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

  • Spaces4Learning Announces 2026 Product Award Winners

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2026 Product Awards! The award program spotlights outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to enhance K–12 and higher-education learning environments.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts

    Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Indiana University Launches Capital Campus in D.C.

    Indiana University recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new IU Capital Campus in Washington, D.C., according to university news. The eight-story facility will provide a central hub for the university’s existing programs and business operations based in D.C., uniting them under one roof and providing the opportunity to expand.