Activity with the Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) is moving along as briskly as construction on the new CIR building at the RELLIS Campus. With all that movement, the CIR continues grading the road ahead toward its vision of being the leading source for the development of transformative infrastructure solutions.

In late summer and throughout the fall, CIR personnel have been busy laying the groundwork for the center’s future by hosting two workshops and an idea lab, and attending a national symposium on infrastructure.

In late summer, CIR partnered with the Cullen College of Engineering at the University of Houston to host a Smart and Connected Communities workshop.

“We were able to identify research ideas for a joint Texas A&M and University of Houston proposal targeted for the NSF S&CC program in 2018,” said John Barton, Assistant Vice Chancellor Texas A&M University System, RELLIS Director and CIR Executive Director.

In September, Dr. Julian Kang, associate professor in the Department of Construction Science at Texas A&M, hosted a Virtual Reality and Simulation (VRS) Lab workshop. Kang informed attendees how VRS Lab can help other professors conduct their research.

“Virtual reality truly is cutting-edge technology with the potential to transform the way we research, understand and develop solutions to many of today’s infrastructure issues,” Kang said. “It’s important for others to learn how this exciting technology can assist their research and development activities.”

Additionally, CIR personnel also attended a symposium in September at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. The symposium, Barriers & Opportunities for Renewing our National Critical Infrastructure, featured a variety of participants from academia, industry and government, including U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“This was a very successful symposium as we identified several paths forward in the effort to renew our national critical infrastructure,” Barton said. “This symposium helped us better understand where we are today and how to go forward in the future.”

Similarly, the CIR hosted an Idea Lab Manufacturing Workshop in late September. The two-day workshop included a collaboration of academia from Texas A&M, the University of Houston and the University of North Texas to brainstorm new ideas on three key work areas: new expansion of infrastructure; upgrading and refreshing existing infrastructure; and maintain existing aged assets. Furthermore, the Idea Lab group discussed how these topics apply across critical areas such as the private sector, civil sector and the military.

“The Idea Lab was very fruitful for us as we identified a number of areas where we can jointly pursue research funding and grants that can have a transformational impact in these sectors,” Barton said.

Construction on the new Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) continues to move along briskly at the Texas A&M University System’s (TAMUS) RELLIS Campus, located at the southwest corner of State Highways 21 and 47. The new CIR should open in the first quarter of 2018!

That’s exciting because the CIR will be a leading source for the development of transformative infrastructure solutions.

“The CIR will develop infrastructure solutions that last longer, cost less and can be built in less time,” said John Barton, Assistant Vice Chancellor TAMUS, RELLIS Director and CIR Executive Director.

Considering all the current news about infrastructure, that’s important! These days everyone is aware of infrastructure problems that range from road construction and bridge failures to power outages, train derailments and overcrowded airports.

The need to develop solutions for infrastructure renewal was recognized by the Texas Legislature in 2015 when it appropriated $5 million in debt service for the construction of the CIR as a joint center between two renowned state agencies, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). Both TEES and TTI have decades of experience solving engineering, research and transportation issues.

The CIR will solve infrastructure issues as a state-of-the-art, 138,000-square foot facility that provides the multidisciplinary research environment necessary for attracting significant cross-industry and government agency participation. The research conducted at the CIR will improve the safety, security, longevity, efficiency, performance, resiliency, financial feasibility and sustainability of our state and nation’s infrastructure.

“The CIR will facilitate the creation of state-of-the-art methods, technologies and solutions for infrastructural renewal,” Barton said. “We will accomplish this by focusing on multidisciplinary research, innovation and workforce development.”

The one-of-a-kind CIR will contain large-scale laboratories for testing full-scale infrastructure components; a smart grid laboratory; sensor and corrosion laboratories; advanced materials testing facilities; a state-of-the art virtual reality and simulation laboratory; smart infrastructure monitoring laboratories; and asphalt, concrete and soils innovation facilities to accelerate knowledge into practice. The CIR will be placed in the premier high-tech research, technology development and education environment at the new RELLIS Campus.

Additionally, the CIR will both seek out and share infrastructure knowledge and innovation through a series of collaborations, workshops, summits, advanced training, knowledge sharing communities and professional development programs. Through these activities, the CIR will accelerate the integration and sharing of knowledge that can quickly improve and renew the nation’s infrastructure.

“While we’re very excited about opening the building,” Barton said, “the CIR already is positioned on the leading edge for developing transformative infrastructure solutions with our current workshops, symposiums and research-focused efforts post Hurricane Harvey.”

The CIR should be ready to open in the first quarter of 2018. Stay tuned – more details are coming soon on the grand opening for this new world-class research, innovation and workforce development center.