Virginia Tech has added a new dimension to its construction education program with a spacious innovation lab where students can observe, collaborate and gain hands-on experience with faculty research on cutting-edge technologies and approaches.
Located within a newly opened multipurpose academic building in the center of the university’s Blacksburg campus, the three-story facility is equipped with a gantry crane to easily maneuver large components and equipment within its 4,000 square feet of floor space.
“It’s a space at scale where we can simulate, build and work with industry processes,” explains Andrew McCoy, associate director of Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction.
Using a recently acquired robotic concrete 3D printer, for example, students can work with faculty to build entire sections of a house or test the performance of different wall section designs as a step toward creating affordable housing more efficiently. Other projects focusing on robotics and other automated construction systems are expected to begin soon.
Virginia Tech professor Kereshmeh Afsari, managing director of the school’s Robotics and Automation in Construction Engineering and Design (ARCADE) Laboratory, says the lab’s projects “have the potential to expose students to transformative technologies and help them acquire the critical thinking and technical skills they can take with them into their careers.”
An experimental limestone clad moment frame donated by Hitt Contracting is shown as an example of how different materials can be used with these structures. Courtesy photo Virginia Tech Myers-Lawson School of Construction. Another key facet of the new facility is its accessibility to other students, staff and visitors. Passers-by can also observe research activity through the laboratory’s expansive windows, while a surrounding plaza and courtyard provide additional public space for outdoor demonstrations, teaching, and events showcasing these efforts. An experimental limestone-clad moment frame donated by Hitt Contracting of West Falls Church, Virginia, is currently on display as an example of how different materials can be used with these structures.
Without the new lab, McCoy says, “we would have to go through the logistics of arranging student visits to off-campus locations. Now, we have a convenient space where we can do all of that while other students can watch. It’s an opportunity wonderful for all students to learn about the construction industry”.
Formally known as the Procon Innovation Center, the facility is sponsored by McLean, Va.-based construction management firm Procon Consulting, co-founded in 2000 by Virginia Tech engineering graduate Mark Ilich and Kyu Jung.
While the facility’s immediate research activities envision applications of existing technology, “we may see an even more radical transformation in the coming years with artificial intelligence and other innovations playing a larger role in our industry says Illich. “The Innovation Center will allow students to not only participate in these advancements, but also help engage the public with our industry and what we do.”
Jung adds that the Innovation Center will also expose students to the importance of research and provide tools that were not available to him and Illich during their undergraduate years.
“There is a huge gap in construction research, which limits the industry’s ability to innovate,” he says. “We want to do our part to inspire the next generation of leaders to change the way we do things by creating and fostering an environment where they can think about what the future holds and be part of the solution.”
