The Dallas/Fort Worth area will see an economic benefit from additional jobs created by the center, as well as an increased opportunity for UT Arlington to compete for state and federal research funding. And, as one of the largest structural testing facilities in the United States, the CSER will bring worldwide recognition to the university’s engineering programs while also supporting local concrete industry research needs. The center will also benefit the concrete products industry by helping to grow the concrete products market and provide facilities to test the effects of nature. Nature encompasses earthquakes and, in some cases, fire, too (e.g., forest fires caused by lightning).

The 80,000-square-foot center, which will be located at the northeast corner of I-30 and MacArthur, about 11 miles from the UT Arlington campus, will boast 40,000 square feet of conference, classroom, office and shop space and 40,000 square feet of research space. The research area will contain the largest reaction floor in the nation and feature state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation, such as several 200-ton dynamic actuators, nano and laser sensors and image processing devices. The reaction floor will be capable of testing several full-size building and bridge components simultaneously with monotonic, cyclic, dynamic, fire and blast loads. Two 53-foot-tall, 50-ton cranes will move test specimens and materials to specialized equipment in the research area.

“Several of our engineers are UT Arlington alumni, and we look forward to strengthening our existing relationship with the school,” said Clifford Hahne, Hanson regional president and a UT Arlington alumnus. “Committed to our company and industry, Hanson is looking to reach out to the next generation of engineers with state-of-the-art facilities, who in turn will educate them on the concrete industry as a whole.”

“This partnership will make our structural engineering program rank among the top 20 in the nation,” said Dr. Ali Abolmaali, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at UT Arlington. “We will be among a few premier research institutions to employ nano, laser and image processing technology for micromeasurements and health monitoring of structural systems. The center will enable the university to compete with top national and international universities and research institutes for state and federal research grants.”

About Hanson Pipe & Precast North America
Founded in 1931, Hanson Pipe & Precast, a division of Hanson PLC, has become North America’s largest manufacturer of concrete pipe and precast concrete products, including residential and commercial building components, bridges, manholes and retaining walls.

Originally founded to provide manufacturing of concrete pipe for sewer and culvert construction, Hanson Pipe & Precast North America has grown and prospered into an organization of more than 7,800 employees and 108 plants with products available throughout the U.S. To learn more about Hanson’s quality products, services and building technology, please visit www.hansonpipeandprecast.com.

About Hanson PLC
Hanson is one of the world’s leading heavy building materials companies. It is one of the largest producers of aggregates — crushed rock, sand and gravel — and also one of the largest producers of concrete products, clay bricks and ready-mixed concrete in the world. Its other principal products include asphalt and concrete roof tiles, and its operations are in North America, the UK, Australia, Asia Pacific and continental Europe.

Hanson operates through six divisions: Hanson Aggregates North America, Hanson Building Products North America, Hanson Aggregates UK, Hanson Building Products UK, Hanson Australia & Asia Pacific and Hanson Continental Europe.

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