Resume

• 2001

  Penn State University

  State College

  Pennsylvania

  Research

  Teaching

  and Consulting in the areas of infrsatructure system

  Assistant Professor

  Penn State University

  Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of Sustainable Water Infrastructure Management (SWIM) Center at Virginia Tech.\nResearch

  Teaching

  and Consulting are in the areas of asset management

  pattern recognition

  sensor informatics

  sustainable and resilient infrastructure

  especially drinking water

  wastewater

  and stormwater infrastructure systems.

  Virginia Tech

  Post-Doctoral Fellowship

  Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

  Canada

  CAREER Award titled “Sustainable Water Infrastructure Management System (SWIMS)

  National Science Foundation (NSF)

  College of Engineering Faculty Fellow

  Virginia Tech

  Schreyer Institute InSPIRE Academy Fellow

  Penn State

  Liquid Assets: The Story of Our Water Infrastructure has been awarded the Engineering Journalism Award

  American Association of Engineering Societies

  International Research and Education in Engineering (IREE) Award

  National Science Foundation (NSF)

• 1997

  PhD Dual Degree

  Dissertation Topic: Automated Pipeline Condition Assessment Using Advanced Computer Vision

  Civil Engineering and Systems Engineering

  CSCE

  NASTT

  University of Waterloo

• 1996

  M.A.Sc.

  Thesis Topic: An Artificial Neural Network Approach to Predict Organizational Effectiveness

  Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering

  Project Management

  University of Waterloo

• 1989

  The World Bank

  Environmental impact analysis of infrastructure projects

  The World Bank

• 1982

  Bachelor of Engineering (BE)

  Civil Engineering

  Photographic

  BIT MESRA

• The Utility Infrastructure Asset Management (UIAM) Division will advance and disseminate knowledge related to the holistic life-cycle asset management of utility infrastructure that will assure resiliency and sustainability. This Division will support the goal of UTILITY ENGINEERING AND SURVEYING INSTITUTE (UESI) to provide leadership to utilities for effectively managing their systems to be reliable

  resilient and sustainable. UIAM will provide expert leadership that will support the development of ASCE’s American Infrastructure Report Card.

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  Vice-Chair - Water Sector Systems Resilience Standing Committee

  Recent floods

  tornadoes

  and earthquakes remind us that natural

  technological

  and human-caused hazards take a high toll on communities. Costs in lives

  livelihoods and quality of life can be reduced by better managing disaster risks. We can strengthen resilience and improve a community's ability to maintain and restore vital services in a more timely way and to build back better.\n\nTo address this challenge

  NIST manages a multi-faceted program

  assisting communities and stakeholders on issues related to buildings and the interdependencies of physical infrastructure systems. The Community Resilience Program

  part of NIST's broader disaster resilience work

  complements efforts by others in the public and private sectors.\n

  National Institute of Standards and Technology

  Stormwater Management

  Water Resources

  Modeling

  Environmental Awareness

  GIS

  Water Quality

  Matlab

  Sustainability

  ArcGIS

  Computer Vision

  Engineering

  Numerical Analysis

  Structural Analysis

  Environmental Engineering

  Water

  Mathematical Modeling

  Hydrology

  Geotechnical Engineering

  Wastewater Treatment

  Civil Engineering

  A Validation and Verification Framework for Robust Drinking Water Pipeline Model Prediction Models

  Many models are used to evaluate and predict risk analysis

  as well as renewal prioritization

  of drinking water and wastewater pipelines. The majority have not been accurate enough to be used for real decision making applications. This paper proposes a model framework for asset management programs with two major stages; verification and validation. The verification stage confirms that there are no errors in the code or logic in the model’s algorithm. Two approaches make up the models’ verification framework--tests with artificial data and tests with field data. The second stage of the proposed framework validates that the model goes through three steps: lab tests

  expert opinions and model’s outputs. Evaluation results were compared to confirm the model’s accuracy. This framework is precise enough to prove the correctness and accuracy of many different types of models created for decision support for asset management of drinking water pipelines.\n

  A Validation and Verification Framework for Robust Drinking Water Pipeline Model Prediction Models

  This paper presents a methodology for developing a national database

  as applied to water infrastructure systems that include both drinking water and wastewater. The database is branded as WATERiD and can be accessed through internet.

  Development of a Water Infrastructure Knowledge Database

  The practices from water and wastewater utilities were determined by the help of participation utilities to the WATERiD Database. Case studies in locating technology applications and locating practice application was written to capture these practices. These case studies were also supplemented by phone interviews with various utilities. Comparison between the literature and utility practice indicated various gaps in the utility practice. Recommendations are offered to fill these gaps for an effective use of underground utility practices by water and wastewater utilities. These recommendation include adaptation and implementation of specific best practices of transportation industry by the water and wastewater utilities.

  Underground Utility Locating Technology (INFR9SG09/INFR10SG09UULT)

  Development of a Fuzzy Inference Performance Index for Water Pipe

  The primary objective of this paper is to develop a fuzzy inference performance index for metallic drinking water pipelines. Evaluation of the performance index is accomplished through testing of artificial

  field

  and lab data.

  Development of a Fuzzy Inference Performance Index for Water Pipe

  This paper presents a standard data structure for predicting the remaining physical life and consequence of failure of water pipes. Correlating the various pipe material types with the pipe life cycle

  failure modes and mechanisms are crucial in defining the various parameters.

  Standard Data Structure for Predicting the Life and Consequence of Failure of Water Pipes

  This paper focuses on the development of a web-based geospatial tool as a proof of concept to assist water utilities in performing a network-level risk screening of their buried pipeline infrastructure systems. This tool provides a preliminary risk screening at a high level to quickly identify problematic (hot spot) areas and help guide decisions about where to further analyze pipeline infrastructure.

  Web-Based and Geospatially Enabled Risk Screening Tool for Water Pipeline

  The objective of this research is to analyze the capabilities and limitations of current condition assessment technologies and performance prediction methods and to propose direction for future research on PCCP by considering its failure factors

  modes

  and mechanisms.

  Failure Analysis

  Condition Assessment Technologies

  and Performance Prediction of Prestressed-Concrete Cylinder Pipe

  The proposed performance-rating system evaluates each parameter and combines them mathematically through a weighted summation and a fuzzy inference system that reflects the importance of the various factors. The framework provides a noticeable improvement from the conventional practice of using solely inspection data as a means to evaluate wastewater pipe.

  Development of a Robust Wastewater Pipe Performance Index

  The practices from water and wastewater utilities were determined by the help of participation utilities to the WATERiD Database. Case studies in locating technology applications and locating practice application was written to capture these practices. These case studies were also supplemented by phone interviews with various utilities. Comparison between the literature and utility practice indicated various gaps in the utility practice. Recommendations are offered to fill these gaps for an effective use of underground utility practices by water and wastewater utilities. These recommendation include adaptation and implementation of specific best practices of transportation industry by the water and wastewater utilities.

  Underground Utility Locating Technology (INFR9SG09/INFR10SG09UULT)

  Stochastic Simulation Methodology for Resilience Assessment of Water Distribution Networks

  This paper presents a novel network-based methodology to evaluate resilience of water distribution systems. This methodology utilises stochastic simulation on a network model to generate statistical data on the resilience probability of the actual water infrastructure system. The methodology is a management decision support tool for enhancing system preparedness.

  Stochastic Simulation Methodology for Resilience Assessment of Water Distribution Networks

  A comprehensive approach to managing our capital assets is overdue - one that brings \"state of the practice\" advanced asset management (AM) concepts

  tools

  techniques

  and technologies to bear on managing for cost-effective performance. This approach is one that focuses relentlessly on providing sustained performance to the customer at the lowest life-cycle cost and at an acceptable level of risk to the organization. - See more at: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/swim/workshop/index.html#sthash.RyFNSIi1.dpuf

  Richard Thomasson

  Sustainable Water Infrastructure Management (SWIM) Center at Virginia Tech

  VISION\nTo become the premier global knowledge and resource organization for planning

  engineering

  constructing\nand operating sustainable and resilient water infrastructure systems.\nMISSION\nTo bring together the global water industry to improve the performance

  sustainability

  and resiliency of\nexisting and future water infrastructure systems.\nCORE ACTIVITIES\n• Promote a collaborative environment within the water infrastructure community and disseminate critical\ninformation to improve performance

  sustainability

  and resiliency\n• Create and share water infrastructure data

  analytical tools and techniques

  best practices

  \ncase studies and synthesis reports\n• Foster multidisciplinary collaboration among water experts to advance and shape water infrastructure\nindustry\n• Advance science and technology through leading-edge innovative research and\ninterdisciplinary education\n• Articulate priorities for global water infrastructure systems and promote interactions among\ndiverse water utilities\n• Develop and deliver the most comprehensive source of water infrastructure asset management information\nand innovative research available through WATERiD and PIPEiD national databases

  conferences

  workshops

  \ntraining courses

  publications

  reports

  and online certification programs\n• Pioneer outreach programs that are renowned for addressing local

  state

  national

  \nand international water infrastructure asset management challenges

  Dave Fletcher

  Mike Burkhard

  Pipeline Infrastructure Database (PIPEiD)

  PIPEiD is envisioned to be “a Living Database Platform for Advanced Asset Management” addressing all three major management levels including strategic

  tactical

  and operational that will assist water utilities of all sizes to sustain targeted levels of service with acceptable risk\nResponsibilities: Development of the database website

  development of GIS models (desktop and online)

  development of data standards for water

  wastewater

  and stormwater utilities.

  Rahul Vemulapallyv

  UIM/SWIM Center Conference and PIPEiD Workshop

  The Sustainable Water Infrastructure Management (SWIM) Center

  UIM

  Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF)

  Denver Water and Aurora Water are jointly hosting a two-day conference and workshop in Denver

  Colorado

  Thursday

  July 23rd and Friday

  July 24th. The event brings together drinking water

  wastewater

  and storm water professionals to address issues related to pipelines

  buried infrastructure and infrastructure management

  as well as water quality and water supply.

  Development of Performance Prediction Model for Wastewater Pipelines

  The purpose of this WERF funded project is to develop a performance index for wastewater pipelines to assess the current performance and a model to predict the performance deterioration on the future to help decision support on asset management for water and wastewater utilities.\nResponsibilities: Doing literature review on related subjects

  performing lab tests on the received pipe and soil samples

  contacting water and wastewater utilities to receive data

  analyzing numerical and image data received from utilities

  developing and validating the model in MATLAB.

  WATERiD: Water Infrastructure Database

  This project is a cooperative effort among Virginia Tech

  USEPA

  WERF

  WATERRF

  NSF

  and Water Industry to design

  populate

  manage and maintain a National Web-based Database for Water Infrastructure titled “WATER infrastructure DATABASE (WATERiD)”. Contents in the WATERiD portal include demonstration projects

  standards

  policy and regulation

  lessons learned and best practices

  and advanced topics dealing with sustainability and resiliency.

  PIPEiD: Pipeline Infrastructure Database

  The proposed water infrastructure information system is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of drinking and wastewater infrastructure systems

  thereby reducing a significant risk to human health and the environment

  if they fail. The simulation capabilities

  predictive modeling

  and visual communication language developed in this work will have applicability to numerous other applications requiring accurate forecasts and real-time decision making.

  Water Infrastructure Database (WATERiD)

  The purpose of this federally funded project is to develop a knowledge database for the application of condition assessment and renewal technologies for water and wastewater utilities.\nResponsibilities: Development of the database website

  accumulating information on underground locating technologies

  creating technology profiles

  contacting water and wastewater utilities

  and writing case studies regarding locating technology use and data management practices from industry.

  Sunil

  Virginia Tech