Funded Research

Current Funded Projects

Principal Investigator

Build Strong Pavement with Scrap Tire Rubber and Nylon Fiber
PI: Q. Dai (95%) Co-PI: Z. You (5%)
Funding Agency: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Funded: $95,002 Total project value (including cost share): $190,004 Date: 2021-2022

New techniques for producing durable fiber-reinforced rubber concrete used in structure applications
PI: Q. Dai (95%) Co-PI: Z. You (5%)
Funding Agency: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Funded: $85,000 Total project value (including cost share): $170,000 Date: 2020-2022

Fiber-reinforced High-performance Rubber Concrete for Concrete Structure Construction and Repair
PI: Q. Dai Co-PI: Z. You
Funding Agency: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Funded: $287,518 Total project value: $575,036 Date: 2016-2018

Collaborative Research: Nexus of Simulation, Sensing and Actuation for Aerodynamic Vibration Reduction of Wind Turbine Blades (collaborate with Dr. Yu at Case Western Reserve University)
PI: Q. Dai Co-PI: F. Ponta
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Funded: $269,012 Total Project Value: $309,188 Date: 2013-2019

Collaborative Research: Nexus of Simulation, Sensing and Actuation for Aerodynamic Vibration Reduction of Wind Turbine Blades (REU support)
PI: Q. Dai Co-PI: F. Ponta
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Funded: $9,800 Total Project Value: $9,800 Date: 2013-2019

Co-Principal Investigator

Enhancing electrical grid and community resilience through repurposing decommissioned mines into underground pumped storage facilities
PI: Roman Sidortsov           Co-PI: Q. Dai (15%) as one of Co-PIs
Funding Agency: Sloan Foundation Grant
Funded: $49,963                 Total project value: $76,443                 Date: 2019-2020
The share of funding: about $7,500

Using New Rubber Technology to Construct High Volume Traffic Road in Kalamazoo
PI: Z. You Co-PI: Q. Dai
Funding Agency: Road Commission of Kalamazoo County
Funded: $85,000 Total project value: $17,000 Date: 2018-2019

Using Rubberized Overlay to Maintain High Volume Traffic Road in Dickinson
PI: Z. You Co-PI: Q. Dai
Funding Agency: Dickinson Country Road Commission
Funded: $75,000 Total project value: $150,000 Date: 2018-2019

Tire Rubber Modified Asphalt Emulsion for Effective Pavement Preservation
PI: Z. You Co-PI: Q. Dai
Funding Agency: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Funded: $431,000 Total project value: $862,000 Date: 2017-2019

Completed Project as PI

Incorporating Surface-Treated Rubber Particles into Portland Cement and Geopolymer Concrete to Improve Field Performance
PI: Q. Dai Co-PI: S. Fang, Z. You
Funding Agency: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Funded: $333,463 Total project value: $666,926 Date: 2015-2017

REF-Research Seed: An Electroactive Multiphase Material System with Enhanced Mechanical Properties and Self-Healing and Energy-Harvesting Functions
PI: Q. Dai
Sponsor: Michigan Tech Research Excellence Fund
Funded: $26,000 Date: 2013-2014

Microfluidic Fabrication of Self-Healing Microfibers for Composite Construction Materials
PI: Q. Dai Co-PI: D. Meng, Z. You
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Funded: $298,921 Total Project Value: $395,698 Date: 2009-2014
(Note: PI was switched between Drs. Q. Dai and D.Meng in January 2014)

Induction Healing of Asphalt Composites Containing Conductive Fibers
PI: Q. Dai
Sponsor: Michigan Tech Transportation Research Institute
Funded: $5,000 Total project value: $10,000 Date: 2012-2013

REF-Mentor Grant: Integrated Computational and Experimental Approach for infrastructure Materials.
PI: Q. Dai
Sponsor: Michigan Tech Research Excellence Fund
Funded: $10,000 Date: 2012-2014

Collaborative Research: Understanding Mechanism of Internal Frost-Induced Damage of Concrete from Microstructure Aspects (collaborate with Dr. Yu at Case Western Reserve University)
PI: Q. Dai Co-PI: Z. You
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Funded: $190,000 Total Project Value: $225,000 (estimated) Date: 2009-2013

Embedded Piezoelectric Structural Fiber Sensor-Actuator network for Passively Dampening Space Structures
PI: Q. Dai
Sponsor: Michigan Space Grant Consortium
Funded: $5,000 Total Project Value: $10,000 Date: 2010-2012

Completed Project as Co-PI

Low Emission Asphalt Pavements with Crumb Rubber
PI: Z. You CO-PI: Q. Dai
Sponsor: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Funded: $855,860 Total project value: $1,771,720 Date: 2014-2016

Development of Advanced Ultrasonic Techniques for Air Void Size Distribution in Early-Stage and Hardened Concrete
PI: Z. Liu CO-PI: Q. Dai
Sponsor: Michigan Tech Transportation Research Institute
Funded: $10,000 Total project value: $20,000 Date: 2014-2016

Alternative Materials for Sustainable Transportation (bio asphalt)
PI: Z. You                              CO-PI: Q. Dai
Sponsor: Federal Highway Administration Passes through Michigan Department of Transportation
Funded: $299,960            Total project value: $330,764                                     Date: 2009-2013
A Microstructure-Based Modeling Approach to Characterize Asphalt Materials, project #0701264
PI: Z. You                         CO-PI: Q. Dai, T. Van Dam
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Funded:    $173,698         Total project value: $206,244                         Date: 2007-2013
Laboratory Evaluation of Warm Mix Asphalt
PI: Z. You                              CO-PI: Q. Dai
Sponsor: Federal Highway Administration Passes through Michigan Department of Transportation
Funded: $190,000                        Total project value: $228,100                                     Date: 2008-2011
Development of New Test Procedures for Measuring Fine and Coarse Aggregate Specific Gravities PI: Z. You                              CO-PI: Q. Dai
Sponsor: Federal Highway Administration Passes through Michigan Department of Transportation
Funded: $181,924            Total project value: $245,597                                      Date: 2007-2009