Henri P. Gavin

Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Our group works in the broad area of dynamic systems analysis, modeling, measurement, and control with particular emphasis on the mitigation of losses induced by extreme environmental loads.

For more information, click  here.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • W. H. Gardner, Jr. Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
  • Bass Fellow

Contact Information

Education

  • B.S.E. Princeton University, 1986
  • M.Sc.Eng. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1988
  • Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1994

Research Interests

Our group works in the broad area of dynamic systems analysis, modeling, measurement, and control with particular emphasis on the mitigation of losses induced by extreme environmental loads.

Over the years this research has addressed the mechanics and applications of fluids with controllable rheology, the modeling and optimal control of systems with nonlinear inequality constraints, high order stochastic response surface modeling, experimental stress analysis, shake table testing,  in-situ vibration monitoring, and seismic sensor networks. 

Our current research is focused on the modeling and control of constrained systems (terresterial and airborne vehicles and rolling isolation systems) analytical, numerical, and experimental models for visco-elastic rolling resistance; the statistical modeling of non-stationary wind fields for wind energy application; and the reconstruction of nonlinear structural behavior from sparse transient response measurements.

This work has been funded primarily through the National Science Foundation, including a Career award in 1996, a large-scale testing program in collaboration with BRI and NIED in Japan, a project on developing automated web-based interfaces for physical and numerical simulations, the analysis and design of rolling isolation systems, and work related to the seismic response of the base-isolated Christchurch Women's Hospital (New Zealand). Dr. Gavin is the recipient of research, service, and teaching awards from the ASCE, ASEE, NZSEE, Tribhuvan University (Nepal), and Duke University.

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Bass Connections Award for Outstanding Leadership. Bass Connections. 2023
  • Yoh Family Bass Professor. Duke University. 2013
  • Earl I Brown II Outstanding Civil Engineering Faculty Award. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. 2013
  • President's Award. New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering. 2010
  • Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award (ADUTA). Duke University. 2008
  • ASEE Southeast Mid-Career Teaching Award. American Society for Engineering Education. 2007
  • W.H. Gardner Bass Professor. Duke University. 2006
  • Klein Family Teaching Award. School of Engineering. 2006
  • Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize. American Society of Civil Engineers. 2005
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences, fellowship. JSPS. 2002
  • Packard Grant Finalist. Packard Foundation. 1997
  • Early CAREER award. National Science Foundation. 1996
  • Junior Faculty Enhancement Award. Oak Ridge Associated Universities. 1996

Courses Taught

  • ISS 796T: Bass Connections Information, Society & Culture Research Team
  • ISS 795T: Bass Connections Information, Society & Culture Research Team
  • ISS 396T: Bass Connections Information, Society & Culture Research Team
  • ISS 395T: Bass Connections Information, Society & Culture Research Team
  • CEE 201L: Uncertainty Design and Optimization

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Zhang, B., and H. P. Gavin. “Computationally Efficient Tracking Control of Differential Drive Wheeled Mobile Robots.” In Proceedings of the American Control Conference, 2023-May:891–96, 2023. https://doi.org/10.23919/ACC55779.2023.10156242.
  • Zhang, B., and H. P. Gavin. “Decentralized Control of Multiagent Navigation Systems.” IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica 9, no. 5 (May 1, 2022): 922–25. https://doi.org/10.1109/JAS.2022.105569.
  • Zhang, B., and H. P. Gavin. “Gauss's Principle with Inequality Constraints for Multiagent Navigation and Control.” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 67, no. 2 (February 1, 2022): 810–23. https://doi.org/10.1109/TAC.2021.3059677.
  • Zhang, B., and H. P. Gavin. “Decentralized Unified Position-Attitude Control of Nonlinear UAVs.” In Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, 2022-December:5214–19, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1109/CDC51059.2022.9992624.
  • Zhang, B., and H. P. Gavin. “Unified Position-Attitude Control of A Nonlinear Quadrotor Swarm.” In Proceedings of the American Control Conference, 2022-June:4030–35, 2022. https://doi.org/10.23919/ACC53348.2022.9867205.