Bobaru's research on corrosion gains international coverage

The research of Florin Bobaru, professor of mechanical and materials engineering, on modeling corrosion damage has generated international news attention recently.

Bobaru and postdoctoral research associate Ziguang Chen have developed a new mathematical model that can be used to predict damage from subsurface corrosion on bridges, roads and pipelines. This ability to predict corrosion and cracking of the materials used could prevent major damage to the structures and potentially catastrophic damage.

Bobaru and Chen have also said the modeling could lead to improvements in the way the materials and structures are designed and possibly be used to predict the lifespan of bridges and other structures.