CAER facility expansion enhances UK’s cement research capabilities
To view captions for this video, push play and click on the CC icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. If using a mobile device, click on the "thought bubble" in the same area.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 8, 2023) — A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) grant has provided the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) with funding to expand its renowned cementitious materials research and development facility.
The new space enables three critical improvements to the Cementitious Material Group’s capabilities, thanks to the $900,000 grant. First, the expansion has allowed CAER to scale up its material processing capabilities moving from bench-scale to pilot-scale operations. The space also provides for bulk storage of the group’s materials for testing sprayed concrete. In addition, the new space allows the original laboratory to upgrade performance and stability test equipment and pyroprocessing equipment.
“Frankly, the program had outgrown its existing laboratory,” said Rodney Andrews, CAER director. “Thanks to this collaborative effort with ERDC, we have greatly broadened our materials research capabilities, modernized our laboratory and provided our talented cementitious team the opportunity to explore new and different projects.”
CAER’s Cementitious Materials Group develops and tests cements and concretes seeking to develop more environmentally friendly solutions for the future. Concrete is the most widely used man-made material on earth. It is second only to water as the most-consumed resource on the planet and it is the source of 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.
“The CAER/ERDC collaboration has been nothing short of extraordinary, combining the high-level research of ERDC with the modernization of the Cementitious Materials Lab and the inception of the ERDC Scholars Program to provide a learning-lab experience for graduate students,” said Bob Jewell, associate director for the Cementitious Materials Group. “We look forward to growing this partnership in the years ahead.”
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers under award number W912HZ229C004. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.