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MIAMI – A Florida International University laboratory that tests materials to make sure they comply with Miami-Dade County’s strict hurricane-resistant building code will get a boost in its efforts to keep the community safe.
Titan America LLC, the premier cement and building materials producer in the eastern United States, on Monday will present a $250,000 gift – worth $500,000 with state match – to support the FIU Structures and Construction Testing Laboratory in the College of Engineering and Computing.
In recognition of the gift, FIU will rename the laboratory the Titan America Structures and Construction Testing Laboratory. A dedication ceremony will be held on Monday, Sept. 14 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. in the laboratory at the FIU Engineering Center, 10555 West Flagler Street, located on the corner of Flagler Street and Southwest 107th Avenue. The laboratory is located in the OU building, on the north side of the Engineering Center.
“The partnership we’re forming with FIU reflects Titan America’s dedication to corporate social responsibility, one of our core values,” said Aris Papadopoulos, Titan America CEO. “At a time when we are in the midst of an economic storm, this shows the deep commitment to education and progress of both FIU and Titan.”
The 2,250-square-foot Titan America Structures and Construction Testing Laboratory, part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is designed to test full-scale structural members, components and systems, such as concrete joists and lintels. It carries out applied and fundamental research, as well as product development and code compliance testing. The lab also provides expert engineering and scientific support for forensic investigation, structural diagnosis, non-destructive testing as well as rehabilitation recommendations, and is the site of professional development certification seminars and industry training workshops.
In 2008, Miami-Dade County granted accreditation to the lab, making it an official site for determining whether building materials and other products comply with the county’s strict building code. It is the only such accredited testing lab in a Florida university, as well as one of the largest.
“Titan America’s generous gift will help our laboratory continue its mission of keeping our community safe, making products more economical and the industry more competitive,” said Amir Mirmiran, dean of the FIU College of Engineering and Computing. ”We are excited about working with Titan America, an industry leader, and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”
The lab’s mission is to provide a hands-on educational experience for students; to support research and development of innovative hurricane-resistant and durable construction materials, structural systems and components; to serve the construction industry; to contribute to the engineering community in South Florida, and to advance the safety, durability, and economy of civil infrastructure.
For more information on the Titan America Structures and Construction Testing Laboratory, contact Dean Amir Mirmiran at 305-348-2522 or mirmiran@fiu.edu. For more information about the lab, visit http://www.eng.fiu.edu/cee/Facilities_Structures.htm
Media Contacts: Madeline Baró, 305-348-2234; Kate McClain, Titan America LLC, 757-858-6517
—FIU—
About Titan America LLC:
Titan America LLC is the premier heavy building materials producer in the eastern United States. Operations include cement plants, ready-mixed concrete plants, concrete block plants, quarries, cement terminals and fly ash beneficiation facilities. Titan America is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. Tarmac America is a Titan America business that operates ready-mixed concrete and concrete block plants throughout Florida. Titan’s parent company, Titan Cement, is headquartered in Athens, Greece and is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange. For more information visit www.titanamerica.com.
About FIU:
Florida International University was founded in 1965 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, its 17 colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. More than 100,000 FIU alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University”. In August 2009, FIU welcomed the inaugural class of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu.
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