Title: Assistant Professor
Office: Ellis-246
| Queen's University Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Tel: (613) 533-3436 Fax: (613) 533-2128 neil.hoult@civil.queensu.ca |
Research Interests
Professor Hoult’s research interests include the use of fibre reinforced polymers for retrofitting and reinforcing of concrete structures, testing and modeling of reinforced concrete and structural health monitoring. One of the challenges faced by society as a whole is how to use resources more efficiently and effectively. Reducing CO2 production is an important aspect of this challenge but as structural engineers our goal should be to optimize the use of resources. Two ways to do this are to build more efficient structures and to extend the lives of existing structures.
FRP has the potential to allow designers to create more efficient new structures as well as enhancing the capacity of existing structures to extend their lives. Professor Hoult’s research investigates how FRP reinforced and retrofitted structures can be modeled accurately so as to be able to optimize design. This involves a combination of both short and long-term experimental programs as well as numerical modeling.
Structural health monitoring (SHM) is often viewed as a solution only in a limited number of cases for structures in distress. However with recent advances in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) as well as fibre optic sensing have the potential to allow for pervasive monitoring. These systems could give engineer the data required to both keep existing structures in service longer and to optimize the design of new structures. Professor Hoult’s research into this area looks at the use of WSNs for long-term monitoring of existing structures as well as the development of new sensors and analysis techniques. The use of fibre optic sensors to determine distributed strain profiles and overall structural performance is another area of ongoing interest.
Ongoing and Potential Projects
Two-dimensional strain measurement using particle image velocimetry. This project is undertaken in collaboration with Dr. Take as part of the NSERC strategic project “Protecting Canada’s concrete bridges”.
Assessment of corroded culverts. This work is undertaken in collaboration with Dr. Moore.
Distributed fibre optic sensors for strain measurements to better inform the assessment and design of structures. This investigation is conducted in collaboration with Prof Bao (Ottawa) as part of the NSERC strategic project “Protecting Canada’s concrete bridges”.
Long-term stress redistribution in FRP reinforced and retrofitted structures.
The use of wireless sensor networks for the monitoring and assessment of deteriorated infrastructure.
Education
PhD, Engineering, 2006
University of Cambridge, UK
MASc, Structural Engineering, 2001
University of Toronto, Canada
BASc, Civil Engineering, 1999
University of Toronto, Canada
Teaching
Professor Hoult will be teaching CIVL 231(Solid Mechanics II) and CIVL 431 (Infrastructure Rehabilitation) in the Winter term. CIVL 231 builds upon fundamental courses in mechanics and deals with concepts such as Mohr’s circle and virtual work. CIVL 431 investigates the reasons for rehabilitation including increased demand, deterioration and extreme events as well as potential techniques for rehabilitation such as retrofitting and monitoring.
Selected Publications
Stajano, Hoult, Wassell, Bennett, Middleton and Soga. 2010. “Smart Bridges, Smart Tunnels: Transforming Wireless Sensor Networks from Research Prototypes into Robust Engineering Infrastructure,” Ad Hoc Networks, 8(8), 872-888.
Whelan, Gangone, Janoyan, Hoult, Middleton, and Soga. 2010. “Wireless Operational Modal Analysis of a Multi-Span Prestressed Concrete Bridge for Structural Identification,” International Journal of Smart Structures and Systems, 6(5-6), 579-593.
Hoult, Fidler, Hill and Middleton. 2010. “Wireless Structural Health Monitoring of Bridges: Present and Future,” Inter. J. of Smart Structures & Sys., 6(3), 277-290.
Hoult, Fidler, Hill and Middleton. 2010. “Long-term Wireless Structural Health Monitoring of the Ferriby Road Bridge,” ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering, 15(2), 153-159.
Hoult, N.A. and Lees, J.M. 2009. “Modelling of an Unbonded CFRP Strap Shear Retrofitting System for RC Beams,” ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction, 13(4), 292-301.
Hoult, N.A., Bennett, P.J., Stoianov, I. Maksimović, C., Middleton, C.R., Graham, N.J.D. and Soga, K. 2009. “Wireless Sensor Networks: creating ‘Smart Infrastructure’,” Proceedings of ICE – Civil Engineering, 162(3), 136-143. Was awarded the Telford Gold Medal for best paper in the Proceedings of ICE.
Hoult, N.A. and Lees, J.M. 2009. “Shear Strengthening of RC T-beams with CFRP Straps,” ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction, 13(1), 45-52.
Hoult, N.A., Fidler, P.R.A., Wassell, I.J., Hill, P.G. and Middleton, C.R. 2008. “Wireless Structural Health Monitoring at the Humber Bridge,” Proceedings of ICE – Bridge Engineering, 161(BE4), 189-195.
Hoult, N.A., Sherwood, E., Bentz, E.C., and Collins, M.P. 2008. “Predicting the Capacity of RC Beams with FRP Longitudinal Reinforcement,” ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction, 12(2), 125-133.