University of Arkansas Civil Engineering Research Center Breaks Ground

FAYETTEVILLE, AR –Leaders from across Arkansas gathered in early November to celebrate the groundbreaking of the University of Arkansas’ Civil Engineering Research and Education Center at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park. Known as CEREC, the 37,400-square-foot, $13.8-million facility will serve as a research and teaching space for the Department of Civil Engineering and will be a resource for academic, government, and industrial partners across Arkansas.

UArkansas Civil Engineering 500

The space includes a high-bay structural testing facility with a four-foot thick “strong-floor” capable of testing large-scale structural systems and components. It will also house a 25-ton rail crane to move heavy materials.

The facility will be the first of its kind in Arkansas. Currently, large-scale structural components must be sent out of state for testing. CEREC will allow academic, industry, and government researchers to conduct cutting-edge experimental research in-state.CEREC will also serve as a living laboratory for several hundred students annually, and the facility has space for 15 faculty members to conduct research.

The project is expected to be complete in spring 2021, with the first classes set to start in the fall of that year.

Featured

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • blurry image capturing students navigating crowded hallways between classes

    How Human Behavior Data Is Reshaping Campus Facilities Management

    The ebb and flow of students, faculty, and administrators across a campus have a larger impact on maintenance, cleaning, and sustainability than many realize.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.