Mija Hubler News

CUE Magazine: Building Blocks

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 17:05:15 +0000

CUE Magazine: Building Blocks Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/06/2024 - 11:05

CU Boulder faculty developed an eco-friendly cement that emits little to no carbon dioxide and recycles 95 percent of its water. In 2021, they commercialized it as Prometheus Materials. The company produces bio-concrete using blue-green algae, mimicking natural processes that form seashells and coral reefs.

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Forbes spotlights CU Boulder green concrete spinout

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:14:08 +0000

Forbes spotlights CU Boulder green concrete spinout Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/20/2023 - 10:14

Forbes Magazine is featuring groundbreaking research conducted by faculty members at CU Boulder in the field of eco-friendly concrete.

Cement is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, responsible for about eight percent of global output.

Prometheus Materials, a company co-founded by Wil Srubar and Mija Hubler, associate professors in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, is commercializing an algae-based form of concrete developed from research at CU Boulder.

This new concrete that can be grown in a laboratory and has significant potential to drastically reduce environmental pollution caused by construction activities around the globe.

Read the full article at Forbes...

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CEAE researchers' work published in Concrete International magazine

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 19:28:11 +0000

CEAE researchers' work published in Concrete International magazine Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/25/2023 - 13:28

The article, "Carbon-Negative Pilot," was published in the August issue of Concrete International magazine. Authors include Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering researchers Yao Wang, a post doctoral research associate working in Mija Hubler's lab; Associate Professor Mija Hubler; Associate Professor Wil V. Srubar III; Shane Frazier, a graduate student in the Materials Science and Engineering Program, working in the Living Materials Lab under Srubar; and Linfei Li, a postdoctoral researcher in Hubler's lab, and others.

Their research explores the possibility of storing carbon in permanent building elements to reduce our carbon footprint.

The project involved research integrating products from two start-ups which spun out of CU Boulder —Prometheus Materials, a company spun out of the CEAE labs of Srubar, Hubler and Sherri Cook; and Jeff Cameron in Biochemistry at the College of Arts and Sciences; and Minus Materials, which uses microalgae to produce CO2-storing biominerals for the cement and concrete industry.

The article discusses testing a system designed to achieve overall carbon negativity. The system comprises a concrete slab supporting a wall constructed using concrete masonry units (CMUs). The concrete slab was made of alkali-activated cement containing algae-derived carbon-storing, biogenic limestone. The CMUs contain biomineralizing microalgae and a proprietary hydrogel binder as cement replacement.

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$10M Department of Defense project for self-repairing concrete inspired by human vascular systems

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 21:46:44 +0000

$10M Department of Defense project for self-repairing concrete inspired by human vascular systems Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/01/2023 - 15:46

Susan Glairon

Each time Mija Hubler drives through Denver she notices bridges patched with concrete and thinks about how such structures can fail.

Hubler, an associate professor in CU Boulder’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, envisions a future where concrete cracks are repaired deep within to prevent such failures. She and her team of CU Boulder researchers and partners are developing technology that infuses concrete with self-repair capabilities found in living organisms.

“Bridges are just patched again and again,” Hubler says. “My dream is to extend the structures’ lifetime by integrating this technology into new and aging construction.”

The project, "Reinforced Concrete Repair by an Evolving Visualized Internal Vascular Ecosystem (RC-REVIVE)" research team, has landed a $10 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biorestoration of Aged Concrete (BRACE) program, which draws inspiration from networks of filamentous fungi and human vascular systems.

The idea is that networks of cracks in concrete can naturally provide a pathway to facilitate internal healing, similar to the veins in human bodies. Creating a biological network within a structure will allow the team to introduce nutrients and organisms for concrete self-repair.

Led by Hubler, the research team includes Associate Professor Wil Srubar, Associate Teaching Professor Chris Senseney and Assistant Professor Srikanth Madabhushi as well as four researchers from Drexel University and North Carolina State University.

Leveraging cracked networks to extend a concrete structure’s lifespan has never been done before, Hubler says. The team’s approach has the potential to transform the maintenance and durability of concrete structures, reducing long-term repair costs, she adds.

The project’s immediate goal is to enhance the longevity of Department of Defense structures and airfield pavements. If successful, the project will not only prevent new damage, but also shorten repair time, reduce maintenance costs and extend the life of infrastructure.

The 4.5-year research effort consists of a strategic track, focusing on long-term solutions for large, heavy structures such as missile silos and naval piers, and a tactical track for improving rapid airfield damage repair.

Susan Glairon sat down with principal investigator Associate Professor Mija Hubler to find out more about the project.
Why is this project important to you?
I have been studying the long term deterioration of large reinforced concrete structures since I was a graduate student. Reinforced concrete structures not only cost dollars, but also lives, because they fall apart much earlier than expected.

This project combines my work developing new living materials for structural applications with my extensive background in studying the deterioration of existing reinforced concrete structures. It’s an exciting project because it merges those two areas.

What’s different about this project?
Compared to other projects I've worked on that utilized bio approaches for engineering applications, this project specifically focuses on vascularization. We draw inspiration from the idea that concrete crack networks naturally provide a pathway, similar to the veins in our bodies. By creating a biological pathway within the structure, we can introduce nutrients and organisms, enabling self-repair capabilities.

The bacteria will repair cracks through mineral deposition.

Why is the proposed method a better way to repair concrete?
Currently we repair concrete after the damage has reached the surface, but typically the damage begins subsurface. Patching the broken surface is not actually repairing the system. Our method addresses the damage from within, allowing more effective and lasting repairs.

Why are you looking at a bio solution?
Researchers across all disciplines of engineering are realizing the importance of collaborations with biology and bioengineering. In this project, we're exploring a combination of organisms that are either available in the wild or engineered to fulfill a specific purpose.

How do these organisms survive?
It depends on which organism. For a photosynthetic organism, light may be sufficient. For non-photosynthetic organisms, additional stimulants can be incorporated into the material to encourage them to grow or respond. You can also promote the growth of certain organisms with an electric field through a current applied to the system.

How many years might an organism be able to make repairs?
It depends on the organism. We are putting these organisms in an environment they don't like to live in. Concrete is not an ideal habitat for any organism, so we plan to engineer coating and other technologies to help the organisms live longer. Additionally, we might need to periodically check on the vascular system and provide it with additional nutrients to support the organism’s existence. Our approach shifts the focus from yearly surface repairs to monitoring the health of the vascular network.

Is the research focused on repairing existing concrete or is it to prevent cracks in new concrete as well?
The first two years of the project primarily focuses on developing a bio-based repair technique. After this initial stage, the team will explore two potential applications. One application involves the underground repair of aged, reinforced concrete, including filling existing cracks, and mitigating corrosion from rebars. The other application focuses on repairing extensively damaged airfields, which is different because when an airfield is damaged, it results in regions of missing material. So our technology will need to be incorporated into a new repair material that resembles fresh concrete. We have design metrics aimed at determining the capacity of repaired sections to accommodate aircraft landings. CU Boulder is leading both applications.

How will you assess the longevity of internal repairs?
We will assess the mechanical and chemical condition of the concrete along with the effectiveness of the biological repair system. That information will be used by our modeling experts to develop a numerical model that predicts the structure’s lifetime.

Will this technology be used just for military applications, or will the research be used to improve civilian roads and bridges?
While DARPA projects are often inspired by military needs, most technologies initially developed for one purpose may be used for other purposes as well. Although the project intends to address an array of challenges faced by the military, the resulting product could be utilized for civilian infrastructure as well.

Structural Engineering Professor Mija Hubler and her team of researchers and partners are developing a technology that infuses concrete with self-repair capabilities found in living organisms. The project has landed a $10 million Department of Defense grant.

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Mija Hubler, Research & Innovation Community Talk: The Life Cycle of Construction Materials

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 14:56:08 +0000

Mija Hubler, Research & Innovation Community Talk: The Life Cycle of Construction Materials Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/15/2023 - 07:56

In this talk, Associate Professor Mija Hubler (Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering) discusses how construction materials have been understood historically and how her research is helping reimagine materials and processes with sustainability in mind.

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Mija Hubler receives $500,000 DOE award

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 18:53:43 +0000

Mija Hubler receives $500,000 DOE award Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 12/05/2022 - 11:53

Mija Hubler, associate professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, received a three-year award for $500,000 from the Department of Energy for “High-Performing Carbon-Negative Concrete Using Low Value Byproducts from Biofuels Production.”

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Hubler earns NSF CAREER award to advance living building materials

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 15:38:17 +0000

Hubler earns NSF CAREER award to advance living building materials Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/22/2022 - 09:38

Assistant Professor Mija Hubler is a recipient of a three year, $548,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award for her proposal “Mechanical Modeling of Living Building Materials for Structural Applications.”

Major advances are being made in the study of living building materials that can be grown in the laboratory and could replace concrete, a significant driver of CO2 emissions in the construction industry

“This research is about creating a mechanical model for living building material,” Hubler said. “The model will enable the design of structures and the engineering of living building material to achieve the desired performance needed for structural applications.”

NSF CAREER awards support early career faculty who are dedicated to research and education. Hubler is using this project to integrate her education and research goals through the study of mechanics in civil infrastructure materials, as well as to improve the recruitment and retention of female and non-traditional students in research and innovation career tracks.

“These activities can help meet a growing workforce demand and support cross-disciplinary innovation for infrastructure materials,” Hubler said. “I hope to grow interest in research careers from a broad audience in this area in part by working with Colorado Mesa University to engage students there in working with living building materials.”

Hubler said that using living building materials for structural applications will help replace concrete as the main building material used in construction today.

“Living building material does not require cement, which is the binding ingredient of concrete that drives its large carbon footprint,” Hubler said. “It is much more crack resistant than concrete and enables material recycling.”

Alternatives to concrete are of interest to civil engineers and the construction industry to address both building durability concerns and CO2 impact. Although past new construction materials have been rejected due to lacking the mechanical properties and behavior of traditional materials, Hubler said living building materials show major promise.

“I have been inspired to better understand what features of the material control the mechanics to engineer new materials to better meet expectations, and also to develop mechanical models of new construction materials to enable them to be adopted into design practices,” Hubler said.

Hubler believes that the model her group will develop will also be applicable to other novel materials, including reinforced metal foams and stabilized soils. She anticipates developing a practical model for living building materials within the next two years, with a five-year goal of using the model to design a full-scale beam composed of living material.

Hubler is a faculty member at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and the Materials Science and Engineering Program and serves as the Co-Director of the Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing.

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Seed grant opens research into future of construction materials, site tools

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 16:15:21 +0000

Seed grant opens research into future of construction materials, site tools Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/14/2022 - 09:15

Researchers at CU Boulder are developing an app that could reliably and quickly predict whether batches of concrete made at construction sites are safe. If successful, the work could usher in a new era of building that is faster, more cost effective and safer overall for everyone.

The work is still in its early stages and is funded by a seed grant from the Engineering Education and AI-Augmented Learning Interdisciplinary Research Theme within the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Assistant Professor Mija Hubler of civil, environmental and architectural engineering said the goal of the project was to develop an app that could collect and analyze sample images of concrete for possible defects using machine learning techniques based on composition, fault lines and visual clues.

“To do that today, we have to send samples to the lab where it is then destroyed to be analyzed – so it isn’t a very efficient process in many ways,” she said. “We are hoping to develop something where you could cut a sample open on site, take a picture and understand how that batch will perform mechanically.”

Hubler said the approach is similar to medical techniques, in which doctors examine images of bones or organs to make assessments with increasingly sophisticated tools and techniques.

However, concrete is a much less homogeneous material, which makes assessment tricky. And users of such an app would need at least some basic education about machine learning to understand the inherent uncertainty in the predictions and how to proceed with them.

“We are talking about – essentially – a smart tool here. These kinds of tools and skills are going to become more common in construction over the next 20 years, especially with the introduction of autonomous vehicles,” she said. “We quickly realized then that it is more of a question of education for everyone on the site. How do we teach these skills? How much does someone need to know about machine learning to use these tools? That is why it fits well with the Engineering Education and AI-Augmented Learning Interdisciplinary Research Theme.”

To address those kinds of questions, Hubler is working with computer science Assistant Teaching Professor Geena Kim. Kim said that while artificial intelligence and machine learning are increasingly common in her field, many other branches of engineering are just starting to use those concepts. She added that the scale and size of data sets in civil engineering make for interesting challenges when creating the needed algorithms, testing with students and understanding the results for broad applications.

“We need to get more data and observations to really understand how people will interact with this app and what their personal experience with AI and machine learning needs to be to use it properly,” she said. “This work will also help with our understanding of these concepts in curriculum and workforce development over time.”

Hubler said the team will continue to refine their approach, while also seeking collaborators at CU Boulder and beyond.

“The primary way we assess and track our infrastructure in America is through visual inspections, so this kind of tool would be quite powerful,” she said.

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Carbon capture DOE-funded projects may lead to more durable concrete materials

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 22:34:44 +0000

Carbon capture DOE-funded projects may lead to more durable concrete materials Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/25/2021 - 16:34

Assistant Professor Mija Hubler and Melvin E. and Virginia M. Clark Professor Al Weimer are collaborating on linked Department of Energy-funded projects to capture and repurpose carbon products from fuel sources into materials for concrete bricks. They hope to reduce pollution while also making stronger, more resilient building materials that require less maintenance and repairs over time.

The collaboration began in 2019, when the researchers received a Research and Innovation Office seed grant for their “Extremely Durable Concrete using Methane Decarbonization Nanofiber Byproducts” project. Based on the results of their initial study, they applied for two separate but related Department of Energy grants the following year.

“Our initial collaboration was motivated by the need to produce a byproduct to financially enable hydrogen for the transportation industry,” Hubler said. “We had previously shown there were benefits of adding solid carbon to concrete. We saw the potential to benefit concrete for infrastructure applications at the same time.”

The DOE approved “Extremely Durable Concrete using Methane Decarbonization Nanofiber Co-products with Hydrogen” through the Office of Energy and Renewable Energy and “Modular Processing of Flare Gas for Carbon Nanoproducts” through the National Energy Technology Laboratory in 2020. The projects’ combined funding totals $4 million.

“Depending on the optimal percent of carbon nano-product being sequestered with addition to cement and concrete, it is possible to replace as much as 25% of the hydrogen used in the U.S. that is made by greenhouse gas-generating steam methane reforming,” Weimer said. “This will have a dramatic impact on reducing CO2 emissions.”

The “Extremely Durable Concrete” project seeks to displace hydrogen production by steam methane reforming with a low-cost and scalable chemical vapor deposition process that produces value-added carbon nano-products. The “Modular Processing of Flare Gas for Carbon Nanoproducts” project will create a modular process to react methane to a value-added carbon nano-product that holds the potential to convert vented or flared natural gas into a commercially viable product.

In both cases, these carbon products can be incorporated into concrete.

“The value-added carbon nano-product ‘sequesters’ carbon from methane as a solid,” Hubler said. “The addition of the carbon nanofiber product to concrete increases the service life of concrete structures. This reduces the need for repair and reconstruction of concrete infrastructure.”

This materials science project is a joint effort between Team Weimer, housed in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and the Hubler Research Group of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering.

“The collaboration means we learn a lot about material science research across these fields,” Hubler said. “We have a joint research team of students and postdocs across both projects and departments. Additionally, consultation from our industry partners Forge Nano and National Ready Mix Concrete Association ensures the applicability of our efforts.”

Weimer has been a member of the MSE Program since its founding. Hubler is joining the program this fall.

“Since my research projects entail studies of materials innovation for structural applications, I hope my joining the MSE Program will enable the subset of my students who pursue materials development to take classes directly related to their research and be part of a student cohort of other materials researchers,” Hubler said.

She pointed toward the benefits of materials research for both the natural and built environments.

“Beyond the basic drive for improved cost and performance, structural materials such as concrete are facing a crisis due to their carbon footprint,” she said. “They are the most produced materials in the world and their manufacture has a direct impact on the future climate. As a result, there is a need and urgency to reinvent the structural materials we build with today. The field of new structural materials is exciting and beyond traditional concepts incorporating smart, living, healing and computationally designed materials.”

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