Multiscale Advanced Materials Design Lab
Research
Concrete can absorb or store carbon dioxide via 'carbonation,' which is a spontaneous reaction between the alkali metals in a cementitous material system and carbon dioxide. The reaction forms calcium carbonates, a thermodynamically stable form of carbon dioxide. This reduces the concrete's overall carbon footprint. In our research, we are trying to determine CCUS strategies and the potential CO2 binding capacity of different cementitous materials.
Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, involves rapidly assembling materials by printing a series of single filament stacks to prototype 3D models. 3D printing concrete has gained popularity in the construction industry, making the construction process faster, cheaper, and more sustainable. Concrete mix design for 3D printing is critical. It must be designed with strict criteria to move smoothly through the print system and be stiff enough to maintain its shape while holding the weight of previous layers after extrusion. The research aims to determine and optimize the mixture proportions with sustainable construction materials by evaluating rheology, microstructure, mechanical properties, and durability under multiple environmental conditions.
Concrete is not as environmentally friendly as its main constituents; cement, water, and aggregates are limited nonrenewable natural resources. The concrete industry emits a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from the de-carbonation of calcareous raw materials during cement manufacture, as well as the use of carbon-based coal and fossil fuel energy sources during the material mining, crushing, and transportation phases. Our research goals are finding environmentally friendly alternative materials which can partially or replace one or more constituents of concrete without compromising its desired functionality.
About
Our lab's area of expertise is the multi-scale chemo-mechanical characterization of advanced materials in civil engineering. Dr. Kim's research involves designing and developing new construction materials based on advanced multi-scale computational modeling and experimental characterization, improving the sustainability and resilience of civil infrastructure using digital fabrication, including large-scale printing in developing and applying new construction.
News
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Aug 13, 2023: Congratulations! Eka and Federico have published a paper entitled "Application of steel slags, ferronickel slags, and copper mining waste as construction materials: A review" in the "Resources, Conservation and Recycling" journal.
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Jul 24, 2023: Eka attended the Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation (QNDE) 2023 conference and presented a poster entitled "Comparison of finite element and peri-ultrasound based modeling to study the nonlinear response of cracked plates".
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Jun 26, 2023: Dr. Hang attended the ACCELNET 3D concrete printing workshop at the University of Texas at Austin
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May 3, 2023: Dr. Hang got Postdoctoral Research Development Grant (PRDG) from the U of A.
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Apr 2, 2023: Dr. Kim, Dr. Hang, and Federico went to the ACI 2023 San Francisco conference
Collaboration
Contact
Opportunities
To apply for a position with M2D Lab, please send a cover letter together with your C.V. (and any other pertinent materials) to Dr. Kim directly at heejeong@arizona.edu with the subject line “Ph.D.Position_FirstName_LastName”.
Address
1209 E 2nd St. Tucson, AZ, 85718
Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics
University of Arizona
Tel: 520-621-9999