Cim Program Sets Materials, Structural Research Projects

Students in the charter Concrete Industry Management program at Middle Tennesee State University (Murfreesboro) are engaged in five research projects

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Students in the charter Concrete Industry Management program at Middle Tennesee State University (Murfreesboro) are engaged in five research projects to benefit the industry and enrich learning. Among current initiatives are a collaborative project with five other labs to determine the best way to consolidate and cast cylindrical specimens for pervious concrete; a comparison of new fiber with existing market fibers to gauge plastic shrinkage cracking prevention; an investigation of a new liquid admixture that could be used to enhance workability, set time, and cement replacement for pervious concrete mixes; and, a review of the pull-out strength of rebar in high-strength lightweight concrete with local precast plants and Stalite, Inc. In addition, CIM students and faculty are performing two industry literature searches to compile 1) all pervious concrete research that has been done to date, and 2) all papers that reference the comparison of fiber reinforced concrete vs. welded-wire fabric and how well it performs.

We choose projects that are needed by the industry in the short term, because we can get fast turnaround and utilize undergraduates that we only have for only four to six months at a time, says CIM Program Director and Associate Professor Heather Brown. MTSU faculty will serve as mentors and train the students to use equipment they might not have encountered, she adds, while offering a course (CIM 4200) focusing on student research, writing technical reports, and developing research presentations.