- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ýLR student wins award for research into environmentally friendly concrete mixture

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 13:19:14 +0000

A civil engineer who traveled from India to study at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is researching a way to lower the cost of concrete and to save the environment from the harmful effects of quarry dust and fly ash. Karthik Gowda, a first-year master’s student in the Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering, won the student research paper competition and a cash prize after presenting his paper at the Arkansas chapter of the annual meeting on Jan. 14. “This was a very important achievement in my life,” Gowda said. “After coming here with the support of my family and ��Vlog��ýLR professors Dr. Hollis Bray, Dr. Jim Carr, and Dr. James Tramel, I feel like all my dreams are coming to reality.” After graduating with a degree in civil engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in India, Gowda entered the construction management master’s program during the fall 2015 semester. He began his research as a way to solve a problem in the global construction industry. River sand is a key ingredient in concrete, but sand is not readily available in many parts of the world. Gowda proposed a way to substitute sand with the crushed stone dust from quarries and fly ash. “My research is focused on strength analysis of aerated cellular concrete by replacing sand with quarry dust, a kind of waste dust that is generated by the stone crushing industry, without compromising strength and durability,” he said. Using quarry dust and fly ash as a substitute for sand provides an environmentally friendly alternative for quarry dust, which often takes up large amounts of space in landfills. Since the amount of river sand is decreasing every day, Gowda’s research also offers the construction industry a cheaper and plentiful alternative to sand. Gowda is thankful to his family for sending him to America to study, which gave him the opportunity to work with dedicated professors who are helping him with his research. “I would like to thank my parents for sending me all the way from India and for believing in my potential,” he said. “Here, I am very blessed with my professors in our department. They guide me, and it is a very good place where you can learn things to fill your thirst of knowledge.” Dr. Hollis Bray, a professor in the Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering who helped Gowda with his paper, said Karthik’s research has potential to open up a new market in the construction industry. “Karthik is an impressive and very enthusiastic young man,” Bray said. “I supported Karthik in his research, because I think something could happen here. We won’t run out of sand, but we are starting to worry more about environmental consequences. Folks in the industry are always interested in anything that will create a market in the industry.” In addition to looking for funding to implement his current concrete research, Gowda is also working to open a student chapter of the at ��Vlog��ýLR, which would bring additional funding opportunities for student researchers on campus. After he graduates from ��Vlog��ýLR in 2017, Gowda plans to pursue a doctorate in concrete and environmental engineering and then work as a research scientist to gain insights into the dynamics of global construction world.

��Vlog��ýLR students take 2nd place in Dallas competition

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 14:42:57 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock students took second place in the Associated Schools of Construction Student Competition held Feb. 13-15 in Dallas. The winning team, led by Larry Blackmon, faculty coach, represented the ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering. ��Vlog��ýLR students Austin Anderson, of Greenbrier, Arkansas; William Duncanson, of Nassau, Bahamas; Joseph Eggburn, of Sheridan, Arkansas; Ryan Hix, of Fort Smith, Arkansas; Drew Potter, of North Little Rock; and Dylan Singleton, of Greenbrier, represented ��Vlog��ýLR in the Heavy Civil Division. Sophomore Joseph Eggburn was also recognized as the third best presenter in the Heavy Civil Division. The division consisted of 42 students from seven schools competing across a four-state region. “��Vlog��ýLR can be very proud of the effort of the team and the hard work that they did competing against top universities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma,” said Michael Tramel, department chair and professor of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering. The competition involved a 16-hour estimating, bidding, and scheduling portion. The construction problem involved delivering a bid for a water reclamation facility in Fort Worth, Texas, under construction by McCarthy Building Company, who served as the corporate sponsor for the event. Major aspects of the project included excavation, pipe installation, and concrete structures. The students were graded on pricing, subcontractor selection, safety, and scheduling. The team earned second place with a bid of $14.8 million. McCarthy estimated the project at $16.2 million.

Engineering program receives national award

Shanna Fitzgerald — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 15:59:50 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering recently received a prestigious national award. Heather N. Richardson, executive director of the Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors, and H. James Engstrom, its longest serving board member, presented the department with an engineering award for during a ceremony on Nov. 5 at ��Vlog��ýLR. Richardson and Engstrom appeared at the ceremony on behalf of the Clemson, S.C.-based (NCEES). The organization gave its top award to Marquette University in Milwaukee and honored five other schools throughout the country — including ��Vlog��ýLR — with the next level of award. Each of the 2,400 accredited engineering programs in the United States was eligible to submit projects to the NCEES for consideration. An that will be distributed to every engineering college in the country features the six winning projects. ��Vlog��ýLR’s award-winning work, ““American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas seismic retrofit feasibility study,” is featured on pages 28-33. completed the project during the 2014-15 school year. Industry sponsors were licensed professional engineers from and . Licensed professional engineers from also assisted. Faculty advisors were licensed professional engineers from ��Vlog��ýLR. The award originally was announced in June 2015.

Design project captures national engineering award

Gloria King — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 13:53:46 +0000

A team of six ��Vlog��ýLR civil and construction engineering students, five industry sponsors, and two faculty members has won a national award for a senior design project submitted for the American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) award comes with a $7,500 gift to the ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering. To complete the project, the ��Vlog��ýLR students worked with licensed professional engineers from an architectural and engineering design firm, a construction firm, and two faculty members who are licensed professional engineers. The ��Vlog��ýLR students contributing to the project included Sarah Brown, Joshua Hendricks, Angela Matika, Whitney Montague, Esteban Rodriguez, and Essie Whitmore. Their faculty advisors were Drs. Hollis Bray and Nickolas Jovanovic. The industry sponsors included Joe Hilliard, Mike Callahan, Paul Timko, and Larry Newkirk, all of Cromwell Architects Engineers, and Jeff Borgsmiller of CDI Contractors. The project, “Seismic Retrofit Feasibility Study for the American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas,” examined the effect of seismic forces on the American Red Cross facility in Little Rock. It identified a cost-effective approach to strengthen the structural framework of the facility to minimize operational disruptions in the event of an earthquake. Little Rock is near the New Madrid Seismic Zone, the most seismically active area of the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains. Disaster relief efforts by, and blood products from, the Red Cross facility in Little Rock could be disrupted if an earthquake occurred, adversely affecting many hospitals and patients in the region. The NCEES Engineering Award for Connecting Professional Practice and Education was established in 2009 to promote understanding of the value of licensure and to encourage partnerships between the engineering profession and education. NCEES introduced the award to recognize college engineering programs for engaging their students in collaborative projects with licensed professional engineers. The Civil and Construction Engineering Program is housed within the Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering, in the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) at ��Vlog��ýLR. It is the only program in the U.S. that combines civil engineering and construction engineering in a single degree program. The program was founded in 2010 and is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET. More information about the civil and construction engineering program is available here.

One and done: Six seniors pass national constructor exam on first try

Gloria King — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:19:32 +0000

All six members of the senior class in ��Vlog��ýLR’s civil and construction engineering program have passed the American Institute of Constructor’s (AIC) Associate Constructor (AC) exam on the first try.

This marks the first time every senior in the civil and construction engineering program passed the exam on the first attempt.

The eight-hour exam is administered nationwide only twice per year.

With 378 students out of 788 passing nationwide, the national pass rate on the March 2015 administration was 48 percent, according to Associate Professor Nickolas Jovanovic of the Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering.

Sarah Brown is one of six seniors who recently passed the Associate Constructor Exam on first attempt.

“This achievement suggests that the construction courses at ��Vlog��ýLR are preparing students to meet and exceed national standards,” said Jovanovic. “It demonstrates that the entire senior class of civil and construction engineering students is very well prepared to make the transition from college to the workplace or graduate school,” he said. The names of the six members of the senior class, along with their internship employers, are: • Sarah Brown, McCarthy Building Companies • Joshua Hendricks, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • Angela Matika, Prospect Steel • Whitney Montague, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • Esteban Rodriguez, Crossland Construction, and CDI Contractors • Essie Whitmore, Entergy Arkansas Nuclear One, and CDI Contractors In addition, these six seniors have been working with structural engineers at Cromwell Architects Engineers and CDI Contractors every other week since last August on their senior design project, “Seismic Retrofit Feasibility Study for the American Red Cross Facility in Little Rock, Arkansas.” Upon graduation, the students will be eligible to apply for AIC’s Associate Constructor certification, which will identify them as professionally competent because of verifiable skills and knowledge levels, according to the AIC website. The civil and construction engineering program, housed in the Department of Construction Management & Civil and Construction Engineering within ��Vlog��ýLR’s Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology, is the only program of its kind in the U.S. It prepares students to be both civil engineers and construction engineers in a single degree program, said Jovanovic. In addition to completing a rigorous 128-hour curriculum, students in the civil and construction engineering program must also complete three professional requirements in order to graduate:

Pass the Associate Constructor (AC) nationwide exam
Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) nationwide exam
Obtain at least 800 hours of engineering or construction-related work experience

Hydraulic fracturing conference scheduled April 20-21

Gloria King — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 15:50:13 +0000

��Vlog��ýLR will be the host site this month for a conference on hydraulic fracturing and environmental pollution designed for leaders in academia, industry, and government. The conference will be held April 20 to 21. Conference organizers say it is the first of its size and scope for ��Vlog��ýLR. The National Science Foundation awarded ��Vlog��ýLR a $35,773 grant to host the event. According to the grant’s principal investigator, Dr. Lashun K. Thomas, the conference was created to bring together experts from all sectors to promote ideas, address fracturing efficiency, and discuss ways to mitigate the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing. Thomas said she hopes the conference will provide a platform to present current research findings and exchange ideas for future directions. Hydraulic fracturing is a commonly used technology for well stimulation to increase oil and gas production. There is an urgent need for the development of improved fracturing fluids and methods to achieve better fracturing efficiency as well as minimize potential environmental impact, according to Thomas. “This technology brings tremendous benefits to people in many states, including Arkansas,” she acknowledged. “However, pollution is a major concern for residents, especially the potential for water contamination for residents living in regions of the Marcellus Shale in New York and Fayetteville Shale in Arkansas.” Thomas, an assistant professor in ��Vlog��ýLR’s Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering who is administering ��Vlog��ýLR’s new environmental engineering program, is joined by co-investigator, Dr. Hansong Tang, an associate professor of civil engineering at the City University of New York. The grant is effective Dec. 1, 2014, through Nov. 30, 2015. The project title is “Reducing the Impact of Hydraulic Shale Fracturing and Natural Gas Drilling on Environments: Development of Green Fracturing Fluids and Sustainable Remediation and Containment Technologies.”

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ýLR student wins award for research into environmentally friendly concrete mixture