NSF CAREER Award helps Moore unwind causes, solutions to bolt loosening

Calendar Icon Jun 09, 2023          RSS Feed  RSS Submit a Story

Keegan Moore, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, will use high speed cameras to capture the interface contact conditions — the surfaces the bolts hold together. (Craig Chandler / University Communication and Marketing)
Keegan Moore, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, will use high speed cameras to capture the interface contact conditions — the surfaces the bolts hold together. (Craig Chandler / University Communication and Marketing)

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Despite the ubiquity of bolts and screws in infrastructure of all types, Keegan Moore said, little is understood about how a structure’s dynamics, including vibrations, can influence their loosening during normal operation.

Moore's research, which focuses on how rotational loosening happens and how it might be prevented, will be supported with a five-year, $727,410 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program.

“Bolt and joint loosening has been studied since the Industrial Revolution because it’s been a problem since then,” said Moore, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering. “Loose bolts aren’t just to blame for high-profile catastrophes; they’re a threat in everyday life, from playground equipment and cars to biomedical implants and the James Webb Space Telescope.”



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