CIVE 371 Students Showcase Their Learning in UNL’s First Symposium of Sustainable Construction Materials

The Spring 2024 semester provided an exciting opportunity to explore new environments and expand the possibilities of teaching tools and techniques in the newly inaugurated College of Engineering facility – Kiewit Hall. Leveraging these innovative spaces designed to foster collaborative learning, Dr. Jamilla Teixeira challenged her students in CIVE 371 - Materials of Construction to engage in problem-based learning. By thinking critically and engaging in hands-on activities, students were encouraged to develop sustainable construction material solutions.

In teams of 4-6, junior and sophomore level students were divided into 17 groups to present an idea for sustainable construction materials and make a poster presentation. They were required to study scientific papers to develop their ideas and optionally conduct preliminary tests in the laboratory and bring prototypes to the event.

"The final project was designed so that students not only applied the technical concepts learned in class while developing their ideas but also experienced the process of pitching their ideas to potential collaborators," said Dr. Teixeira. Therefore, students had to go through several steps until the final presentation date. They were required to study scientific papers to develop initial ideas, exposing them to scientific evidence published in peer-reviewed journals. Then, each group had to schedule a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with Dr. Teixeira to pitch their idea. Once they received feedback, they were assigned a graduate student as a mentor to develop a research plan that could include the development of prototypes in the laboratory. The interaction with the graduate students was beneficial not only to the undergraduate students but also in developing the professional skills of the graduate students, such as advising students.

At the end, each group developed a poster that was evaluated by industry and agency members, faculty members from different departments, and graduate students from different fields.

According to the final project guidelines, the posters were designed to include key contents:

1. Introduction: Explain the background and motivation behind your chosen solution; highlight the sustainability challenges in traditional construction materials and methods.
2. Objectives: Clearly state the objectives of your project. Specify what you aim to achieve with your sustainable solution.
3. Proposed Solution: Describe your proposed sustainable material, including the sources of materials. Explain its components, manufacturing process, and intended application in civil engineering construction. Justify why your solution is sustainable compared to conventional methods.
4. Literature Review: Conduct a thorough review of journal papers and other academic sources related to your proposed solution. Summarize key findings and insights from existing research. Discuss how your solution builds upon or diverges from previous work.
5. Prototype Development and Evaluation: Detail the tentative process of developing prototypes for your sustainable solution. List the materials and/or material combinations and key laboratory tests performed to characterize the materials. Include information on manufacturing techniques and provide visual representations (e.g., diagrams, drawings) of your prototypes (own or from literature). Present experimental results or simulations demonstrating its effectiveness.
6. Sustainability Justification: Discuss the environmental, social, and economic benefits of your sustainable solution. Address any potential drawbacks or limitations. Use relevant data and references to support your arguments.

Below is the list of topics they selected:

"That was a great symposium! UNL and all of the professors, TAs, and students should be very proud! The students really represented UNL Engineering and Sustainability Innovations to an exemplary level!" said Robert Rea (Nebraska Department of Transportation, Materials and Research Division), one of the judges of the event.

This was an amazing experience for undergraduate students. It was a way to showcase their knowledge and apply theoretical concepts in a problem-based activity. “Thank you for putting this event together! It was so much fun to be a part of it. Creative freedom leads to innovation! My group and I felt so inspired by the opportunity to create our own research project, especially as just sophomores and juniors. It was truly a great experience,” said Chloe Mann, a Sophomore Civil and Environmental Engineering student.

We thank our judges (faculty and graduate students from multiple departments, and state agency and industry members) for making this event even more special for our students. We also acknowledge the support of the CEE department and the College of Engineering for providing resources for gift bags, poster printing, instructional space at Kiewit Hall, and cookies! This experience will continue to be built upon as students progress in CIVE courses, ensuring a solid foundation for their future endeavors in civil and environmental engineering.