UT Arlington gets $10M grant to create energy efficient concrete
ARLINGTON (CBSNewsTexas.com) – The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $10 million grant to the University of Texas at Arlington for the development of more energy-efficient concrete for highways and roads.
Researchers at UTA's Center for Advanced Construction Materials believe they can make concrete better for both the infrastructure and the environment.
"The work here this center is doing will make the roads more durable," said Robert Hampshire, the DOT deputy assistant secretary for research and technology. "That lowers the cost, that's less taxes to actually build roads, and actually makes them last longer and not be as bumpy."
Researchers say improving your experience on the roads will also help your bottom line. They estimate aging infrastructure costs families more than $3,000 a year.
"Our projects are designed so we can reduce the annual household costs," said Panagiotis Danoglidis, an assistant professor of research at the Center for Advanced Construction Materials.
They use state-of-the art equipment to put concrete through a variety of tests, seeing how the samples hold up under extreme pressure or weather conditions. Researchers can also study the composition at almost the atomic level.
"This will be the basis for the research… to engineer the nanostructure and the properties of the material," said Maria Konsta-Gdoutos, a civil engineering professor and the associate director of the center.
The goal is to make concrete more environmentally friendly as well.
"Up to 80 percent of all emissions from vehicle tailpipes can be absorbed into the concrete they're developing here, and that will be a gamechanger," Hampshire said.
The DOT sees so much promise in the work they're investing $10 million over the next five years.
