On-Going Projects

2nd-Cycle Projects (2024-grant)

Constructability And Carbonation Potential Of Low-Carbon Concrete Materials Infused With Silica-Rich Biochar For Bridge Applications.[IBT-ABC-UTC-2024-C2-TAMU01] : Concrete’s high carbon footprint is an ongoing concern for infrastructure sustainability and environmental stewardship. A primary strategy in the quest for low-carbon concrete is to replace a portion of the portland cement with pozzolanic wastes generated by other industrial or societal activities. Biochar is a product of biowaste combustion. Our previous research through the IBT/ABC-UTC has shown that silica-rich biochar is pozzolanically active in concrete, that it can accelerate setting time, can improve compressive strength, and can efficiently absorb atmospheric CO2. The current proposal will advance the technology readiness level of biochar- infused concrete by determining the dependence of concrete properties as a function of the biochar dosage.

Development Of Ultra High performance Concrete With Low-Density Flexible Fibers For Bridge Applications[IBT-ABC-UTC-2024-C2-TAMU05]: Innovative Bridge Technologies (IBT) include the development and use of novel materials that offer improved strength, higher mechanical performance, and, perhaps most importantly, superior durability and service life. Ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) has all these characteristics and has been identified for use in bridge deck overlays and for construction, repair and retrofit of bridge girders. More recently, as featured in an IBT/ABC UTC webinar, the first bridge with a 100 % UHPC superstructure was constructed in Michigan. Most UHPC contains steel fibers to improve shrinkage resistance and fracture toughness. Replacing the steel fibers with organic fibers can greatly improve the strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance of UHPC materials, making them even more attractive for bridge elements

1st-Cycle Projects (2024-grant) 

• Development of Low-Carbon Concrete Materials Infused with Biochar for Bridge Applications [IBT-ABC-UTC-2024-C1-TAMU01] : The overarching research objective is to develop low-carbon concrete materials infused with biochar that potentially can be implemented in bridge construction and repair. The primary knowledge gaps toward that end are the early-age structure-processing-property relationships. Quantifying these relationships will enable biochar-infused concrete to be used reliably and at higher volume fractions of replacement for portland cement. Within that objective, our specific goal in this project is to map the relationships among biochar dosage and properties to fresh flow properties and early-age mechanical properties and microstructure.