ACI Foundations Concrete Research Council announces new Research Network

Farmington Hills, Mich. — In its quest to align donors, researchers, and funders with concrete research projects, the ACI Foundation has united with several industry partners by formal Memoranda of Agreements to form the Concrete Research Network (CRN). The CRN is a forum for the concrete industry to engage and connect researchers, funding organizations affiliated with the concrete industry, and industry users with technical research needs, with the end goal of promoting research needs and projects that offer broad implementation across the concrete industry.

The CRN currently consists of:

• ACI Foundation;
• American Society of Concrete Contractors Education, Research & Development Foundation;
• Charles Pankow Foundation;
• Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute Education & Research Foundation;
• Portland Cement Association Education Foundation;
• Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute; and
• Ready Mixed Concrete Research & Education Foundation.

At the core of this network is a website — www.ConcreteResearchNetwork.org — that organizes information for partners, funders, researchers, and users. Built in partnership with several industry foundations, the site coordinates funding for comprehensive, larger-scale research projects and distribution of results to a wider audience.

“The Concrete Research Network provides the entire concrete and construction community greater opportunities for collaboration, through both funding and strategic initiatives, and tackles our chief challenges of dissemination and implementation of results,” said Joseph Sanders, consultant with Pankow. “Information only has value when it is available in the right format, to the right people, in the right place, at the right time and the Concrete Research Network will facilitate this type of communication.”  

To learn more about the Concrete Research Network, and to view a list of research needs, visit www.ConcreteResearchNetwork.org.