In the News
Using historical weather data to optimize power grid
Thomas Overbye
Dr. Thomas Overbye, head of the Control Room Lab at the CIR, is investigating a novel way that historical weather can play a crucial role in benefiting the grid today by researching the outlier weather conditions.Read more
East Texas News Station Visits the HVIL to Discuss the Importance of Tornado Safety Measures
Thomas Lacy Jr
The Hypervelocity Impact Lab (HVIL), part of the CIR Shield Lab, had researchers weighed in on the importance of seeking proper safety during a tornado. The HVIL is aimed at enabling unique high-rate materials characterization and multiscale numerical model development and implementatiRead more
Texas A&M receives $3.74M for green, 3D-printed hempcrete buildings research
Petros Sideris, Maria Koliou, Zachary Grasley, Anand Puppala, Manish Dixit, Wei Yan
Dr. Sideris and other CIR experts were part of a team selected to receive $3.74M in funding from the US Department of Energy. Their goal is to develop resilient, net carbon negative building designs for residential and commercial applications via large-scale 3D printing with hempcrete.Read more
Protecting the power grid through cyber-physical threat response
Katherine Davis
Dr. Katherine Davis, with the Control Room lab, and her research team are utilizing cyber and physical information alongside models with artificial intelligence to provide a solution that helps energy management systems protect themselves with semi-automated, real-time data analysis.Read more
Outstanding researchers recognized during faculty awards ceremony
Stefan Hurlebaus, Homero Castaneda, Maria Koliou, James Kaihatu, Petros Sideris, and Anand Puppala
The Engineering Genesis (EG) Award for Multidisciplinary Research was presented to 27 Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) researchers and their teams, including the CIR's Stefan Hurlebaus, Homero Castaneda, Maria Koliou, James Kaihatu, Petros Sideris, and Anand Puppala.Read more
College of Engineering recognizes outstanding faculty during event
Amy Epps-Martin
Dr. Amy Epps-Martin, with the CIR Materials and Pavements group, was recently awarded a Dean of Excellence Faculty Award during the event on March 29th. Read more
Ma receives NSF CAREER award to research ceramic additive manufacturing
Chao Ma
Dr. Chao Ma, with the Advanced Infrastructure Materials and Manufacturing Lab, recently received the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) — one of the most prestigious awards for up-and-coming researchers.Read more
Overbye, Birchfield publish new edition of book on power systems
Thomas Overbye
Dr. Thomas Overbye, with the CIR Control Room Lab, and Dr. Adam Birchfield, assistant professor, both in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, co-authored a new edition of the widely used book titled "Power System Analysis and Design.”Read more
Targeted demand response reduces price volatility of electric grid
Le Xie
Dr. Le Xie, part of the Control Room Lab, and his team found that focusing on a few strategic locations across the state outside of those high-population areas is much more cost-effective and can have a greater impact on the price volatility of the grid.Read more
New Committee to Focus on Innovations in Geotechnical Engineering
Anand Puppala, Surya Congress
Dr. Anand Puppala, along with Dr. Surya Congress, is leading a new committee for ASCE GeoInstitute Board to focus on innovations in Geotechnical Engineering. Read more
College of Engineering honors faculty with investitures
Stefan Hurlebaus, Mary Beth Hueste
Outstanding faculty members from the Texas A&M University College of Engineering received one of the highest honors in academia during the recent investiture ceremony, including CIR experts Drs. Hurlebaus and Hueste.Read more
Army Corps of Engineers team tours Center for Infrastructure Renewal
Center for Infrastructure Renewal
A team of scientists and researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) traveled to Texas A&M University recently for a firsthand look at the ever-expanding capabilities and innovative research underway at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal.Read more
TTI’s Hueste Receives Joe W. Kelly Award from American Concrete Institute
Mary Beth D. Hueste
Dr. Mary Beth D. Hueste was recently honored by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) for her contributions to educating the next generation of engineers and her leadership in advancing the concrete industry through research and committee activities.Read more
12 faculty among top 2% in their fields for single-year impact
Center for Infrastructure Renewal
Twelve CVEN faculty members, including CIR experts, were recently recognized among the top 2% in their field for single-year impact in 2020, according to Elsevier. Read more
Texas A&M Expert: Texas Power Grid Should Be OK
Thomas Overbye
Thomas Overbye, director of the Smart Grid Center housed in the CIR Control Room Lab, says there should not be a repeat of last year’s power grid collapse.Read more
Asphalt binder and mixture properties paper wins Transportation Research Board award
Amy Epps-Martin, Edith Arambula
Dr. Amy Epps-Martin, of the CIR Asphalt Innovation Lab, with co-authors including TTI Research Engineer Edith Arambula paper comparing measured asphalt binder properties and corresponding asphalt mixture cracking performance parameters in a recent study won a Transportation Research Board award.Read more
Grant focuses on need for resilient infrastructure and diversity enrollment
Petros Sideris, Anand Puppala, Maria Koliou, Luciana Bassoro, Zachary Grasley, Mary Beth Hueste
The Graduate Assistantships in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program led by Dr. Petros Sideris and other CIR experts will offer GAANN Fellows well-rounded training in research and teaching, as well as access to the CIR's advanced equipment including small- and large-scale 3D printers.Read more
TTI’s Mukhopadhyay Develops Test Methods for Cracking-Resistant Concrete
Center for Infrastructure Renewal
In collaboration with TTI Assistant Research Scientist Kai Wei Liu, TTI Senior Research Scientist Anol Mukhopadhyay, part of the CIR Concrete Innovation Lab, recently developed two alkali-silica reaction test methods for cracking-resistant concrete. Read more
TTI’s Anol Mukhopadhyay Increases Awareness of Fly Ash Approach
Anol Mukhopadhyay
TTI Senior Research Scientist Anol Mukhopadhyay presented the session Evaluating the Effectiveness of Fly Ashes and Other Potential Alternatives to Mitigate Alkali–Silica Reaction (ASR) Using an Innovative Performance-based Approach.Read more
NSF-funded research hub to enhance resilience in underrepresented coastal communities
Maria Koliou, Petros Sideris, Anand Puppala, Jim Kaihatu, Michele Meyer
Researchers including Lead PI Dr. Koliou, CIR Interim Director Dr. Puppala and other CIR affiliated faculty will lead a hub of five institutions across the country to conduct fundamental research to support holistic decision-making.Read more
Big Data-Derived Tool Facilitates Closer Monitoring Of Recovery From Natural Disasters
Ali Mostafavi
Texas A&M researchers, including the CIR's Connected Infrastructure Lab's Ali Mostafavi, have mined location-based data to essential establishments during Hurricane Harvey to develop a framework for monitoring communities’ resilience.Read more
ERCOT Can Handle Texas Summer, Says Grid Expert; Nationwide Vulnerabilities ‘Much More Concerning’
Thomas Overbye
The Smart Grid Center Director, Thomas Overbye, at the CIR Control Room Lab doesn’t expect significant problems with the Texas power grid this summer, but says the entire nation is at risk from high-impact, low-frequency events.Read more
Mukhopadhyay Develops Test Methods for Cracking-Resistant Concrete Supporting Bridges
Anol Mukhopadhyay
Dr. Anol Mukhopadhyay, with the CIR Concrete Innovation Lab, has developed two ASR test methods and a four-step process for formulating ASR-resistant concrete mixes.Read more
Texas A&M Researchers Land DOE Grant To Improve U.S. Cybersecurity
Kate Davis
Among the 11 teams to receive a U.S. Department of Energy award is a team from the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) led by Dr. Kate Davis.Read more
IDEAL-CT — Simple, Reliable, Efficient, Repeatable, Cost Effective
Fujie Zhou
State departments of transportation (DOTs) nationwide have long dealt with the problem of asphalt pavement cracking. Many cracking tests have been developed, but no single test has been simple, reliable, efficient, repeatable and cost effective — until now.Read more
Grasley Named Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
Zachary Grasley
Dr. Zachary Grasley has been named the new head of the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University, effective Sept. 1.Read more
Texas A&M team takes first place in GeoPrediction 2021
Md Ashrafuzzaman Khan and Ethan Harris
Doctoral student Md Ashrafuzzaman Khan and civil engineering senior Ethan Harris from the CIR's Geotechnical and Unbound Materials Lab received the Mohr Circle Award by placing 1st in the GeoPrediction 2021 challenge.Read more
Future of Emerging Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) Webinar
Anol Mukhopadhyay
Join the Center for Infrastructure Renewal via WebEx on June 15th from 12:00-1:00 p.m. (CT) for a presentation by Anol Mukhopadhyay on durability based concrete mix design followed by a panel discussion with Karthik Obla, Ivan Diaz, Lisa Lukefahr and Anol Mukhopadhyay on the fly ash shortage.Read more
Yarnold selected for Steel Bridge Task Force Award Lecture
Matthew Yarnold
Matthew Yarnold, with the CIR's Structural and Materials Testing Lab, was chosen to deliver this year's Robert J. Dexter Memorial Award Lecture. The Structural & Materials Testing Lab has the ability to perform both full-scale material testing.Read more
Texas A&M Team Plans Out-Of-This-World Construction
Bjorn Birgisson and Nicole Shumaker
Bjorn Birgisson, with the AIMM lab at the CIR, is part of a team working to use new construction materials for beyond-Earth structures. Read more
Strain On Texas’ Electric Grid Left Millions Without Power
Thomas Overbye
The Smart Grid Center, housed in the CIR's Control Room Lab, is hard at work addressing how the electrical grid can be hardened to deal with these low frequency, but high impact events.Read more
Yong-Rak Kim Received Grant to Develop System For Nuclear Waste Containment
Yong-Rak Kim
Yong-Rak Kim, a CIR affiliated professor, was recently awarded a U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Energy University Program grant to develop a novel system in engineered barriers to permanently isolate and contain nuclear fuel waste. Read more
CIR Researchers Received the Engineering Genesis Award for Multidisciplinary Research
Zachary Grasley, Amy E martin, James Wall
Three CIR researchers and their research teams were presented with the Engineering Genesis Award for Multidisciplinary Research on December 15th.Read more
Researchers Studying How to Use Geothermal Energy to De-Ice Bridges
Anand Puppala
Dr. Anand Puppala, CIR associate director, is the co-investigator on a project looking to an end to the dangerous driving conditions of iced bridges and overpasses through the use of geothermal energy. Dr. Puppala is part of the Geotechnical and Unbound Materials Innovation Lab at the CIR.Read more
The Impact of the Pandemic on the Electricity Sector
Le Xie
Researchers at TAMU, including the Control Room Lab's Dr. Le Xie, created a cross-domain and open-access data hub that showcases the effects human mobility has on the United States’ electricity markets during the COVID-19 pandemic.Read more
Texas is on the fast track to self-driving big rigs
Bjorn Birgisson
Recently, an autonomous trucking company launched construction of a truck terminal near Fort Worth, which makes driverless trucks more of a reality on Texas roadways.Read more
Overbye creates first-of-its-kind Texas Magnetometer Network
Thomas Overbye
Dr. Thomas Overbye, with the Control Room Lab, created the first of its kind magnetometer network, which is used to measure the Earth’s magnetic field at a particular location. This device will help the electrical industry better manage geomagnetic disturbances.Read more
New bridge designs ensure more damage-resistant structures.
Mohammad Salehi, Petros Sideris and Jakub Valigura
Drs. Petros Sideris and Jakub Valigura, and researcher Mohammad Salehi have been working to quantify the benefits of their new bridge design, which suffers less damage and lowers repair costs. This extensive design testing was carried out in the CIR Structural and Materials Testing lab.Read more
Puppala delivered the Ralph B. Peck Medal Lecture at the Geo-Congress 2020 Conference
Anand Puppala
This year, Dr. Anand Puppala, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE., F.ASCE, F-ICE, gave the Ralph B. Peck Medal Lecture at the Geo-Congress 2020 Conference in Minneapolis. His lecture was titled "Problematic Soils: Characterization Challenges, Innovative Solutions and Novel Monitoring Methods."Read more
Researchers look to bring artificial intelligence to construction industry
Zachary Grasley
Dr. Grasley, along with other CIR affiliated researchers, has been working on bringing an artificial intelligence (AI) in construction research opportunity to Texas A&M. Dr. Grasley is the director for the Center for Infrastructure Renewal.Read more
Ali Mostafavi and TAMU researchers are using AI to forecast COVID-19 cases.
Ali Mostafavi
Ali Mostafavi, with the CIR Connected Infrastructure Lab, and other TAMU researchers are hard at work using artificial intelligence (AI) to forecast COVID-19 case growth.Read more
Experts with TTI say there are delays rolling out autonomous vehicles
Robert Brydia
According to TTI researchers, including Robert Brydia with the Connected Infrastructure Lab, autonomous vehicles haven't rolled onto our roadways as fast as they originally thought. Read more
CIR Advisory Panel (CAP) Inaugural Meeting
Center for Infrastructure Renewal
The Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) hosted its inaugural CIR Advisory Panel (CAP) meeting on October 21, 2020, showcasing ongoing CIR research to CAP members and taking them on a virtual tour of the center.Read more
Dr. Alaa Elwany part of EOS, Texas A&M Partnership on AM Program
Alaa Elwany
Dr. Alaa Elwany, with the CIR AIMM Lab, is a member of the partnership between EOS and Texas A&M on Additive Manufacturing Program. The Advanced Infrastructure Materials & Manufacturing (AIMM) Lab focuses on developing advanced, symbiotic and conjoint materials and manufacturing methodsRead more
CIR Virtual Tours Available Now!
Center for Infrastructure Renewal
The Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) recently worked with Clegg Unlimited and can now offer 3D virtual tours of the center’s facilities.Read more
Pravin Saraswatula received the American Coal Ash Association Educational Foundation (ACAAEF) scholarship.
Pravin Saraswatula
PhD student, Pravin Saraswatula with Dr. Mukhopadhyay’s team in the Concrete Innovation Lab at the CIR, has received the American Coal Ash Association Educational Foundation (ACAAEF) scholarship, and was Runner Up in the PhD student category for the 2020 Keese Wootan Transportation Fellowship.Read more
Smart Technology Could Help Divert Power During Blackouts
Prasad Enjeti and Le Xie
Drs. Prasad Enjeti and Le Xie, with the CIR Control Room Lab, were part of a team that developed a device that could help utility companies improve distribution during outages. The Control Room Lab boasts an innovative vision of a large-scale, seamlessly integrated Power System Control Center.Read more
Industrial Engineering Researchers Manufacture Parts In Micro-Gravity For NASA
Alaa Elwany
Dr. Alaa Elwany, with the CIR Advanced Infrastructure Materials and Manufacturing (AIMM) Lab, is part of a team exploring metal additive manufacturing as a way to keep space habitats operational. The AIMM Lab focuses on developing advanced, symbiotic and conjoint materials and manufacturing methods.Read more
