I have retired and am not accepting new graduate students
Construction materials and the structures they form are the the basis of our infrastructure. These interrelated topics are the focus of my research. The scope of our activity included study of the mechanical behavior of wood and wood-based materials, the design and analysis of wood structures, and the performance of concrete construction materials.
Our research included developing linkages between properties of wood microstructure and macrolevel mechanical performance of wood construction products. These methods have been applied to advanced design specifications. Part of this research involved the study of the performance of wood assemblies subject to fire.
We conducted extensive laboratory research on the performance of concrete materials for infrastructure applications such as pavements . Studies included examinations of suitability of new concrete aggregates in relation to the freeze-thaw performance of concrete. We also are continuing a study, which began at UW-Madison in 1910, examining the long-term properties of concrete.