The ACI Foundation’s Concrete Research Council (CRC) selected 11 research projects to receive grants this year. The CRC seeks concrete research projects that further the knowledge and sustainability of concrete materials, construction, and structures in coordination with ACI Technical Committees.
The following research projects will receive funding from the ACI Foundation and were awarded based on relevancy and potential impact of the research, supplemental support for the project such as collaboration with other funders and organizations, overall proposal quality, researcher capability and ACI Technical Committee engagement.
Alternative End-Specimen Conditions to Characterize Compressive Strength of Ultra-High-Performance Concretes
PI: Kinsey Skillen, Texas A&M University
Behavior of Slab-Column Connections under Wind Demand
PI: Christopher Motter, Washington State University
Direct Tension Test Results and In-Situ Response in Reinforced UHPC Beams: Relationship and Design Implications
PI: Sherif El-Tawil, University of Michigan
Evaluating Residual Strength of Corrosion-Damaged Reinforced Concrete Members
PI: Anca-Cristina Ferche, The University of Texas at Austin
Co-PI: Serhan Guner, The University of Toledo
Nano-Modified Calcined Clay-Based Cement Concrete: A High Modulus Concrete with Low Carbon Footprint
PI: Panagiotis Danoglidis, The University of Texas at Arlington
Novel Concrete Containments for Nuclear Reactors: Delamination Testing of Curved Wall Sections
PI: Christopher Jones, Kansas State University
Co-PI: Thomas Kang, Seoul National University
Proposal to Investigate ICF Wall Construction Meeting the Requirements of NFPA 285 – Phase II
PI: Shamim Rashid-Sumar, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
Co-PI: Douglas Bennion, Quadlock
Rheological Behavior of Fresh Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) Enhanced by Nano-Additives and Data-Driven Approaches
PI: Chengcheng Tao, Purdue University
Co-PI: Kamal Khayat, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Strut-and-Tie Design of Disturbed Regions Utilizing Internal Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement
PI: Rudolf Seracino, North Carolina State University
Co-PI: Giorgio T. Proestos, North Carolina State University
Sustainable and Safe Reinforced Concrete Retaining Walls
PI: Luis Fargier-Gabaldon, University of Notre Dame
The Role of Testing Conditions and Concrete Durability Issues in Chloride Binding and Desorption of Cementitious Systems
PI: Mahmoud Shakouri, Colorado State University
The ACI Foundation is committed to progress in the industry by contributing financially to necessary and worthy research. 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/research.