The Concrete Research Council (CRC), a Council of the ACI Foundation, announces its recent funding of four concrete research projects.

The first project that has been approved this year to receive $10,000 from the CRC focuses on “Developing an Information Delivery Manual for Cast-in-Place Concrete Building Information Modeling (BIM).”  The lead researcher on this project is Charles Eastman, professor at the Georgia Tech School of Architecture.  A second project of Eastman’s, “Precast National BIM Standard – Phase III” has also been approved for $10,000 of funding from the CRC.  Eastman’s work in this field is directly related to and supported by ACI Committee 131, Building Information Modeling of Concrete Structures.

Peter Billberg of the Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Institute has also been chosen to receive $10,000 from the CRC for his research on “Round-Robin Test Series to Evaluate Models Developed to Predict the Lateral Formwork Pressure when Using Self-Consolidating Concrete.”  Billberg is an ACI member who is active on Committees 237 and 238, Self-Consolidating Concrete and Workability of Fresh Concrete.

The CRC also approved Sergio Breña, associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, $10,000 for his research on “Modeling Parameters and Proposed Acceptance Criteria for Rehabilitated Columns using Concrete, Steel, or FRP Jackets.”  Breña is an ACI member who is active on several Committees including 318, Structural Concrete Building Code.

The CRC has the purpose of advancing the knowledge of concrete materials, construction, and structures through research. In coordination with ACI technical committees, the council solicits and selects research proposals, assists in financing and guiding research, and helps publish results. The CRC provides direct co-funding for research projects and recommends projects to other industry foundations for supplemental funding.

CRC funding to support research projects is directly dependent on organizations that participate as Sponsoring Members of CRC.  In 2011, CRC was able to leverage $33,000 of its research funds into well over $700,000 of concrete industry research work.

Those seeking to support or gain funding through the Concrete Research Council can visit www.ConcreteResearchCouncil.orgfor all guidelines and information.