Center and Site Director
Anand J. Puppala, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, F-ASCE, F-ICE
Professor & A.P. and Florence Wiley Chair
Associate Director – Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR)
Email: anandp@tamu.edu
Managing Director
Surya Sarat Chandra Congress, Ph.D., A.M. ASCE
Senior Research Engineer
Email: congress@tamu.edu
NSF IUCRC: CICI TAMU Site
The Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) Program was initiated in 1973 to develop long-term partnerships among industry, academia, and government. The National Science Foundation (NSF) invests in these partnerships to promote research programs of mutual interest, contribute to the nation’s research infrastructure base, enhance the intellectual capacity of the engineering or science workforce through the integration of research and education, and facilitate technology transfer. As appropriate, NSF encourages international collaborations that advance these goals within the global context:
The IUCRC program seeks to achieve these goals by:
- Contributing to the nation’s research enterprise by developing long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government;
- Leveraging NSF funds with industry to support graduate students performing industrially relevant pre-competitive research;
- Expanding the innovation capacity of our nation’s competitive workforce through partnerships between industries and universities; and
- Encouraging the nation’s research enterprise to remain competitive through active engagement with academic and industrial leaders throughout the world.
Center Overview
The Center for the Integration of Composites Into Infrastructure (CICI) improves, in cost and quality, the process of building and fixing civil and military structures through the use of composites. CICI carries out its work by coordinating efforts between universities and the composites and construction industries. Education is a cornerstone of CICI, as students and practicing engineers in infrastructure require new skills to take advantage of composites.
The mission of CICI is to accelerate the adoption of polymer composites and innovated construction material into infrastructure and transportation applications through collaborative research.
Efficient infrastructure systems such as highways, bridges, buildings, pipelines, flood control systems, and utilities are necessary for a healthy economy and comfortable standard of living. Concrete, steel, and timber are the backbones of physical infrastructure. High-strength polymer composites have been used in aerospace technologies for about five decades and their use in civil infrastructure spans about 20 years. The widespread use of polymer composites in infrastructure allows for longer service lives and reduced maintenance costs.
CICI’s research focuses on ways to synergize different fibers and polymers, including natural materials and those with biological components, to create new application areas and rehabilitation techniques, thus expanding the market potential.
Encouraging the nation’s research enterprise to remain competitive through active engagement with academic and industrial leaders throughout the world.
NSF Program Director: Dr. Prakash G Balan NSF Site Evaluator: Mr. Stephen McGregor
Texas A&M University
- Top 15 Engineering Schools in US & Top 10 Engineering Public Schools – US News 2020 Ranking
- Only land, sea, and space grant institution in Texas
- Total Enrollment – 69,465 in College Station Campus (Fall 2019)
- CICI Site at TAMU is located in CIR Facility at Rellis Campus
Industry, Government Agency, and Academic Partnerships
- An Industry University Co-operative Research Center (IUCRC) ~ Applied Research Focus by NSF Industry Innovation
- One of 70 + NSF centers in the Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) program
- Composites in Civil Infrastructure (CICI) was originally established at West Virginia University, NC State University, and University of Miami. Later UTA had joined this consortium and was moved to TAMU, College Station in Fall, 2019 (Due to PI move to TAMU).
- CICI_TAMU focuses on the use of composite/material products in “Geo-infrastructure” – ONLY CENTER IN USA ON GEOTECH COMPOSITE MATERIALS RESEARCH
- Geo-infrastructure comprises of:
- Infrastructure – Highways, Airways and Waterways
- Slopes, Retaining and Anchored Walls
- Dams and Highway Embankment Structures
- Residential and industrial Dwellings Foundations
- Mines, Ports and Other Earth Structure
University Partners
Texas A&M University
University of Miami
West Virginia University
North Carolina State University
Industry Partners
NSF IUCRC Operation Mechanism
- IUCRC has annual memberships/projects with Govt. Agencies and Industry Partners
- Annual membership funds and NSF support funds will be pooled and then used to support select research projects and train student workforce
- Majority of funding supports research projects and students
- Research projects will be selected by industry/agency partners serving on the Industry Advisory Board (IAB)
- Projects are Practical and Implementable
CICI TAMU Site Research Focus
- Center for Integration of Composites into Infrastructure – CICI – NSF Industry University Cooperative Research Center or IUCRC Program
- TAMU site’s Research focus on the use of polymeric composite products in strengthening Geo and Civil Infrastructure
- Geosynthetics and Fibers
- Infrastructure Materials, Biopolymers
- Chemical Additives for Ground Improvement
- Resilient Foundations Support to Infrastructure with Minimal Distress o Monitoring using UAVs, Instrumentation, LIDARs, and Others
- Sustainable and Resilient Analyses
- TAMU site complements CICI’s current research efforts with focus on Geoinfrastructure Issues
- Bring out the Sustainable components in the research