Read this month’s Smart Infrastructure Blog by Professor Kenichi Soga, one of the founders of CSIC and currently Donald H. McLaughlin Professor at the University of California, Berkeley sets out the ambitions of the new Center for Smart Infrastructure in California.
The blog titled ‘Smart move – the Center for Smart Infrastructure at University of California, Berkeley’ sets out the national infrastructure agenda in the U.S. – congress and the Biden administration are discussing both a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure framework as well as the president’s $1.5 trillion Build Back Better Act to fund overdue infrastructure needs across the nation, and address global challenges including climate change and the resilience of physical and natural systems – that makes the launch of the new Center timely.
We collaborated with forward-thinking industry professionals on complex and challenging UK civil engineering projects. We developed innovative monitoring systems using wireless sensors and distributed fibre optics, collecting data to better understand the real performance of an asset or system. CSIC pioneered smart infrastructure solutions Professor Kenichi Soga, University of California, Berkeley
Acknowledging the achievements of CSIC and his time working with the team as leading to the realisation of the new Center, Professor Soga writes: “Back then I worked with Professor Lord Robert Mair and Cambridge groups and academics across various engineering disciplines. We collaborated with forward-thinking industry professionals on complex and challenging UK civil engineering projects. We developed innovative monitoring systems using wireless sensors and distributed fibre optics, collecting data to better understand the real performance of an asset or system. CSIC pioneered smart infrastructure solutions.”
The Center is partnered with the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), a not-for-profit organisation and the second largest water utility in California, and will combine the use of remote sensors, data analytics and artificial intelligence tools, as well as other emerging technologies, to better inform decision-making for all utilities and government agencies.
Berkeley will also take over the pipe-testing facilities that were part of the research programme led by now retired Professor Thomas O’Rourke at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, who is also the Chair of the CSIC International Advisory Group. “Many U.S. organisations and companies use these facilities, and this testing will now be part of the offering at the Center in California – which makes sense as all new pipelines here need to be rigorously tested for resilience against earthquakes. However, continuing the spirit of CSIC, we will add sensors to pipeline testing and hope this builds industry confidence in a smart infrastructure approach to monitoring and maintenance.”
Professor Soga writes: “In the spirit of CSIC, the Center will be multi-disciplinary across the university to enable development of integrated smart infrastructure solutions. We hope the results of our research will also benefit utilities beyond California and even internationally. All data will be publicly available because the Center will deliver innovation, insights, value and efficiencies for the public good.”
• Read the full blog by Professor Kenichi Soga here.