Portland cement concrete is a ubiquitous element of the built environment that is crucial to housing and infrastructure development worldwide. Advances in materials science and processing can enhance the resilience, recyclability, and long-term durability of concrete, enabling significant economic and societal benefits.
Using advanced analysis and modeling of chemical reactions and interactions from the nanoscale to the mesoscale, the proposed IUCRC, the Concrete Advancement Network (CAN), aims to develop new technologies and methods that will result in concrete that is far more efficient, more rapidly deployable, and less dependent upon natural resources. The objective is to use modern-day technology, such as multi-scale modeling, digital manufacturing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, to fast-track the implementation of cutting-edge concepts into this key industrial sector, which often relies on 20th-century technology. Breakthroughs in concrete innovation can be achieved using model-based prediction and verification in combination with traditional experimental methods, thereby advancing the pace of technology transfer from concept to implementation.
Collaboration
CAN will be led by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and three academic sites: Arizona State University, Oregon State University, and the University of Texas at Arlington. This leadership team understands the operational challenges inherent in the implementation of new technologies into construction material specification, production, construction, and life cycle maintenance. CAN will enable a nexus of industrial leaders, academic collaborators, and government agencies to revolutionize the way concrete is engineered, produced, and used worldwide and to expedite the implementation of solutions for the industry’s unmet and underserved needs.
