Welcome
Structural engineering prompted by sustainability and resilience, as well as advances in other fields such as architecture, mechanics, computing and manufacturing, is evolving towards complex design solutions that often question our traditional design strategies. Structural morphology refers to the study of the relation between a structure, its function, form, material, and forces. In an analogy with biology, structural morphogenesis represents the processes that control the organized spatial distribution of material and modules in a structure. In Computer-Aided Structural Engineering (CASE) Lab, we focus on the structural morphology and morphogenesis of tomorrow's structures using a holistic and integrated framework of numerical and physical modeling. Our applications and interests span from marine and coastal structures to building and infrastructure systems to space structures. We also seek and support artistic and educational STEAM projects.
Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos, PhD
News / Highlights
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
May 2022
Congratulations to Mohammad Ghiasian for his Ph.D. defense! Mohammad thesis entitled “Structural Morphogenesis of Green/Gray Coastal Infrastructure: Paradigms for Shoreline Protection” focused on the morphogenesis of efficient and ecofriendly coastal structures, as well as the role of green infrastructure such as coral reefs on storm surge and waves. His research on the design of hybrid protective structures paves the way for more sustainable and resilient coastal communities.
NIST PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT
May 2022
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have awarded more than $7.6 million in grants to fund research that will improve the ability of buildings, infrastructure and communities to hold strong against natural hazards. We will be leading one of the projects focusing on the simultaneous wind, waves and storm surges have on coastal structures, as a well as being part of the team for a second one on the evaluation of glass-fiber-polymer-reinforced, ultra-high-performance concrete as a sea wall material alternative to conventional steel-reinforced concrete.
U-LINK PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT
January 2022
Interdisciplinary Inquiry, one of the transformative initiatives of the University of Miami’s Roadmap to Our New Century, supports teams of scholars from multiple disciplines in collaborative, problem-based inquiry to address the complex challenges of society. Our project explores an ongoing SEAHIVE™ pilot installation as a paradigm of a green engineering protection.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
August 2021
Congratulations to Mohammad Ghiasian, recipient of the UM Dissertation Fellowship for the 2021-2022 academic year. Mohammad is entering his last year of Ph.D. research which focuses on the morphogenesis of efficient and ecofriendly coastal structures, as well as the role of green infrastructure such as coral reefs on storm surge and waves.
OP-ED ARTICLE
July 2021
In this article at The Conversation co-authored with Dr. Brian Haus from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), we discuss how USACE proposal for a 20-foot seawall won’t save Miami and how living structures can help protect the coast and keep the paradise vibe. The article reflects our ideas regarding investing more on the research and development of green/gray solutions.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
July 2021
Congratulations to Piermaria Caponi for his Ph.D. defense! Piermaria worked with us in the context of his thesis entitled “Forma ed equilibrio nell ’Architettura computazionale” at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" in the program of Engineering - Architecture and Urban Planning. His research focused on the dialectic form finding of structures, a topic at the intersection between architecture and engineering for which he received the highest grade!
MEDIA COVERAGE
May/June 2021
Our NCHRP IDEA project on the development of a sustainable and efficient marine and estuarine protection system featured in this year's NBC6 First Alert Weather Hurricane Special and The Weather Channel. The project, also known as SEAHIVE, focuses on the research and development of a novel modular versatile protection system through testing in the UM SUSTAIN Facility.
TENCYLINDER
April 2021
Tencylinder is a tensegrity structure that we are proud to report we worked on in collaboration with French artist Clément Vieille and Swiss architect Filippo Broggini from AEA (Applied Engineering Architecture). The structure is the centerpiece of the scenography by Hermès for watches & wonders 2021. Explore the links (click on the photo above and buttons below) to learn more about the structure including its assembly and erection.