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The Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
encourages active collaboration and cross-disciplinary activities and
has a strong commitment to innovative research. The department supports
close partnerships with industry and government in an effort to conduct
research at the cutting edge of science and technology. Research sponsored
and funded by organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the
US Environmental Protection Agency, and the North Carolina Department
of Transportation is focused primarily in serving public needs and enhancing
the ability of industry and government to respond to those needs.
Departmental research and educational activities are strengthened through
its centers and laboratories. The Center for Nuclear Power Plant Structures,
Equipment and Piping performs research on innovative solutions to problems
in nuclear power plants and transfers this technology to the industry.
The Constructed Facilities Laboratory (CFL) is located on the University's
Centennial Campus and is part of the Larry K. Monteith Engineering Research
Center at NC State University. The research and development programs of
the CFL support the mission of the Centennial Campus of creating industry,
government, and university partnerships. The CFL is a sophisticated structure
with specially designed reaction floors and walls to support three-dimensional
loading. A $2.9 million Academic Research Infrastructure grant, co-funded
by the National Science Foundation and NC State University, provided extensive
state-of-the-art research equipment for constructed infrastructure research.
Also on the Centennial Campus is the Institute for Transportation Research
and Education (ITRE) which is conducting research, education, and technical
assistance projects related to surface transportation issues. ITRE, which
is administered at the university level, carries out numerous activities
in collaboration with our faculty and graduate students. It is also the
administrative home of the Center for Transportation and the Environment,
which also involves our faculty and students.
The following projects are examples of some of the exciting research taking
place in the Department. They are also illustrative of our efforts to
create solutions through innovation and multidisciplinary research contributions
covering a broad spectrum of basic and applied research. The faculty in
Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, their students, and
colleagues continue to identify new research opportunities in an effort
to find solutions to the problems currently faced by the profession and
to predict issues that will challenge the profession in the future.
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