Mission Statement

The Center for Intelligent Infrastructure Systems (IIS) is a multi-disciplinary research center at the University of Dayton to foster research in smart, sustainable, resilient, reliable infrastructure systems. The IIS performs research and teaching in the fields of

1. Artificial intelligence powered engineering risk management and uncertainty quantification for design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure systems;
2. Intelligent, adaptable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure systems to withstand the environment shocks while delivering high performance and efficiency in service;
3. State-of-the-art practice in planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructures toward more autonomous or automated processes with enhanced human artificial intelligence collaborations.

Research Thrusts

Smart infrastructure systems

• Integration of informatics and advanced sensing and visualization technologies into planning, design, and management of civil infrastructure systems
• Civil infrastructure resiliency for extreme environment or under multiple hazards
• Smart and connected communities
• Risk and uncertainty awareness
• Health monitoring, diagnostic and prognostic of aging civil infrastructure
• Smart and sustainable buildings and other structure components
• Sustainable materials and design for innovative and accelerated construction

Automation in civil engineering design, construction and maintenance

• Advances the entire spectrum of civil engineering work toward more autonomous or automation processes by integrating technologies, such as machine learning, uncertainty quantification, information theory, Internet of Things (IoT), computer-aided design, generative design, computer vision, product modeling, decision support systems, product data interchange, process simulation models, robotics, logistics, automated inspection, intelligent control systems, on-site sensory data acquisition, data processing and management.

About IIS

Infrastructure is a mainstay of our nation’s economy, security, and competitiveness, which includes transportation, water, energy, communication, power, food and agriculture, cities and communities, manufacturing facilities, and emergency facilities systems. Our infrastructure touches the day-to-day life of each of our fellow citizens, and its health is crucial to the overall competitiveness and prosperity of our nation. However, the American Society of Civil Engineers' Infrastructure Report Card Indicates that the current status of infrastructure in the U.S. is ranked D+. The poor infrastructure condition constrains the growth of the economy and threatens our quality of life. The aging infrastructure systems operate at or near design limits, lack the interconnectivity, and are exposed to a variety of risks and hazards. 

IIS strives to transform the infrastructure systems to be “Intelligent” using multidisciplinary technologies to facilitate data-driven and uncertainty-aware decision-making in design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure systems. In pursuit of this goal, IIS fosters a multidisciplinary research environment with the collaboration of internal and external partners. The research area encompasses a wide range of technologies:

• Risk assessment and uncertainty quantification
• Cyber physical systems (CPS), known as the Internet-of-Things (IoT)
• Artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning / data analytics
• Security, safety and privacy
• Networking
• System programming
• Decision support system
• Citizen engagement (participatory sensing)