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A big fix
Researchers confront urgent infrastructure challenges in race against time and climate
In March, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave the nation a grade of C, citing concerns over deteriorating bridges, roads, dams, pipelines and other critical systems.
Part of the challenge is urban expansion — much of the infrastructure is within or beneath dense cityscapes, making repairs and upgrades both costly and complex. More frequent and severe hurricanes, wildfires and floods are also accelerating the decline.
CU Engineering researchers are tackling these pressing issues head-on, developing innovative solutions to repairing existing infrastructure and building a more resilient future.
Read on for a deeper dive into projects that address construction worker safety, roadways and underground pipelines.
Infrastructure challenges
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Mija Hubler
Bridges
Mija Hubler and her team are developing a technology that infuses concrete with self-repair capabilities found in living organisms. Concrete’s networks of cracks naturally provide a pathway to facilitate internal healing.
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Yida Zhang
Dams
Yida Zhang’s research on the stability of dams zeroes in on the tiny sand grains beneath and surrounding them. He investigates how the grain size distribution evolves under stress and compromises the stability of dams, especially during extreme weather events.
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Abbie Liel
Housing resilience
Abbie Liel and researchers at the University of Notre Dame are researching ways to design disaster-resistant homes, while also examining what drives people to adopt those innovations.
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2025 Issue
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Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ CU Engineering Magazine
CU Engineering is a magazine for alumni and friends of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ. The magazine highlights the power of engineering to transform lives. Whether through engineering research, technologies and education the college is seeking solutions to the world’s significant problems.
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