UTC Partner Wins NSF CAREER Award for Concrete Research

Dr. Matthew Bandelt, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a CAIT University Transportation Center partner, won the award to continue his research studying the use of highly ductile concrete materials in structural systems.

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award is designed to understand and quantify seismic performance of structural systems using highly ductile concrete materials, known as high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs).

Great advancements in the development of concrete materials with enhanced mechanical properties and cracking resistance have been made, and studies have shown the potential for HPFRCCs to improve the seismic response of individual building components. To promote transformational change and progress in this field of engineering, this project will focus on understanding how HPFRCCs can be built and used for the use in entire building systems to promote resilience, enhance safety, and overall improve seismic performance.

Much of Dr. Bandelt’s research as part of the University Transportation Center (UTC) program at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT), has dealt with investigating applications for emerging and innovate concrete materials and technologies. From studying the uses and benefits of recycled concrete as a replacement for natural aggregate, to analyzing sustainable rapid-repair cements for infrastructure maintenance and understanding the durability of low-carbon concrete mixtures, much of his work has focused on testing these innovative materials in the field.

Listen to this interview he gave with the Structural Engineering Podcast Channel to learn more about some of his other research.

Overall, the goal of this CAREER award project is to understand and quantify seismic performance of structural systems using highly ductile concrete materials. The research has the potential to better inform engineers on how buildings can be designed with HPFRCCs — while also quantifying its impact on performance life, safety, and life-cycle costs.

To learn more about the award, read the abstract here.