Vision

To provide state agencies and others with the tools to evaluate novel materials for implementation in concrete infrastructure.

Recent Projects

Take a look at the recent projects we have worked on in the Concrete Lab!

Laboratory Purpose

The Concrete Laboratory conducts research to improve the mechanical performance, durability performance, and sustainability of concrete infrastructure materials by:

• Investigating and characterizing concrete materials and their components including cement, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), alternate cementitious materials (ACMs), admixtures, water, and aggregates.
• Assessing and improving concrete durability and sustainability.
• Developing and evaluating new test methods and enhancing existing testing procedures.
• Collaborating with academia and industry to advance emerging technologies.
• Performing forensic investigations requested within the Agency, by State departments of transportation (DOTs), and other governmental agencies.

The Concrete Laboratory is accredited by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Materials Reference Laboratory and certified by the Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL). The Concrete Laboratory’s capabilities include performing:

• mixing, curing, microstructural characterization (low temperature differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic vapor sorption, x-ray fluorescence),
• physical characterization (specific gravity, absorption, unit weight),
• early-age properties testing (rheology, setting, calorimetry),
• workability testing (slump, box test),
• mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, pull-off bond testing),
• durability properties (resistivity, formation factor, chloride migration, freeze-thaw), and
• volume instability (creep, plastic shrinkage, chemical shrinkage, drying shrinkage, autogenous shrinkage, dual ring test, coefficient of thermal expansion).

Concrete Laboratory Capabilities