A-State receives $204,424 ARDOT grant for highway concrete research

A grant from the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) will allow Arkansas State University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science to continue research focused on concrete.

The university received $204,424 from the Transportation-Related Research and Workforce Development Grant Program (TRRWDGP) through ARDOT to change how concrete is utilized in construction by incorporating materials that are normally discarded as waste.

“The main goal of this project is to assess the viability of using steel industry waste (steel slag) in producing longer-lasting paving concrete in a sustainable manner. Another distinct component of this project is to capture the released carbon in the curing process and reuse it to improve the strength of the concrete,” said Dr. Zahid Hossain, professor of civil engineering at A-State.

With the funding awarded to A-State, Hossain said the team will hit the ground running to begin work.

“The immediate next steps are to collect raw materials, design the mix, fabricate test samples, and test them,” he said.

Hossain said he intends to reach out to local steel manufacturing companies to gather steel slag to be used in this project. It is estimated the project will last roughly two years and will help propel A-State to become a leader in the research field.

“The findings produced through this project will be disseminated at state and national conferences and symposia, which will enhance A-State’s reputation as a major research institution,” Hossain said.

“Though every funded competitive grant is a major win because of the impact it has on A-State students for hands-on learning and discovery, we work to make this a regular part of university activities,” said Dr. Travis Marsico, vice provost for research, innovation and discovery and executive director of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute.

Due to the scale and longevity of the project, current and future A-State students will be able to participate in hands-on research and learn state-of-the-art technology that will prepare them for the job market after graduation.

“Students will be trained to manufacture carb-cured concrete, a relatively new technology to build more durable concrete. Research methods and findings will also be shared in classrooms, allowing students to get firsthand experience in producing concrete with up to 100% cement replacement using steel slag. These students will be prepared to enter the transportation workforce and solve real-world problems,” Hossain added.

The project aims to not only enhance the sustainability of concrete production but also reduce costs and create economic opportunities within the steel industry.

“Ultimately, the life-cycle cost of the concrete will be less than that of traditional concrete. Further, steel manufacturing waste will be used as a construction material. This practice is expected to create new jobs in the steel scrap industry to process and market steel slag,” Hossain said.