This session features presentations associated with 10 collaborative papers from within a larger symposium volume. Each manuscript was written by groups of faculty who use some of the most innovative approaches to teach topics in concrete materials and structural concrete design at the upper-division and graduate level. The session will include presentations related to educational resources for teaching these concrete topics, student competitions in advanced courses, additive manufacturing, sustainability, advanced concrete rheology, concrete repair, concrete pavements, torsion, concrete bridge design, and prestressed concrete design.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Identify various forms of effective pedagogies used in engineering education and relate them to concrete materials;
(2) Describe innovative approaches used to teach advanced concrete materials;
(3) Identify how teaching advanced concrete materials relates to various student learning styles;
(4) Take-home various pedagogical techniques to integrate into your advanced concrete materials courses.
Educational Resources for Teaching Advanced Concrete Materials and Reinforced Concrete
Presented By: Sriramya Nair
Affiliation: Cornell University
Description: Teaching college students advanced concrete materials and structural concrete design is a challenging task because students have a myriad learning styles, and instructors are often ill equipped to meet students where they are with appropriate experience and teaching-related resources. This disconnect can create several bottlenecks to learning, especially within courses that present advanced concrete topics that are more complex and challenging. This paper outlines a special publication series related to best practices and lessons learned for teaching advanced concrete materials and reinforced concrete by experts in the field from across the United States. Furthermore, this introductory paper outlines the history of teaching and learning resources at the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and provides a high-level overview of other technical concrete-focused resources and teaching development resources that can be used to bridge the gap between teaching and learning challenging concrete subjects. The goal of this special publication is to provide a resource for anyone that accepts the challenge of teaching advanced reinforced concrete and concrete materials, from a new instructor to an experienced professor.
The Use of Student Competitions to Teach Concrete Topics
Presented By: Matthew Swenty
Affiliation: Virginia Military Institute
Description: Using student competitions as an educational tool is complex but can be very effective in many classrooms and labs. Competitions can excite students, introduce interdisciplinary connections, provide interactions with the engineering community, and leave lasting impacts. The following paper explores the use of competitions to teach concrete related topics. Sixteen different national competitions along with numerous local and variations are presented. The complexity of the competitions along with points to consider when implementing them are covered. Many case studies about lessons learned are included to help professors design a competition that can help their students learn concrete related topics.
Project Based Learning for Teaching 3D Concrete Printing
Presented By: Jacob Henschen
Affiliation: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Description: Since 2010, 3D concrete printing (3DCP) or additive construction has been a rapidly evolving technology that is already seeing use in concrete construction. As with any new emerging technology, educators play a key role in preparing the future workforce to harness its potential. While many faculty are open to incorporating new technologies or theories in a course, 3DCP has some unique challenges. Concrete printers at a lab scale are not common or may be prohibitively expensive. However, there are options to fabricate and assemble printers based on the constraints of a laboratory. Furthermore, the 3DCP mixture must meet precise rheological demands which are not well-characterized using current standard tests for workability. In addition to the technical challenges, an educator will need to carefully select and scaffold course topics to develop and support projects or laboratory equipments involving this technology. To address these challenges, this paper will outline the equipment required for 3DCP, highlight the relevant course topics, and outline course projects that were developed by integrating this new technology into the curriculum.
Approaches to Teaching the Sustainability and Resiliency of Concrete Materials
Presented By: Mary Christiansen
Affiliation: University of Minnesota Duluth
Description: The construction industry is one of the world's largest drivers of environmental impact, consuming large quantitites of energy, water, and raw materials while generating significant carbon emissions. Concrete is a central contributor, with portland cement production alone responsible for roughly 7-8% of global CO2 emissions. As decarbonization becomes a priority, demand for sustainable, resilient, low-carbon concrete materials is accelerating innovation in binder systems, mixture strategies, and design practices. For civil engineering students and future professionals, understanding the environmental impacts of concrete and methods to reduce them without compromising performance is essential. This paper presents an advanced concrete materials course reframed through the lens of sustainability and resiliency. Teaching strategies and resources are described, including in-class activities, laboratory demonstrations, case studies, mixture design competitions, and applied project work. Collectively, these methods emphasize decision-making in material selection, mixture proportioning, and design for long-term durability and performance of concrete structures.
Experiences Teaching Advanced Rheology of Concrete
Presented By: Dimitri Feys
Affiliation: Missouri S&T
Description: This paper presents an overview of recent experiences in instructing the topic of rheology of concrete, mostly towards graduate students. At first, an overview is given of definitions in rheology, applicable rheological models, which parameters affect the properties, how to measure and the applicability of rheology in practical situations. This is followed by a discussion on the potential contents of a concrete rheology class and the expectations towards the students, depending on the amount of time dedicated to the topic. Examples are given of classes where rheology is a specific topic in a broader course context, and other examples when rheology of concrete is a stand-alone class. Assessments vary from traditional examinations, literature review assignments, and project work. Some innovative teaching techniques include flipping the classroom, which is especially useful in case of distance sections, hands-on project work, and oral examinations. One of the lessons learned is the complexity of the topic requiring a good foundational knowledge from the instructor, especially to handle questions from the students.