The ACI Foundation’s Concrete Research Council (CRC) selected eight research projects to receive grants this year. The ACI Foundation is committed to progress in the industry by contributing financially to necessary and worthy research.

The following research projects will receive funding from the ACI Foundation:

Calibration of Simplified Creep and Shrinkage Models Developed Using Solidification Theory: principal investigator Brock Hedegaard, University of Minnesota Duluth; co-principal investigator Mija Hubler, University of Colorado, Boulder. Endorsed by ACI Technical Committee: 209 Creep & Shrinkage.

Validation of Service Life Prediction for a 28-Year-Old Parking Garage Constructed of Low Permeability Concrete: principal investigator Amanda Bordelon, Utah Valley University; co-principal investigator W. Spencer Guthrie, Brigham Young University. Endorsed by ACI Technical Committee: 234 Silica Fume in Concrete; 365 Service Life Prediction.

Determination of the Curing Efficiency of Externally and Internally Cured Concrete Using Neutron Radiography: principal investigator Mehdi Khanzadeh Moradllo, Temple University; co-principal investigator W. Jason Weiss, Oregon State University. Endorsed by ACI Technical Committee: 213 Lightweight Aggregate & Concrete; 308 Curing Concrete.

Full-Scale Testing of a New Double-Beam Coupling Beam (DBCB) with a Simplistic Reinforcing Layout: principal investigator Shih-Ho Chao, University of Texas at Arlington. Endorsed by ACI Technical Committee: 318H Seismic Provisions.

Assessing ACI 318 Using Data from the 2015 and 2019 E-Defense 10-Story, Full-Scale Building Tests: principal investigator John Wallace, University of California, Los Angeles. Endorsed by ACI Technical Committee: 318H Seismic Provisions; 369 Seismic Repair/Retrofit.

Behavior and Design of Concrete Structures under Natural Fires: principal investigator Thomas Gernay, The Johns Hopkins University; co-principal investigator Patrick Bamonte, Politecnico di Milano. Endorsed by ACI Technical Committee: 216 Fire Resistance and Fire Protection.

Reliability Evaluation of ACI 318 Strength Reduction Factor for One-Way Shear: principal investigator Robert Barnes, Auburn University; co-principal investigator Andrzej Nowak, Auburn University. Endorsed by ACI Technical Committee: 318E Section and Member Strength.

Durability of Anchorage Pour-backs: Evaluating the Link between Surface Preparation and Bond: principal investigator Natassia Brenkus, The Ohio State University. Endorsed by ACI Technical Committee: 301-I Specifications for Post-Tensioned Concrete.

CRC seeks concrete research projects that further the knowledge and sustainability of concrete materials, construction, and structures in coordination with ACI Committees where possible. CRC recommended these eight projects for funding, based on impact to industry, ACI Committee engagement and collaboration with other funders and organizations.

Additional information about each of this year’s awarded projects – including additional funding partners, research team, ACI committee involvement, project details, and more – is available at ACIFoundation.org.