Materials Engineering for Intelligent Infrastructure

About this MicroMasters

This MicroMasters® program consists of six courses. To complete the MicroMasters® program, learners will need to successfully complete all six courses.

This first set of courses, in the Non-Destructives Testing and Sensing area, will introduce students to non-destructive testing (NDT) and sensing techniques for understanding materials and structural integrity in civil infrastructure systems. A particular emphasis will be placed on NDT techniques for steel and concrete structures. The Fundamentals of Non-Destructive Testing course will equip students with the necessary fundamental knowledge related to the Non-Destructive Testing methods. The topics will be discussed, including fundamental materials mechanical properties and linear fracture mechanics of materials, testing procedures of commonly used civil materials, and structures. Wave-Based NDT Methods and Electrical-Based Non-Destructive Testing and Sensing courses will discuss wave-based NDT & sensing and electric-based NDT & sensing. The course materials will cover the basic principles, data interpretation methods, evaluation, and inspection methods of each testing and sensing technology. Various case studies will be discussed to help students understand and apply the knowledge to field inspection or monitoring of civil materials and structures.

The second set of courses will introduce students to the field of nanotechnology with a special emphasis on nanomaterials synthesis, characterizations, and their applications in civil and environmental engineering. The Fundamentals of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology will focus on the fundamentals of nanomaterials and nanotechnology. The basic concepts will be discussed including nano-scale effect, process-structure-property relationship, nano- and micro-structure property characterizations, etc. The Nanomaterials for Civil and Environmental Applications course will discuss multifunctional nanomaterials for civil and environmental applications based on the knowledge gained in the Fundamentals of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology course. The specific applications will include, but not limited to, tailoring mechanical property, durability, self-cleaning, self-sealing, self-sensing, energy harvesting, and other multi-functionality. The Nano-Device for Energy Harvesting and Sensing course integrates the fields of materials science, civil engineering, and electrical engineering to talk about the nano-device for energy harvesting and sensing. The topic includes materials informatics, fundamentals of multifunctional materials, nano-device fabrication, device applications for energy harvesting and infrastructure sensing, infrastructure sensing.

The program will benefit students with the advanced and emerging technology for intelligent infrastructure. This program will also help students kick start or rise in a career in one of the fastest-growing tech fields today.

What you'll learn

• Basic principles of various kinds of non-destructive testing and sensing methods.
• Working mechanisms and techniques of various kinds of non-destructive testing and sensing methods.
• Basic concepts of nanomaterials, nanomanufacturing, and nanotechnologies.
• Techniques for various nanomaterials synthesis and processing method.
• The mechanisms and fabrication of nano-device for civil and environmental applications.
• Various applications and benefits of using nanotechnology in civil and environmental engineering field.

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