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CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE

CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE

Rowan University and DoD Partner to Develop Construction Materials

A $ 5.2M grant will help create new solutions for cold regions .
Compiled by John Joseph Parker Contributing Editor

To help the United States protect its national security interests in the Arctic region , the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers-Department of Defense has awarded a $ 5.2 million grant to Rowan University ’ s Center for Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems ( CREATES ), the center ’ s single-largest award to date .

Working in partnership with two labs from the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers ’ Engineering Research and Development Center , the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory ( CRREL ) and the Geotechnical and Structural Laboratory ( GSL ), Rowan researchers are developing innovative construction materials for cold regions .
Since CREATES opened in 2016 , its researchers have earned nearly $ 17 million in grant funding and equipment from the Department of Defense encompassing 23 projects . The newest two-year grant funds the continued research and development of new technologies and paving materials for bridges , roads and airstrips for a cold-weather region undergoing rapid climate change .
Dr . Yusuf Mehta , a civil and environmental engineering professor in the Henry M . Rowan College of Engineering and the director of CREATES , leads the ongoing research at the
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The two-year project will test and further refine new technologies and paving materials for bridges , roads and airstrips for a coldweather region undergoing rapid climate change .
center , along with its associate director , Dr . Ayman Ali .
“ New technologies and materials will facilitate a quick and safe deployment of troops and the establishment of military bases in the Arctic region ,” says Mehta . “ Eventually , these projects will serve as a major step toward securing our northern borders and securing Arctic infrastructure .”
The grant-funded work also provides handson research experience for post-doctoral associates and graduate and undergraduate students . The projects include : demonstrating self-deicing pavement systems under real-world conditions ; improving asphalt binders with plastics ; evaluating fiber-reinforced , hot-mix asphalt in the lab and at full scale ; developing a “ self-healing ”
Dr . Yusuf Mehta , director of Rowan University ' s Center for Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems , shows asphalt samples to Wade Lein of the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers and U . S . Rep . Donald Norcross during a recent site visit at the South Jersey Technology Park in Mantua , New Jersey .
Photo : Rowan University asphalt mixture using asphalt binders modified by nanoparticles ; and studying the use of warmmix asphalt technology in cold regions .
Previous research has led to the development of innovative construction materials , such as geogrid-reinforced flexible pavements and self-deicing materials .
Panels of experts from the Army Corps of Engineers will review each project throughout all its phases , as well as each project ’ s recommendations .
A critical part of the testing and evaluation relies on the center ’ s Heavy Vehicle Simulator , the only such device at a college or university in the northeastern United States . Housed at Rowan University ’ s South Jersey Technology Park through a cooperative agreement with CRREL , the $ 3 million machine can simulate decades of vehicular traffic on highways and airplane runways in less than half a year while controlling temperature and other environmental conditions .
“ Rowan University is making its mark as a hub of innovation and research ,” says U . S . Congressman Donald Norcross , who recently visited CREATES ’ research facilities . “ The development of new materials and methods for cold-weather construction is essential for our national security and will be broadly applicable as we continue our work to address climate change . I am proud that the next generation of engineers are playing a key role in these vital research programs right here in New Jersey .”
“ We are very thankful for this partnership with Rowan University ,” say Wade Lein and Danielle Kennedy , research civil engineers at CRREL . “ We ’ re on the precipice of answering concerns about how our infrastructure performs in cold climates . The research we ’ re doing is solving the needs of the future and that ’ s where we need to be as scientists and engineers in this space . We look forward to the next five years and beyond .”
“ Just five years ago , Rowan University opened this facility with the goal of becoming one of the elite transportation and research institutions in America ,” says Rowan University Provost Tony Lowman . “ Time and again , Dr . Yusuf Mehta and his team of researchers have demonstrated the real-world value of scientific inquiry . We ’ re exceedingly proud of their accomplishments and we deeply appreciate the continued support from the Department of Defense and our longtime research partners at the Army Corps of Engineers .”