Universities, industry professionals come together to research, create more sustainable concrete

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s College of Engineering & Applied Science and Oregon State University have come together to create a research center dedicated to creating environmentally friendly, durable and labor efficient concrete, all while being cost-effective.

The Center Advancement Network (CAN) is backed by a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) as well as matching support of $1.5 million or more from industrial members.

NSF’s IUCRC program advances the impact of research through networking with industry innovators, academic teams and government leaders. This center is designed to provide a structure for academic research all while helping to fund and develop industrial partnerships and opportunities for students.

Portland cement concrete is a fundamental component of housing and infrastructure worldwide.1 As we strive for a more resilient, recyclable and durable built environment, advances in materials science are opening the door to substantial economic and societal benefits.

CAN is at the forefront of this movement.

The goal is to encourage research and development of concrete-related projects so that the next generation of sustainable and resilient concrete materials are deployed nationwide.

“That’s really what the Concrete Advancement Network is focused on,” said Jason Weiss, Edwards Professor of Engineering at Oregon State University and site director at CAN. “How do we make concrete more durable and reduce its carbon footprint?”

The sustainability aspect of the CAN projects is what drew attention from industry professionals.

Sam Lines, engineering manager at Concrete Sealants Inc. and industry chair of CAN, became involved with CAN through a long-time relationship with to Konstantin Sobolev, the center director and UWM professor of engineering.

“Konstantin knows that I’ve been interested in being on the forefront of concrete science through my joining the newly founded nanotechnology committee with ACI many years ago when it was first created,” Lines said “And just looking for that next thing that’s going to make concrete more sustainable and ultimately, hopefully have a lower impact on our environment, which is what everybody’s looking for.”

The initial idea for CAN emerged about five years ago, according to Sobolev. It wasn’t until two years ago planning was really set into motion.

“It was a journey,” Sobolev said. “We had some quests and tasks that we had to overcome on the way, but now we are here, and this is our first year.”

An important aspect of the Center’s and its mission is to engage students in project development as researchers.

“Students who are working on the projects, undergrads, graduate students, will be working on industry-related projects and will be prepared to implement those projects,” Sobolev said. “They will also be communicating with industry professionals on those projects, which will prepare them for any future roles in the industry.”

CAN presents students with the opportunity to conduct real-life research outside of the classroom and network with industry professionals.

The Center also serves as a way to educate those who know little about the concrete industry and opens up conversations about the future, Weiss said.

“We’re also working with K-12 students and even teachers to help get them engaged and see opportunities that this profession has and to provide some experiences that they wouldn’t normally see,” Weiss said.

There are eight member organizations, three of which are precast, that contribute to the funding and make decisions about research.

CAN recently held its first Industry Advisory Board meeting, where students from both universities presented a collective 10 potential projects. From there, the members discussed and decided on four different projects to fund.

“So, they’re going to go and do these projects, and the members are going to keep up with the professors and do monthly phone calls. And we will meet with them twice a year to not only kind of review their progress, but in a year from now, will come back in and determine if, one, we want to continue funding that project, or if there are other new projects that we want to start funding,” said Asher Kazmann, P.E., president of Locke Solutions and a member of CAN.

There are three different types of memberships depending on how the company wants to participate, its contribution level and the voting rights it would like to have.

As members of CAN, these industry professionals have access to university resources/facilities, pre-publications, students and first claim on the projects.

“The idea is that they’re going to research certain concrete technology, and, if they come up with something that’s viable, then the members actually get the first chance at doing something commercially with it,” Kazmann said. “We’re putting money up for research programs, and so if something comes out of it, we get the first shot of utilizing it.”

Kazmann said CAN is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

“It’s creating this network of not only these universities but also these companies that are now kind of working together as a team,” Kazmann said.

NSF is funding this center, along with industry support, for a five-year term, which could potentially be renewed for another five years. CAN is looking to expand and gain even more support within those years.

“The more people we’ve got involved, the more opportunities we have to fund more work,” Lines said. “This is not an exclusive society. This is something that other industry partners can jump and get on board with to provide us with additional funding so we can do additional research.”

CAN is open to the idea of additional universities joining their center, Kazmann said.

“If there’s another university that says, ‘Hey, we’ve got some really good facilities, and we’ve got a staff that really has good concrete research talents’,” Kazmann said. “They can get involved, too, and be a part of this as well and receive some of that grant money to fund some of their projects.”

Industry partners and universities can reach out to either Sobolev or Weiss with inquiries related to joining this network. More general information about CAN can be found at https://iucrc.nsf.gov/centers/center-for-concrete-advancement-network/.

Reference
1 https://iucrc.nsf.gov/centers/center-for-concrete-advancement-network/