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A lifelong fascination with cars, airplanes, and large structures led to an interest in mechanical engineering for Marquis Scholar Evan O’Brien ’07 (Carlisle, Pa). He is now working to stabilize and fortify existing bridges so they can sustain more weight.
O’Brien is collaborating with Jeffrey Helm, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, through Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, in which students conduct research with faculty while earning a stipend. The program has helped to make Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.
Helm is optimistic about the project’s potential. Titled “Analysis of FRP-Strengthened Concrete Panels,” it examines how fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) can stabilize bridges that must support loads they could not handle when built.
“Everyone is looking for an inexpensive way to extend the lives of bridges,” Helm says. “It’s very expensive to tear down a bridge and build a new [one]. This is one of the technologies that may work for that.”
O’Brien’s primary responsibilities include designing and constructing seven-foot by seven-foot concrete test figures so the researchers can observe what happens when a FRP composite is applied. He also is learning how to use digital image correlation, a measurement system that gauges how the concrete surface reacts under stress.
The imaging system provides a picture of what happens when the concrete is placed under a heavy load. Helm examines the pictures and determines, through the pixilation and coloring of the images, how the concrete reacts. O’Brien is also putting together engineering drawings to help the project progress.
“I’m getting a lot of experience running lab tests and drawing final drawings that are adequate for use in special tests,” says the mechanical engineering major. “It’s also giving me a look at digital imaging technology. It’s been around a while and, as far as I can tell, Dr. Helm is at the forefront of this technology.”
Both O’Brien and Helm believe that the EXCEL program provides opportunities not available at most colleges and universities. The researchers expect to present their results at a conference and publish in a scientific journal.
“It’s always been one of the great things about this college, especially in engineering,” Helm says. “As an undergraduate-only facility, the students get a chance to work on research the type of which they probably would not have been able to work on at a place that has a significant graduate department.”
O’Brien says his research with Helm has given him a clear picture about his future career, which he has been able to explore in unique ways at Lafayette.
“The thing I like so much about the research I’m doing is I actually feel like it’s a one-on-one relationship. I’m not just one of many,” he says. “This is an undergraduate [institution] where I don’t have to worry about sharing lab time with graduate [students]. That’s a great environment for doing research.”
O’Brien is a graduate of Carlisle Senior High School. His sister Erin O’Brien graduated from Lafayette in 2002.
Chosen from among Lafayette’s most promising applicants, Marquis Scholars like O’Brien receive a special academic scholarship and distinctive educational experiences and benefits. This includes a three-week, Lafayette-funded course abroad or in the United States during January’s interim session between semesters or the summer break. Marquis Scholars also participate in mentoring programs with Lafayette faculty and cultural activities in major cities and on campus.
As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Forty students have been accepted to present their research at this year’s conference.