Advanced Structures and Composites Center (http://composites.umaine.edu). The Advanced Structures and Composites Center is an interdisciplinary research center focusing on the underlying science, engineering, manufacturing technologies, and commercialization of low-cost, high-performance composite materials. Research and development emphases include: the development of deepwater offshore wind energy; nanocomposites; fiber reinforced polymer building, bridge and ship structures; advanced engineered wood composite materials for building construction applications; development of materials for force protection including inflatable composite bridge arches, ballistic tent inserts, and rapidly deployable buildings; wood decay and wood composites protection such as the durability of FRP-wood interfaces; extrusion of fiber/polymer-composite construction materials; structural reliability of FRP composites in ship assemblies; wind-hazards resistant advanced wood construction; development of advanced composite ship structures.

The Center is an ISO 17025 accredited 87,000ft2 state-of-the-art “one stop shop” for integrated composite materials research, development and testing. The Center’s laboratories provide capacities for the development of composite materials and structures from the conceptual stage through research, manufacturing prototypes, and subsequent testing and evaluation. Laboratory capabilities include: structural, mechanical, and environmental testing; nanocomposites R&D, wind and wave basin, robotic manufacturing, resin infusion, microscopy, polymer and interface science, and materials characterization; and 2 pilot lines for strand composites manufacturing and for composites extrusion.

The Center’s faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate student researchers come from a variety of disciplines including civil and environmental engineering, wood science & technology, construction management, business, mechanical engineering and resource economics. The Center carries out multi-year funded research from federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Highway Administration, the Office of Naval Research, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as product development and testing for hundreds of industrial clients worldwide.

Over 150 outstanding graduate and undergraduate students are selected every year to work at the Center on research that takes their educational experience beyond the classroom, while they pursue a degree in their “home” department. Graduate students have an opportunity to use the facilities, equipment and resources available at the Center. They have opportunities to gain experience in project management and supervision. Another important component of the student experience is the emphasis on commercial development and transfer of technology to industrial partners.

The Center’s Graduate Certificate in Advanced Engineered Wood Composites is a 16 credit program integrating civil engineering, composite technologies, wood science, and adhesives technology. Students in this program (1) acquire knowledge of wood-polymer and fiber-reinforced hybrid composites; (2) conduct and analyze material property characterization of hybrid composites; and (3) develop skills in assessing technology for product development of low-cost, high-performance hybrid composites.