The Center for Infrastructure Renewal was pleased to welcome Circle Concrete Tech, Inc. as they hosted a new technology showcase event highlighting Plient Fiber Reinforcement for Pavements & Floors.
Approximately 30 experts from the concrete industry—including contractors, engineering firms, ready-mix concrete producers, and representatives from municipal and county agencies—attended this collaborative event organized by Circle Concrete Tech, Inc.
The event was supported by Texas State University, the Texas A&M College of Engineering, the Texas A&M College of Architecture, the Center for Infrastructure Renewal, and the Coastal Research and Education Actions for Transportation Equity (CREATE) University Transportation Center’s Director, Dr. Stacey Kulesza (Texas State University), and Associate Director, Dr. Anand Puppala (Texas A&M University).
Plient fibers consist of processed recycled steel fibers that can replace rebar in certain applications, offering significant improvements in project cost, safety, environmental impact, and construction speed. Backed by over five years of laboratory development, much of it conducted at Texas A&M University, Plient fibers represent a major advancement in construction technology.
Dr. Zachary Grasley, Department Head and Professor in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at Texas A&M University, provided an overview of Plient fibers and Circle Concrete Tech. Dr. Grasley serves as the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) and cofounder of Circle Concrete Tech.
He highlighted several key advancements in Plient fiber development achieved by his team, which includes Dave Kruse (CEO and cofounder), Dr. Xijun Shi (CTO and cofounder), and Dr. Charles Donnelly (Vice President of Engineering).
One of the key challenges in the construction industry is integrating new technologies into established workflows, and concerns often arise around whether such innovations can be adopted without disrupting standard practices. Fiber-reinforced concrete can present issues like fiber “clumping,” which affects uniform dispersion and surface finish quality.
“We listened closely to feedback from contractors when developing Plient fibers and our novel D3 system. Based on that feedback, we knew we had to come up with a dosing solution that could be implemented quickly and accurately with no burden on contractors, and that Plient fiber-reinforced concrete had to be placed and finished easily with standard construction tools and practices,” said Dr. Grasley.
In response to the input received, Circle Concrete Tech developed the innovative D3 system, designed to Dose, Detangle, and Depollute the fibers automatically. Engineered for efficiency, the system delivers precise fiber dosages into concrete trucks in under three minutes, ensuring both speed and consistency while promoting even fiber distribution. This enables seamless, on-site integration without compromising concrete performance.
Attendees also had the opportunity to observe a live demonstration of the D3 system in action. As Dr. Grasley introduced the system, the first concrete truck was successfully loaded with 600 lbs of Plient fibers in less than one minute, demonstrating both the speed and efficiency of the process. Participants then followed the truck to the College of Architecture’s Construction Field Laboratory, where the concrete was placed to construct a prototype floor slab.
Using a conventional boom pump truck, the Plient-reinforced concrete was pumped, placed, and finished just like traditional concrete, displaying its compatibility with standard construction practices. This prototype slab was part of an EPA-funded SBIR Phase I project focused on developing pumpable, Plient fiber-reinforced concrete.
While the first batch was being placed, three additional trucks were each loaded with 1,000 lbs of Plient fibers in under one and a half minutes using the D3 system. These batches were then used to construct a prototype pavement section adjacent to the floor slab, further showcasing the versatility of Plient fibers across a range of concrete applications.
After the live demonstrations, participants headed back to the Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) for lunch and an engaging open discussion about the future of Plient fibers. With a wide range of experience and industry insight in the room, attendees shared thoughtful perspectives and ideas, showing strong interest in the new technology and its potential to make a real impact in the field.
Later in the day, attendees returned to the field site to observe the finishing of the concrete prototype sections. Both the floor and pavement areas were completed using standard construction methods, just as they would be on any typical project. This gave participants a clear, first-hand look at how easily Plient technology can be integrated into existing construction workflows.
To wrap up the showcase, attendees had an opportunity to tour the Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) to explore its state-of-the-art facilities and learn more about the cutting-edge research taking place. They also visited the nearby Knife River Concrete Plant to view a test section of Plient concrete pavement that had been in place for a year, offering a real-world look at the technology’s long-term performance.
Reflecting on the significance of the event, Dr. Anand Puppala, Director of the CIR, remarked, “The CIR was built with the mission of enabling translation of technologies from the lab into practice to make Texas the leader in innovative infrastructure solutions. This event highlighted how the CIR is fulfilling that mission by showcasing research that has been developed into a commercializeable product that will result in better, cheaper, and faster concrete floors and pavements in Texas.”
The New Technology Showcase was a powerful demonstration of an innovative solution born from research at Texas A&M University, with the potential to make a meaningful impact on the construction industry.
