Congratulations to Dr. Brandon Ross and Dr. Tommy Cousins (retired), who—along with collaborators from University of South Carolina—were honored with the 2024 Best Paper of the Year Award by the Elsevier Journal of Engineering Structures. Their winning paper, “Enhancing the rehabilitation of timber piles using fiber reinforced polymer: An acoustic emission analysis under compressive stress,” explores a cutting-edge method to monitor and improve the repair of timber piles—wooden support structures commonly used in bridges.
Timber piles are strong, eco-friendly, and widely used, but over time they can deteriorate due to weather and aging, which can affect the safety of any structures they support. In this study, the team looked at how fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) jackets—essentially a high-tech wrap—can be used to strengthen damaged piles and extend their life. What’s new is how they evaluated the effectiveness of those repairs.
Instead of relying on visual inspection or costly manual tests, the researchers used acoustic emission sensors—tiny devices that “listen” for internal cracking sounds as the piles are compressed, much like a stethoscope for wood. These sensors detect warning signs of damage that may not be visible on the surface. Their work showed that not only do FRP jackets significantly improve pile performance, but this sound-based method offers a reliable, non-destructive way to assess whether the repair worked.
The findings could lead to safer, more cost-effective, and more sustainable maintenance of timber bridges nationwide—saving time, money, and resources while keeping infrastructure safe.
To read more, the full paper is linked here.
The original Linked In post from the Journal of Engineering Structures is found here.
