Hi everyone!
I'm a student member finishing my Associate's and transitioning to the University of Akron later this year. I'm a Phi Theta Kappa member, and in my free time, I enjoy playing chess and doing research to help me grow as a future engineer.
I've been looking into a major problem facing the people of Puerto Rico. The island's bridges have a D+ grade from ASCE. Because hurricanes happen every year, there is a constant cycle of damage. There is often not enough money or manpower to inspect every single bridge using complex simulations before the next storm hits. A 2024 U.S. GAO report shows the recovery is still struggling and costs are much higher than expected.
I'm trying to find a more strategic way to handle this. I've been reading research that suggests Random Forest (a type of machine learning) can be used to "triage" bridges in minutes instead of hours.
Here is the idea I'm looking at:
AI Triage: Using a Random Forest model to quickly flag which bridges are at high risk of washing away. This is much faster than doing a full physics simulation (FSI) for every single bridge.
Smart Construction: Since money is tight for many municipalities, faster and cheaper construction methods could be used for the bridges the AI identifies as high-risk so that local communities don't get hit as hard financially.
I'm just a student, so I'd really appreciate some help from the engineers here:
Does this actually sound doable in the real world, or is it too "out there" for agencies like FEMA or a local DOT?
Are there cheaper bridge designs you've seen work well against coastal waves that a small town could actually afford?
This hits very close to home for me. I am Puerto Rican and lived on the island from the age of five until 9th grade. I have seen firsthand what happens every year during hurricane season; one of those storms actually destroyed my house. I really want to find a way to help the communities back home stay safe.
Any advice or direction you can give a future Akron Zip would be awesome!
Supporting Research & Data:
https://2021.infrastructurereportcard.org/state-item/puerto-rico/ - 2019 Puerto Rico Infrastructure Report Card
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141029615004356?via%3Dihub - Fragility surrogate models for coastal bridges in hurricane prone zones
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383691493_Structural_analysis_of_the_economy_of_Puerto_Rico_after_the_elimination_of_Section_936_A_network-based_approach - Structural analysis of the economy of Puerto Rico after the elimination of Section 936: A network-based approach
Puerto Rico Disasters: Progress Made, but the Recovery Continues to Face Challenges
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Mark Gibbs S.M.ASCE
Student
Massillon OH
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