| NSF Org: |
ITE Innovation and Technology Ecosystems |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | December 16, 2022 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | December 16, 2022 |
| Award Number: | 2235678 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Richard Farnsworth
rlfarnsw@nsf.gov (703)292-5029 ITE Innovation and Technology Ecosystems TIP Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships |
| Start Date: | December 15, 2022 |
| End Date: | November 30, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $744,893.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $744,893.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1523 UNION RD RM 207 GAINESVILLE FL US 32611-1941 (352)392-3516 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1523 UNION RD RM 207 GAINESVILLE FL US 32611-1941 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Convergence Accelerator Resrch |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): | |
| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.084 |
ABSTRACT
This convergence accelerator project is intended to address the issue of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of the construction industry, where the concrete sector is a top source of global CO2 emissions. The burgeoning technology of additive construction, or three-dimensional construction printing (3DCP), might exacerbate the situation. Because concrete (inks) used in 3DCP consists of much more binders (mostly Portland cement) compared to conventional concrete, the increasing adoption of 3DCP is now speeding-up the consumption of cement in the construction sector. The innovation in the 3DCP inks needs to be accelerated to change the situation - greener inks need to be designed, produced, and supplied to the market more quickly. The carbon embodiment and other aspects, including energy consumption, the supply chain efficiency, the broader economic and environmental impacts, are seldom considered holistically in the life cycle design of most general-purpose concrete, not to mention the 3DCP concrete. The uncertainties associated with these aspects make it more challenging. Significant gaps exist between the material science, printer manufacturing, concrete producing, supply networks, governmental legislation and policies, and the 3DCP end users. Therefore, this convergence accelerator project will develop a novel framework, OpenMatFlo, for accelerating the convergence at the concrete industry and 3DCP nexus. The research can have fundamental socioeconomic impact by contributing to the innovation of new materials for the 3DCP industry. While the project context is focused on the 3DCP sector, the new capabilities can be ported to other areas. The project can provide transformational insights, cutting-edge simulation and data accessibility toolkits for the 3DCP community, as well as STEM education and research opportunities for a diverse cohort of students, postdocs, and early-career scientists. The society will benefit from the accelerated adoption of greener 3DCP, in terms of fighting against carbon emission and climate change. The platform will be scalable to the globe and extendable for other industries.
This project will bring together knowledge from mechanics and construction, material research and production, printer manufacturing, life cycle and environment management, uncertainty quantification, computer science and blockchain, disaster science and community resilience, and urban/social science to build a convergent platform for designing, producing, and supplying greener inks for 3DCP towards built environment sustainability. The researchers will employ an open and crowdsourcing paradigm for incentivizing community data-driven material innovation; a market-based strategy will be employed to promote the adoption of life cycle-aware and lower carbon solutions in the concrete and construction industry (with an emphasis on the 3DCP sector); a blockchain technology will be developed to enhance the transparency of the ecosystem under uncertainties; tools will be created for scenario- and performance-based project planning, accounting for socioeconomic benefits of communities under chronic/acute stressors of the natural and built environment. Through rigorous data collection and analysis, the Phase 1 team will identify stakeholders in the nexus of 3DCP and co-design a holistic platform that facilitates its growth in a sustainable way, by data sharing and holistic tracking of carbon emissions and continuous material flow analysis.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The OpenMatFlo project aims to revolutionize sustainable concrete mix design through data-driven and AI-powered innovations. This initiative focuses on developing an open-access, collaborative platform for designing, producing, and supplying greener concrete mixtures specifically for 3D printing in construction. By integrating AI, blockchain technology, and large-scale data collection, OpenMatFlo helps optimize concrete formulations to reduce carbon emissions and enhance material efficiency, addressing key challenges in the construction industry's sustainability efforts.
A major achievement of the project was the creation of concreteDB.com, a publicly available database containing concrete mix designs. This dataset aggregates research from publications, standardizing diverse mix designs and their mechanical and rheological properties for analysis and future innovations. The database serves as an open utility for AI-driven mix design, ensuring a more systematic approach to sustainable concrete formulation.
To further optimize concrete mixes, the project developed a generative AI framework that streamlines the traditionally labor-intensive and trial-based process of mix design. By leveraging machine learning and multi-objective optimization, this framework transforms the high-dimensional space of concrete formulations into a simplified latent space, enabling the discovery of low-carbon, cost-effective, and high-performance mixtures. Unlike conventional methods, which rely heavily on empirical testing, this approach ensures that generated mix designs are both mathematically optimized and practically feasible for large-scale construction applications.
A blockchain-enabled infrastructure, MatFlo.ai, was introduced to improve transparency in tracking carbon emissions associated with concrete mixes. MatFlo.ai aims to automate the generation of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and provides real-time emissions data. This system is designed to help the construction industry make more informed, sustainable material choices by integrating verified emissions data into supply chain decision-making.
Collaboration with industry partners was a key aspect of OpenMatFlo, ensuring that the research remained aligned with real-world needs. The project engaged with stakeholders from a broad range of sectors, including concrete producers, policymakers, transportation agencies, and industry leaders such as Cemex, Argos, COBOD. These collaborations provided critical insights into industry challenges and helped refine the development of tools and frameworks that address sustainability goals while maintaining material performance and cost-effectiveness.
Education and workforce development were also integral to the project. A graduate-level course, Advanced Construction Technology, was developed and launched at the University of Florida, focusing on concrete technologies and 3D printing applications, and AI-driven construction methods. This course equips the next generation of engineers with the knowledge and skills to drive innovation in sustainable construction, ensuring that the principles and technologies developed in OpenMatFlo continue to influence the industry.
The broader impacts of the project extend beyond technological advancements. By reducing carbon emissions through optimized concrete formulations, OpenMatFlo contributes to global efforts in sustainable infrastructure. The economic benefits include cost savings for concrete manufacturers through material efficiency and performance optimization. The technological advancements fostered by the project, particularly in AI-driven mix design and blockchain-based carbon tracking, set a new standard for how sustainable materials can be developed, verified, and implemented.
Looking ahead, the success of OpenMatFlo provides a strong foundation for further expansion into real-world pilot projects and commercial applications. Future efforts will focus on scaling AI-powered concrete mix design tools for broader industry adoption, expanding the blockchain-based carbon tracking platform to improve transparency in global construction supply chains. Through these initiatives, OpenMatFlo is poised to play a pivotal role in the transformation of sustainable construction practices.
Last Modified: 02/28/2025
Modified by: Chaofeng Wang
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