This is a past event.

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar

Michelle A. Cooper, PhD Candidate at Michigan Tech

Bio:
Michelle Cooper is a PhD candidate at Michigan Tech in Civil Engineering working towards integrating sustainability metrics into concrete pavement project procurement. She is defending her dissertation on Wednesday March 5 th . Michelle is also the concrete materials laboratory manager at Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center overseeing research on concrete materials characterization and durability.

Abstract:
Concrete pavement sustainability and performance are inherently synergistic. This presentation explores how the same strategies can be employed to improve performance, resource efficiency, and sustainability. The concept of performance-engineered mixture design is introduced to explain how concrete mixtures can be tailored to meet specific performance criteria while optimizing material efficiency and  long-term pavement performance. Concrete producers and engineers can quantify sustainability improvements through comparisons with industry-developed reference values. The presentation further explains how engineers can use sustainability as a mindset to use innovative concrete materials, improve concrete mixtures, increase efficiency of construction operations, and inform decisions regarding maintenance and rehabilitation strategies.