Research Experience for Teachers 2003
Composites in Construction

Jed Lyons, Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of South Carolina

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7KB NSF logo in color, .gif format
Objective: To enhance the ability of middle and high school teachers to use inquiry and engineering problem solving techniques in the science and mathematics classes that they teach.

People:   Five high school science and mathematics teachers participated in 2003.  Several teach research or pre-engineering courses.

Ideas:  The RET program utilizes inquiry-based learning and collaborative problem solving techniques.  The teachers work together as a team to plan and conduct experiments within a research framework that is provided by a professor.  In this way, the teachers own the project and results.  

Focus group assessment results indicate that this experience develops research processes skills and increases content knowledge.

High school teachers Laura Lanni (Dutch Fork),
 Al Gates (Dutch Fork), Michelle Sutton (Spring Valley), KaReem Beckett (Keenan) and
 Martin Cwiakala (Keenan) were supported by the National Science Foundation to improve our understanding of how advanced fiber reinforced polymer composite materials can be used to enhance our civil infrastructure. 

The 2003 Summer Research Program

The research objective was to determine the effects of rubber toughening and mechanical impact on the effectiveness of composite-wrapped concrete columns.

Wrapped Column Testing Movie
 > More movies from Dr. Harries

The teachers fabricated composites on concrete columns and beams using commercial graphite fiber, epoxy resin and different amounts and types of crumb rubber. The rubber was donated by Michelin Retread Technologies.

  

 
   

 

The teachers designed and constructed a drop tower to impact their samples. They crushed columns, fractured composites and peeled overlays off the concrete. They analyzed data and wrote reports.

 

 

 “At first there was a lot of ‘What am I doing’ and ‘What if it doesn’t work.’ Then you learn how to figure out a problem and how the whole research process goes from start to finish.  But when we broke all those columns, that was just fun.”

 

 Lesson Plans 

As part of the RET program, teachers develop laboratory modules and lesson plans that are derived from their research to take back and use in their classroom.

Here are some examples of their work.

 

Page updated by lyons@sc.edu on 09/19/2003.  Copyright University of South Carolina, 2003.