UTC Civil Engineering Newsletter Vol 1

1. I N N O VAT I O N
N E W S F R O M C I V I L E N G I N E E R I N G
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2010
RELEVANCE AND ENGAGEMENT
Engineering plays a significant includes appli-
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
role in our society meeting the cation-based
FACULTY 2 critical challenges of our times. lectures and
STUDENTS 2 Here at the College of Engineering practical labo-
PROJECTS 3
and Computer Science at the ratory experi-
CAPABILITIES 4 University of Tennessee Chatta- ence.
TESTING 4 nooga the belief that being rele-
A state of
vant, engaging industry and
the art Applied
agency partners, and using what
Infrastructure
we produce innovatively is the
Materials
THE STRATEGY: reason we teach and a goal of our
Laboratory is being built here to
research. engineers, faculty and industry
assist with educational projects.
• Promote and enhance leaders who are charged with
interactions with the We feel that relevance - how Applied research utilizing con-
the specific oversight of the
local construction indus- pertinent, connected and applica- crete and asphalt is currently
newly established Applied Infra-
try as faculty and stu- ble our research and education being performed in the lab. Brent
dents work on real-life
structure Materials Laboratory
is to the surrounding commu- Rollins, Lab Director, and Dr.
infrastructure projects mentioned above. The mem-
nity—is a critical factor in our stra- Joseph Owino, Department Head
proposed by industry and bers of this board are ap-
tegic plan for the college and the consider this important to the
agencies. pointed by the Dean of the Col-
university. overall benefit of all partners,
lege. Board members are
• Promote and enhance including our students.
Our Civil Engineering faculty asked to provide counsel to the
interdisciplinary applied
and staff include innovators who The Civil Engineering Depart- Civil Engineering program in
research and develop-
ment that transfers are pioneers in their fields as well ment has two advisory boards. areas that promote and facili-
technologies to industry. as educators. For example, Dr. The first board is a committee tate the prestige of our applied
Mbakisya Onyango provides ex- made up of professional engi- research, identify possible re-
• Achieve and maintain a
pertise in pavement design and neers, business leaders, aca- search funding and to enhance
certified infrastructure
analysis with strengths in asphalt demic and higher education collaboration with industry.
materials laboratory to
serve our students, in- materials testing. Joining the leaders as well as a
dustry, and agencies. staff this year is Brent Rollins. current student repre-
Rollins comes to UTC from the sentative. This board
• Develop and grow an concrete industry and has a provides valuable feed-
engineering workforce
strong interest in maximizing back regarding our
focused on the applica-
recycled materials in concrete. academic program
tion of modern infra-
structure methods and through review of cur-
Taking our research to new
materials. riculum and strategic
levels in our effort to support
plans, oversight of
local companies and govern-
budget and personnel
ments on real projects is para-
hires.
mount to our mission. To this end
the Civil Engineering curriculum The second board consists of Stress Release Asphaltic Binder Course

2. INNOVATION Page 2
FACULTY
The College is committed needs. She is currently work- tation.
to excellence in graduate and ing with the use of recycled
Brent Rollins is the newest
undergraduate education as asphalt and warm mix as-
addition to the department
well as relevant applied re- phalt in asphalt pavement.
and is our Applied Infrastruc-
search. The faculty and staff She has also used Superpave
ture Materials lab director.
of the Department of Civil mix design method as well as
Mr. Rollins has expertise in
Engineering bring years of Marshall Mix design for as-
Homeland Security and
experience toward accom- phalt mix design and quality
comes to UTC with 20 years
plishing this goal. control. Dr. Onyango is also
experience with Ready Mix
become familiar with the new
Dr. Joseph Owino is the USA. He is currently focusing
Mechanistic Empirical Pave-
department head and comes on three areas of research
ment Design Guide Software.
to Civil Engineering with re- and applied technologies: 1)
search interests in structural Dr. Ignatius Fomunung Blast protection for buildings
health monitoring and non- comes to UTC from the Geor- and infrastructure, 2) Cement
destructive evaluation of civil gia Institute of Technology. optimization and 3) A sustain-
engineering materials and Dr. Fomunung conducts re- able concrete product.
design of pavement struc- search and has published “As our global
Mr. Rollins states that his
tures. extensively in the fields of competition
goal for the lab is to serve as
transportation-energy-air
Dr. Mbaki Onyango is a a resource for students, in- makes
quality analysis and model-
graduate of Kansas State dustry and government. commodities
ing, transportation planning
University. Dr. Onyango’s
and land use development, scarcer,
strengths lie with asphalt
and in infrastructure systems
materials testing. Onyango is engineers will be
(including pavements) de-
ready to work with industry to challenged to find
sign, monitoring, and rehabili-
better meet their research
new solutions”
John G. Voeller
STUDENTS
(Black & Veatch)
One of the main strategic endeavor. All four students neering full time.
goals of the College is to de- have UTC graduate assistant-
Mr. Hageman was ex-
velop and grow an engineer- ships and work with Dr.
tremely instrumental in
ing workforce focused on the Fomunung as their faculty
2007-2008 in working with
application of modern infra- advisor and coordinator.
all parties to put
structure methods and mate- These students physically run
together the
rials. In accomplishing this tests in the lab as well as
Civil Engineer-
mission our dynamic faculty assist faculty in their many
ing Applied
work with graduate and un- duties.
Infrastructure
dergraduate students as
Andy Burran is a graduate Materials lab.
they, together, tackle real
from UTC in Civil Engineering.
world projects that benefit
Aaron Reid is a graduate of
the Civil Engineering commu-
Tennessee Tech. Adam Yaba
nity.
is from Liberia and is spon-
Four graduate students sored by USAID. Eric Hage-
are active with faculty in this man works for Clinard Engi-

3. VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2010 Page 3
REAL WORLD: CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
In April 2008, UTC engineer- aggregate sources, reducing strength,
ing students, under Dr. the overall cost. durability
Fomunung’s guidance, worked and shrink-
Currently Brent Rollins is
with the City of Chattanooga age with the
working with the City of Chat-
Department of Public Works possibility of
tanooga to evaluate roller
and the local construction in- using them
compacted concrete pave-
dustry to resurface E. 5th in every day
ment on Hudson and Termi-
Street with a modified Nova- concrete
nal roads. They are perform-
chip microsurface. applications
ing a condition survey which
Novachip technology’s involves testing the pave- Another
coarse aggregate matrix allows ment. project go-
the surface to dispose of water ing on in the lab is testing
New and innovative
quickly, reducing roadway splitting tensile strengths of
ways of doing things are al-
spray and providing greater roller compacted concrete
ways going on around the
visibility in wet weather. The pavement at the interstate
College and the Applied Infra-
application process for the connector at Enterprise
structure Materials lab is no With a “far-
material is also quicker, mean- South Industrial Park. Inno-
different. Recently Mr. Rollins reaching portfolio”
ing less traffic disruption. vative chemicals are being
has been involved with set-
used in the concrete and Mr. of research and
The material is often too ting up experiments for an
Rollins and his students are service, smart
expensive for municipalities to industry stakeholder to utilize
testing them for strength and companies
use, but UTC students worked recycled materials in con-
viability.
with the City and industry to crete production and test are moving beyond
modify the material using local them for compressive
the basics, looking
towards what
CENTER FOR ENERGY, TRANSPORTATION AND positively impacts
ENVIRONMENT the environment,
economy and
Chattanooga gained fame the technical skills and appli-
public safety of
as a transportation hub during cation knowledge at UTC
the golden age of railroads. through partnerships such as our local
Now, UTC students and faculty the Chattanooga Area Re- communities .
members are bringing recogni- gional Transportation Author-
tion to the campus for their ity (CARTA), the Electric
research in alternative trans- Power Board (EPB), and the
portation and fuels. Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA).
The Center for Energy, Trans-
portation and the Environment Dr. Fomunung is currently
(CETE) leads the campus ef- a Co-PI on several grants at
forts in alternative transporta- CETE engaging in research on
tion and fuel research. Center clean alternative energy
researchers strive to develop sources such as hydrogen
and deploy technologies that fuel cells, new charging sys-
utilize clean and secure energy tems, etc., for the automobile
sources. The center leverages industry.

4. NEEDS OF APPLIED INFRASTRUCTURE
MATERIALS LAB
We’re on the web
The following are items that are still necessary for advanced research to
Www.utc.edu/engineering be completed in the new lab. Any tax deductible gifts would be appreci-
ated (including equipment gifts).
Falling weight deflectometer (for evaluation of pavements)
Instron (for ASTM C 1609 testing – Evaluation of flexural perform-
ance of fiber reinforced concrete)
Superpave Simple Performance Tester
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Asphalt double saw
AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Asphalt core 4” and 6” diameters
Phone: 423-425-2256
Fax: 423-425-5311 Rapid freeze-thaw durability equipment
University of Tennessee Chattanooga
E-mail: joy-cruz@utc.edu A solar spectrum reflectometer (for testing LEED requirements on
615 McCallie Ave.
solar reflectivity of concrete)
Dept. 2452 EMCS 450
Rapid chloride permeability equipment (for testing concrete’s
Chattanooga, TN 37403
permeability and resistance to rebar corrosion)
Phone: 423-425-2256
Environmental chamber (used in shrinkage testing of PCC)
Fax: 423-425-5311
Concrete table saw for core trimming
E-mail: joy-cruz@utc.edu
Concrete maturity meter and probes
Abrasion wheel machine for measuring abrasion resistance of
concrete
Equipment for measuring static Young’s modulus of concrete
TESTING AVAILABLE
Isothermal calorimetry equipment for measuring hydration kinet-
ics of hydraulic cementitious mixtures
Aggregates Portland Cement Concrete Windsor probe machine for testing penetration resistance of con-
Fine & coarse aggregate Fresh concrete and grout crete
sieve analysis testing (slump, air content, Scaled stereomicroscope for measuring crack widths, transverse
unit weight, temperature, air voids of concrete
Fine & coarse aggregates
time of flow)
specific gravity Hamburg wheel tester
Clay lumps & friable parti- Compressive strength
Dynamic shear rheometer and bending beam rheometer for
cles Flexural strength binder tests
Abrasion resistance with Splitting tensile strength Construction and acquisition of accelerated pavement testing
Los Angeles machine facility
Accelerated curing
Bulk density & voids Plastic shrinkage cracking
Asphaltic Concrete resistance
If you are interested in making a financial gift or a gift‐in‐kind,
Marshall mix design Bleeding of concrete please contact:
Marshal stability and flow Water retention by liquid
membrane-forming curing
Superpave mix design Christa J. Mannarino
compounds
Maximum specific gravity Director of Development for Major Gifts
Abrasion resistance of
(Rice test) pervious concrete
Office of Development
Bulk specific gravity (Offenburg method)
Asphalt content & loss on Phone: (423) 425‐4728
Impact Echo
ignition Christa‐Mannarino@utc.edu