Support for US Participants to 2nd International Workshop on Microstructure and Micromechanics of Stone-based Infrastructure Materials; Beijing, China; Fall 2008

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Proposal Number: 0829376Proposal Title: Support for US Participants to 2nd International Workshop on Microstructure and Micromechanics of Stone-based Infrastructure Materials; Beijing, China; Fall 2008This project supports partial travel expenses of 12-15 US participants to the 2nd International Workshop on Microstructure and Micromechanics of Stone-based Infrastructure Materials to be held September 25-26, 2008 at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The 2nd workshop has an important role in 1) consolidating the results of the first workshop; 2) reviewing and updating technical progress since that time (October 5th ? 6th, 2006); 3) resolving barriers to developing national and international collaborations; and 4) identifying strategies for sustaining the activity. The focus of the workshop is on stone-based infrastructure materials including cement concrete, asphalt concrete and human augmented soils, which form the core materials in modern civil infrastructure. Enhanced and sustainable stone-based infrastructure materials yield important impacts on any nation in terms of available natural resources as well as economic and environmental impact. The US NSF and researchers were the primary driving forces that initiated the 1st workshop and action plan. It is important that US researchers and educators participate the 2nd workshop to maintain their leadership position. The major outcome of the 2nd workshop, which was not undertaken during the 1st workshop, is the development and implementation of a sustainable plan and initiation of collaborations on developing educational materials and unified research methods for stone- based materials. The intellectual merits of the workshop lie in the fact that it will help synergize research on structure and mechanics of stone-based infrastructure materials and ultimately enabling the design of high performance materials. The broader impacts of the workshop include potential initiation of an international organization and the development of educational materials that will improve the education of the next generation of researchers and practitioners on improved design, construction, and maintenance with concomitant cost-savings.