International visit to the SPP 100+ annual meeting

Prof. Michael D. Todd from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), visited TU Dresden from October 21 to 25, 2024. Prof. Todd is a leading expert in the field of measurement-based structural health monitoring(SHM) and editor-in-chief of the renowned SAGE journal Structural Health Monitoring.

During his stay, Prof. Todd participated in the three-day annual meeting of the SPP 100+ from October 21-23, 2024 and gave a keynote speech on "The Use of Detection Theory and Bayesian Experimental Design in Ultrasonic Structural Health Monitoring". His presentation provided all SPP 100+ project participants with exciting insights into uncertainty quantification in damage detection and the optimal design of SHM systems. A special highlight of the annual meeting was an excursion to the openLAB research bridge in Bautzen, which was built as part of the IDA-KI research project. On site, Prof. Todd and the SPP 100+ project participants were given a live demonstration of the bridge, which included a load ride with real-time measurement of a fiber optic sensor. In addition, individual sub-projects of the SPP 100+ presented initial measurement results at the openLAB. These activities enabled an intensive exchange of knowledge between the mFUND project IDA-KI, the DFG priority program SPP 100+ and Prof. Todd.

Following the annual meeting, Prof. Todd was given a tour of the Otto Mohr Laboratory at the Institute of Concrete Structures (IMB) at TU Dresden by Prof. Steffen Marx. The following day (October 24, 2024), an exchange with IMB staff took place to discuss cooperation opportunities between UCSD and the SPP 100+. The aim is to network the priority program even more closely in the international research community in the future.

In the evening, Prof. Todd gave a public lecture entitled "The Art and Science of Decision-Making in Structural Life Cycle Asset Management". The lecture, which was aimed at TU Dresden students and Research Associates as well as SPP 100+ researchers, addressed the challenge of utilizing building structures beyond their planned lifespan despite limited budgets and presented an active strategy for the life cycle management of structures. Prof. Todd's research visit ended on Friday (October 25, 2024) with a workshop with IMB staff. The focus of this workshop was to get to know each other's core research areas.

© Annalena Rodenberg

The entire SPP 100+ would like to thank Prof. Todd for this inspiring exchange and looks forward to further exciting scientific encounters with Prof. Todd and the University of California San Diego.