26 May 2015
Dr Adel Ben Mnaouer is part of academic team that has won a $900,000 grant from Qatar Foundation to research application of sensor technology in this field

Dubai - Dr. Adel Ben Mnaouer, Associate Professor of Engineering at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), is among a team of academic experts that has secured a $900,000 grant from the Qatar Foundation to explore the applicationof sensor technology in protecting physical assets, including historical buildings and offshore facilities.

The projectseeks to develop an innovative Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system, using sensor networks, to assess the physicalcondition of assets, such as tunnels, bridges, historical buildings, and underground and offshore construction. The research aims to help maintain a safe and sustainable environment by developing an early warning system that detectsand warns of potential structural failures or threats.

Speaking about the significance of the project in preserving the built environment, Dr. Mnaouer said, "Physical assets, particularly those that are ageing, require constant, long-term and continuous monitoring and assessment of their structural health, in order to protect both the structures themselves and the environment around them. The process isespecially important in helping to preserve our history and heritage through the monitoring of ageing structures, such as monuments, towers, and older buildings."

The three-year study, which is due to start this Summer, will be funded by the Qatar Foundation's National Priorities Research Program.This is the third research grant Dr. Mnaouer has been awarded through the highly competitive scheme, which attracts applications from all over the world, including the USA, Canada and Europe. The proposal was among only 14% of funded applications in this year's cycle.

Alongside Dr. Mnaouer, the project will bring together a multi-disciplinary team of experts from the Department of Information Engineering at the University of Brescia, Italy, who will be working on the development of the special-purpose SHM sensors; and the College of Engineering at Qatar University, who will work alongside CUD on the networking platforms and radio and wireless communication technologies to support the dissemination of data from sensory devices.

Ultimately, the research is set to benefit a wide range of organizations and institutions that have a stake in the protection and preservation of structures and infrastructure. Dr. Mnaouer concluded, "The project will deliver the prototypes for an end-to-end solution for SHM, which will be of use by Government agencies and authorities, private construction firms, excavation companies, oil drilling corporations, and historical conservation groups in their work towards a safe and sustainable environment."

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For further information, please contact:
NaheedMaalik, Senior Manager, Marketing & Communication, Canadian University Dubai.
P.O.Box 117781, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Phone: +971 4 7096801, +971 50 2277301
Email: Naheed@cud.ac.ae
Website: www.cud.ac.ae

© Press Release 2015