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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:gray'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>PhD Dissertation Defense<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase'>DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL CARBON NANOFIDER AGGREGATE FOR CONTRETE STUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Rachel Howser<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Date: Wednesday, July 17<sup>th, </sup>2013<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Location:</span></b> <span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Civil & Environmental Engineering Conference Room <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Time: 9:30 AM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Committee Chair: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dr. Y.L. Mo<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Committee Members:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dr. Thomas T. C. Hsu<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dr. Bora Gencturk<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Dr. Gangbing Song<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dr. Shin-Shem Pei<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Fiber research in concrete construction is an ongoing field and the use of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) will be examined in this study. Short-fiber composites are a class of strain sensor based on the concept of short electrically conducting fiber pull-out that accompanies slight and reversible crack opening. For a fiber composite to have strain sensing ability, the fibers must be more conducting than the matrix in which they are embedded, of diameter smaller than the crack length, and well dispersed. Their orientations can be random, and they do not have to touch one another. The electrical conductivity of the fibers enables the DC electrical resistivity of the composites to change in response to strain damage, hydration level, or temperature, allowing sensing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Because of the high cost associated with CNFs, a CNF aggregate (CNFA) was developed. The CNFA is a 16.39 cm<sup>3</sup> (1.00 in.<sup>3</sup>) cubic specimen of CNF mortar. The CNF mortar is self-sensing and can be used to determine the hydration level, damage, or temperature in the multifunctional CNFAs. The CNFAs can be embedded in reinforced or prestressed concrete structures and used to monitor early strength, determine the localized damage, or measure the temperature in a structure. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>