Center for Excellence for Airport Technology
D. A. Lange, Director
http://www.ceat.uiuc.edu
Federal Aviation Administration; Chicago O’Hare Modernization Program
The Federal Aviation Administration established an Air Transportation Center of Excellence in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on April 12, 1995. Starting in 2004, the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP) became a major sponsor of CEAT with a research and outreach program focusing on support of their $6.6B expansion program.
CEAT has developed a strong working partnership with the FAA in providing new technologies for airport facilities. The FAA is currently funding research of asphalt pavements, bird radar systems, and FOD detection systems.
CEAT research supports the OMP with research focused at needs specific to their expansion program at O’Hare International Airport. Projects for OMP include soil stabilization and modification, raw material analysis, and portland cement concrete pavement design, runoff and water quality, and stormwater volumes. In addition, an outreach program has been developed to provide technology transfer through a seminar series held on-site in Chicago and student internships.
Twenty six Ph.D. theses and approximately 200 technical reports and technical journal papers have been prepared from COE research activities since it was established in 1995. Many of the publications can be obtained from the CEAT website at http://www.ceat.uiuc.edu
Recycled Concrete Materials
D. Lange and J. Roesler
Ohare Modernization Program
OMP includes construction of new pavements and removal of old pavements. The airport is interested in sustainable practices, and so we are helping them find ways to best use waste concrete. Our attention is on fine particles created by concrete crushing operations, and we are developing material design protocols to make Controlled Low Strength Materials (CLSM) for use as backfill material at the airport.
Repair Materials for O’Hare International Airport
D. Lange
Ohare Modernization Program
O’Hare maintains a huge inventory of pavements, and there is a need to develop protocols for repair material selection. Also, experiments conducted at UIUC are helping OMP know about the material properties and durability of materials that are currently being used. This information will help O’Hare improve the effectiveness of their repair activities.
Improved Concrete Crossties and Fastening Systems for US High Speed Rail and Joint Passenger/Freight Corridors
J.R. Edwards, D.A. Lange, D. Kuchma, B. Andrawes
Federal Railroad Administration, DTFR53-11-C-00023
The objective of this project is to better understand the factors that affect the short and long term performance of concrete ties, and then use this improved understanding to characterize the desired requirements for concrete crossties and fastening systems, quantify their behavior (including loading path and magnitude), and develop more effective design recommended practices for systems in use on high speed passenger and joint passenger/freight corridors in the US.
Freeze-Thaw Resistance of Concrete
Kyle Riding, Kansas State University and D.A. Lange, University of Illinois
Federal Railroad Administration
The durability of concrete for rail applications is studied in this project. Laboratory testing from micro- to full-scale is conducted to explore frost resistance. The air void system is being studied and novel experiments are conducted to learn how vibration causes entrained air bubbles to move and consolidate, affecting the frost resistance of the material. Field tests will be conducted to learn about actual environmental conditions of ties in service.
Development of Optimal High Performance Concrete Mixture to Address Concrete Tie Rail Seat Deterioration
D.A. Lange
Silica Fume Association
In partnership with the SFA, the Lange group is working to design and develop high performance concrete materials to address multiple technical issues associated with concrete tie rail seat deterioration and water permeability. We are studying a range of concrete materials with mineral admixtures such as silica fume, fly ash, and slag. We are testing performance using many tests, including a novel abrasion test.
Computed Tomography of Early Age Structure of Hydrated Portland Cement
D.A. Lange
National Science Foundation
This project utilizes a new nanoXCT instrument at the Beckman Institute of the University of Illinois was acquired with a NSF Major Research Instrument grant in 2008, and Lange was one of the investigators who participated in developing the original proposal. The project also utilizes synchrotron CT at Argonne National Lab. We have performed “proof of concept” experiments which demonstrated the power of the new tools to provide profound new insights into cement hydration and microstructure development. Now this project focuses on developing new techniques and protocols for studying porosity and interfaces in cement based materials.
Investigation of High Performance Concrete for Bridge Decks
Matt D’Ambrosia, CTLGroup and D. A. Lange, University of Illinois
Illinois Tollway Authority through their contractor S.T.A.T.E. Testing, Inc.
The Illinois Tollway Authority is rebuilding major sections of tollway pavements in the Chicago area. The long term durability of concrete materials for bridge decks is a high priority. We are working with engineers at CTLGroup to develop specifications for high performance concrete with superior long term durability. The work includes laboratory tests, including restrained shrinkage tests to measure how stress can build after HPC is placed.
Image Correlation Technique for Measuring Strain Field during ASR Experiments
Gregor Fischer, Denmark Technological University and D. A. Lange, University of Illinois
Denmark Technological University
Visiting Scholar Andre Schmidt spent time at UIUC to conduct experiments associated with his DTU thesis project on image correlation techniques to measure strain during ASR tests. At UIUC, Andre built an apparatus to measure length of a prism that was immersed in alkaline solution at 80 deg C. The apparatus uses a standard dial gage comparator to measure length change, but also has a clear plexiglass window through which digital photographs can be taken. The photographs are analyzed by image correlation methods to develop a strain field.
Formwork Pressure of Self Consolidating Concrete
D. A. Lange
University of Illinois
Over the past several years, we have studied many aspects of self consolidating concrete (SCC), and we continue to be interested in formwork pressure. In June 2012, the Lange group participated in a “round robin” test program with Peter Billberg at CBI in Stockholm, Sweden. The program drew together researchers from around the world with interest in the prediction of formwork pressure using various types of experiments and models. The Lange group developed a formwork pressure model in 2006-8, and has applied successfully on several occasions, including the Stockholm tests.