitored the expansion of the filling concrete core during hardening
Performed axial compression and push-out tests using MTS machines to investigate the axial and bond strengths of the specimens
Investigated the effects of the following parameters on both axial and bond strengths of the specimens:
level of expansive cement, FRP tube diameter, and length-to-diameter ratio of test specimens

Analysis and design of concrete bridges and FRP strengthening systems
University of Calgary
January 2012 – January 2014

Modeled and analyzed Extradosed, Suspension, and Truss bridges using SAP2000, CSiBridge, and S-FRAME
Designed FRP strengthening systems for in-service bridges in accordance with CSA S806 and CSA S6
Designed a FRP strengthening system for a 91.5 m long chimney
Designed a single span pedestrian bridge consisted of precast prestressed concrete girders using Carbon-FRP cables and a cast-in-place Glass-FRP reinforced concrete slab

Perspective view of the 3D model of the extradosed bridge

The influence surface corresponding to Cable 1, Cable 2, and Cable 3

Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques for damage detection in bridge infrastructure
Sharif University of Technology
January 2011 – June 2011

Experimentally evaluated the accuracy of NDE methods, such as linear ultrasonic and acoustic emissions
Fabricated a 10 m² concrete slab with 300 mm depth and different cavity sizes as the test specimen

FRF of the slab with the cavity size of 200×200×250 mm^3 (Magnitude vs. Frequency)

FRF of the slab with the cavity size of 100×100×250 mm^3 (Magnitude vs. Frequency)

Studied bridge preservation and maintenance systems employed in the industry