Workforce Development, Outreach and Technology Transfer Activities

Background:
Originally, this project was proposed to have two different parts: (i) Develop guidelines for service life-based selection and design of bridge substructure and foundation, with a focus on ABC bridges; and (ii) Organize impactful workforce development, outreach and tech transfer activities in collaboration with other UTCs, state DOTs and the private sector. Because there was not enough funds to support three projects at OU, as proposed, the first part could not be pursued at this time. In the revised project, the team will undertake impactful workforce development and outreach activities in collaboration with the Southern Plains Transportation Center, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and the private sector. These activities include 2020 Oklahoma Transportation Research Day, 2020 Summer Symposium, seminars, and workshops. A summer camp is also planned. Expenses for the overall center operation including submitting progress reports, final reports, and tracking data, and attending annual meeting, co-director’s meetings, and other activities are included in the project budget.

Objective:
In this project, the team will undertake impactful workforce development and outreach activities in collaboration with the Southern Plains Transportation Center, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and the private sector. These activities include 2020 Oklahoma Transportation Research Day, 2020 Summer Symposium, seminars, and workshops. A summer camp is also planned. Expenses for the overall center operation including submitting progress reports, final reports, and tracking data, and attending annual meeting, co-director’s meetings, and other activities are included in the budget of this project.

Scope:

The following tasks will be performed to achieve the project objective:

  • Task 1A: Co-organize 2020 Oklahoma Transportation Research Day (OTRD)

    • Oklahoma Transportation Research Day is a major workforce development event, which is co-organized by the Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC) and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). Last year’s OTRD was co-hosted by ABC-UTC for the first time. About 200 people from academic institutions, state DOTs, and the private sector attended this event. Out of eight podium presentations in two sessions, three were related to ABC-UTC projects including “Improving Specifications to Resist Frost Damage in Modern Concrete Mixtures.” Also, “State of GRS-IBS Research and Practice in Oklahoma” was related to ABC-UTC’s focus. Among 31 poster presentations, about 10 were related to ABC-UTC’s interest, which includes the following: “Accelerated Bridge Construction using Large-Block GRS Abutments,” “Case Study on Concrete Production Consistency using Resistivity Testing,” and “Zero-Cement Concrete: The Next Generation of Concrete Industry.” In organizing 2020 OTRD, efforts will be made to attract presentations with strong relevance to ABC-UTC. Also, effort will be made to attract a national-level speaker on an ABC-UTC-related topic. In addition to workforce development benefit, OTRD also provides opportunity for displaying new technology and equipment. ABC-UTC’s investment to co-organize 2020 OTRD is a low-cost and high-impact workforce development and tech transfer event.
  • Task 1B: Co-Organize 2020 Summer Symposium

    • Summer Symposium is a student-driven annual program that provides opportunity to undergraduate and graduate students to present their work in a semi-formal setting. For the first time, the 2019 Summer Symposium was co-hosted by ABC-UTC. About 100 students, faculty, DOT representatives, and private sector people attended this event. In addition to Oklahoma, students from Arkansas and Missouri attended this event. Among 14 podium presentations, four were related to ABC-UTC focus, including the following: “Implementing Fiber-Reinforced Self-Consolidating Concrete for AASHTO Prestressed Concrete Members,” “Concrete Degradation Due to Moisture, Low and High Temperature Cycling,” and “Ultra-High Performance Concrete for Bridge Joint Retrofit” were related to ABC-UTC’s interest. Also, several posters focused on ABC-UTC’s focus. Co-hosting 2020 Summer Symposium provides ABC-UTC an opportunity to reach out to students and to capitalize on the investments being made by SPTC and ODOT. ABC-UTC Director or his designee may be invited to moderate a technical session. This workforce development and outreach event is also a low-cost and high-impact event.
  • Task 1C: Co-Organize Seminars and Workshops

    • Beginning last year, ABC-UTC has been co-organizing seminars and workshops on topics of regional and national significance. One of the goals of such events is to focus on ABC-UTC research and education. These free-registration events are generally held at a state DOT facility, which makes it easier for the agencies and the private sector to attend. Four to six events are organized yearly. In addition to regular seminars and workshops, in 2020, efforts will be made to organize a half-a-day event focused on ABC-UTC projects and products. ODOT and FHWA may be approached to co-sponsor this event. Details will need to be worked out with the ABC-UTC leadership. These events are well-aligned with workforce development and tech transfer goals and worth supporting.
  • Task 1D: Organize a Summer Camp

    • Summer Camp provides an excellent avenue for outreach. Although we were hoping to organize a summer camp last year, it could not be done primarily because of not having enough lead time. This year, the ABC-UTC Co-Director is already working with the OU Gallogly College of Engineering leadership to organize a one-day summer camp on a topic closely related to ABC-UTC goals. It is expected that the experience gained from the workshops organized at FIU during the International Bridge Construction Conference, held last year at FIU. As noted in the budget, this event may be co-sponsored by SPTC. It is expected that specifics of this proposed event will be worked out by mid-March.
  • Task 2 – Pursue Outreach Through Engineering Practice Facility

    • The Rawl Engineering Practice Facility (REPF) at the OU Gallogly College of Engineering is a unique facility for outreach. Thousands of potential engineering students (elementary through high school) are exposed to various engineering disciplines each year through this facility. SEED scholars play a major in developing hands-on activities and offering them to potential engineering students. Last fall we recruited a SEED scholar to develop pertinent hands-on activities. The goal is to expose students to accelerated bridge construction. The ABC-UTC Co-Director will continue working with the REPF outreach coordinator to complete (by the SEED scholar) at least one hands-on activity and offer it to visitors during this spring and fall semesters.
  • Task 3- Submit Progress Reports and Final Report

    • An informative final report will be prepared documenting the outcomes of the activities noted above. Quarterly progress reports will be submitted, as per ABC-UTC requirements.

Research Team:
Principal Investigator:  Dr. Musharraf Zaman
Co-Principal Investigator (OU): Dr. Royce Floyd
Co-Principal Investigator (FIU): Dr. Atorod Azizinamini