Mission

To accelerate the adoption of polymer composites and innovated construction materials into infrastructure applications through collaborative research.

Resources

• Three large, high bay testing laboratories with heavy-duty cranes for testing of structural members such as columns and beams with computer control loading and deformation monitoring equipment, actuators from 100 kips up to 400 kips, three MTS servo-hydraulic fatigue testing systems
• State-of-the-art nondestructive testing (NDT) equipment including IRT, GPR, AE, Ultrasonic transducers, Digital Tap Hammer, and Polytec Laser vibrometer
• Materials characterization and manufacturing lab such as Instron, MTS, DMTA, DSC, TGA, RTM, extruders, Injection and compression molding machines, environmental chambers, a wide range of fatigue testing equipment and advanced data acquisition systems
• Fire and flame retardancy tests such as LOI-SDM, flammability testing
• Access to a wide range of shared research facilities such as SEM, TEM, MRI, XRD, XPS, FTIR, Microscopes, Autoclaves
• Concrete testing lab with mixing equipment, a steam curing room, a temperature-controlled chamber and various concrete material property testing instrument

Areas of Focus

• Research on fundamental scientific topics concerning polymer composites such as strength/service life predictions, smart structure development, fire/blast protection, fatigue response, aging phenomenon, and nondestructive testing
• Development of new and unique products that can be made through a wide variety of manufacturing processes and in which numerous market opportunities exist
• Education is a cornerstone of CICI as students and practicing engineers in infrastructure require specific skills and specialized training to take advantage of composites

More specifically, CFC/CICI research projects can be grouped into the following four thrust areas:

• Materials Development and Characterization, Manufacturing, Recycling
• Durability and Aging
• Design Implementation and Evaluation
• Codes, Specifications and Guidance

External Partnership Opportunities

The Center for Integration of Composites into Infrastructure (CICI) is a NSF I/UCRC that consists of West Virginia University as a lead school and University of Miami, North Carolina State University, and University of Texas at Arlington as partner sites. The WVU CFC and CICI is interested in collaborating with industry and local, state and federal government agencies to promote and advance the use of composites for infrastructure.

CFC/CICI