What is CITRS?
An initiative by group of researchers to create an enterprise of partnership of academe, government and industry as a inter-disciplinary generator of knowledge and products through the development and application of intelligent monitoring, sensing, material and information technologies for safe and resilient civil infrastructure systems.
VISION OF CITRS
To generate new ideas and foster interdisciplinary teamwork to facilitate high impact projects addressing the current and future needs in civil infrastructure research, education and service in an integrated manner.
MISSION OF CITRS
To be an enterprise of a partnership of academe, government and industry as an inter-disciplinary generator of knowledge and products through the development and application of smart monitoring, sensing, material, information technologies as well as management and policy concepts for safe and resilient civil infrastructure systems.
HISTORY OF CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGIES FOR RESILIENCE AND SAFETY (CITRS) INITIATIVE
- One of the main assets of a nation is its civil infrastructure systems. The term “infrastructure” here is inclusive of various infrastructure assets such as bridges, buildings, highway structures, pavements, roads, stadiums convention centers, airports, ports, dams, tunnel levees, and other lifelines.
- The urgent needs of the aging civil infrastructure have long been pointed out by many societies and agencies such as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). There is definitely a need for addressing such national problems. In fact, the resilience of civil infrastructure systems is considered as a global grand challenge.
- To address civil infrastructure problems, there have been collective efforts at UCF. The initiation of Civil Infrastructure Technologies for Resilience and Safety (CITRS) first goes back to 2009 when a campus-wide workshop was led and organized by Dr. Catbas based on several, individual and group meetings. The 2009 workshop was to have an open forum for researchers from different departments and colleges at UCF. CITRS seeds were planted at these and many other meetings over the time. The CITRS Initiative is rejuvenated with new leadership at the College and the new, active faculty members at the Department. In addition, the recent emphasis on civil infrastructure as one of the College research focus areas along with existing strengths in transportation and coastal dynamics make CITRS a very critical research initiative at UCF.
SOME IMMEDIATE GOALS OF CITRS
- Strategize our interdisciplinary research capabilities
- Organize monthly seminars
- Annual meeting and workshop
- Guest lectures by prominent researchers from other Universities and in the US and abroad
- Development of interdisciplinary research projects and proposals
- Demonstration projects and pilot studies
- Develop new courses and/or training for students
- Networking opportunities within and outside UCF
