Dr. John Kevern has received UM Fast Track II Initiative Funds for his project, Application of Drinking Water Treatment Waste As Internal Curing for Concrete. Dr. Kevern discovered that this locally and globally available waste material can be used to internally cure concrete. Since concrete needs moisture to gain strength, internal sponges made from drinking water treatment waste helps to improve important concrete properties including strength and durability. With the help of Ph.D. student Qiwei (Claire) Cao, the project will be completed in 2014. Qiwei (Claire) Cao’s dissertation will examine and evaluate the knowledge gained from this project. The goal is to fully evaluate the material and prove that it is the most effective internal curing agent for concrete.
