Beata Zima, PhD, MSc wins the Scientific Award of the Polish Academy of Science | Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology at the Gdańsk University of Technology

The cycle of the awarded publications is about non-destructive methods of identification, location and assessment of various types of damage in engineering structures. 

–  The Committee's award is a great honour and satisfaction for me. It reassures me that my scientific work moves in the right direction, which motvates me to put in even more effort - says Beata Zima, PhD, ME.

Awarded publications

Cycle of doctor Beata Zima's papers was published in high impact factor journals such as: "Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing", "Ocean Engineering", "Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering", "Measurement", "Ultrasonics", "Composite Structures", "Construction and Building Materials".

Diagnostics and detection

The publications can be divided into two parts: 

Part one (7 papers) is about the diagnostics of thin-walled elements made of metal alloys. One of the objectives of the cycle was to develop and intoduce a method of detection and assessment of the damage size using as few piezoelectric sensors fixed on the tested construction as possible, used for the registration of signals. Lower number of sensonrs translates into a lower cost of the measurement system and smaller amount of data. This, in turn shortens the duration of the analysis. 

Part two (6 papers) is about detection and assessment of the degradation ratio of adhesive joints between steel and concrete in reinforced concrete elements using guided wave. Damage in the form of closed delaminations which are difficult to detect can locally lower the construction strength and cause the appearance of the corrosion centers. 

Beata Zima, PhD, ME is an assistant professor in the Institute of Ship and Ocean Technology at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology of Gdansk University of Technology. In 2018 she graduated from the GUT PhD studies and defended her thesis with honors. Her published papers have already been awarded by Gdansk Scientific Society (Department IV: Technical Science), Gdansk Branch of the Polish Academy of Science, Foundation for Polish Science and Ministry of Education and Science.