A team of scientists and researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), the premier research and development center for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, traveled to Texas A&M University recently for a firsthand look at the ever-expanding capabilities and innovative research underway at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR), located on the RELLIS campus.
CIR, operated by TEES and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, is a state-of-the-art facility that researches and tests solutions to issues involving the state and nation’s infrastructure. It attracts significant research participation from academia, industry and government and educates the workforce needed to build and maintain better roads, bridges, tunnels, sewers, water supplies, telecommunications and electrical grids.
Dr. Anand Puppala, CIR interim director, and Tim Green, CIR strategic advisor for national security initiatives, took the visitors to several labs to observe the testing of large-scale structures and materials, the impacts of hypersonic speeds, the use of new materials for 3D printing, the use of drones and artificial intelligence to detect cracks in bridges or track flooding and the effects of corrosion in infrastructure, such as concrete-encased rebar.
Dr. Dimitris Lagoudas, senior associate dean for research and associate vice chancellor of engineering research, explained how visits like these strengthen the relationship between TEES and the Army Corps of Engineers. “The corps’ vast reach and knowledge of infrastructure needs across the entire country, combined with our facilities, expertise and education, create a productive partnership that benefits everyone,” he said.
Representatives from TEES and ERDC exchanged challenge coins representing the applied technologies and research aspect of the continued partnership between the two agencies. Challenge coins are a century-old Army tradition used to instill pride and reward soldiers for hard work and excellence.
“The extraordinary work being done in these labs and the engineering education we deliver are our responsibility and our contribution to national security,” said Dr. John Hurtado, interim vice chancellor for engineering and dean of the College of Engineering. “We welcome the opportunity to share our expertise with the government.”
Dr. David Pittman, director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, was joined on the tour by six fellow researchers. “At ERDC, we work to address the nation’s toughest challenges, while striving to make the world a safer and better place,” Pittman said. “Strong partnerships are key for us in accomplishing that mission, and we appreciated the opportunity to visit with a great academic partner like Texas A&M University to further build that kind of collaboration.”