Virginia Tech has added a new dimension to its construction education program with a spacious innovation lab where students can observe, collaborate and gain hands-on experience with faculty research into cutting-edge technologies and approaches.

Located inside a recently opened multipurpose academic building in the center of the university’s Blacksburg campus, the three-story facility is equipped with an overhead gantry crane to easily maneuver large components and equipment across its 4,000 sq ft of floor space.

“It’s an at-scale space where we can mock-up, build and work with industry processes,” explains Andrew McCoy, associate director of Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction.

Using a recently acquired robotic 3-D concrete printer, students can work with faculty to build entire sections of a home or test the performance of different wall section designs as a step toward more efficiently creating affordable housing. Other projects focused on robotics and other automated construction systems are expected to begin soon.

Virginia Tech professor Kereshmeh Afsari, managing director of the school’s Automation and Robotics in Construction and Design Engineering (ARCADE) Lab, says the lab’its projects “have the potential to expose students to transformative technologies, and help them gain the critical thinking and technical skills competencies that they can take with them to their careers.”

An experimental limestone-clad moment frame donated by Hitt Contracting is on display as an example of how different materials can be used with such structures. Photo courtesy Virginia Tech Myers-Lawson School of Construction.

Another key facet of the new facility is its accessibility to other students, staff and visitors. Passers-by can also observe research activity through the lab’s expansive windows, while a surrounding plaza and courtyard provides additional public space for outdoor demonstrations, teaching and events that showcase these efforts. Currently, an experimental limestone-clad moment frame donated by Hitt Contracting of West Falls Church, Va., is on display as an example of how different materials can be used with such structures.

Without the new lab, McCoy says, “we’d have to go through the logistics of arranging student visits to off-campus locations. Now, we have a convenient space where we can do all this while other students can watch. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all students to learn about the construction industry.”

Formally known as the Procon Innovation Center, the facility is sponsored by McLean, Va.-based construction management firm Procon Consulting, co-founded in 2000 by Virginia Tech engineering graduates Mark Ilich and Kyu Jung.

While the facility’s immediate research pursuits envision applications of existing technology, “we can see an even more radical transformation in the coming years with artificial intelligence and other innovations playing a greater role in our industry,” Illich says. “The Innovation Center will enable students to not only take part in those advancements, but also help engage the public with our industry and what we do.”

The facility is sponsored by construction management firm Procon Consulting, co-founded by Virginia Tech engineering graduates Mark Ilich and Kyu Jung. Photo courtesy Procon Consulting

Jung adds that the Innovation Center will also expose students to the importance of research, and provide tools that weren’t available to him and Illich during their undergraduate years.

“There’s a huge gap in construction research, which limits the industry’s ability to innovate,” he says. “We want to do our part to inspire the next generation of leaders to change the way we do things by creating and fostering an environment where they can think about what the future holds, and be part of the solution.”