Highway Research Center graduate student receives fellowship from American Concrete Institute
Published: May 13, 2025 1:40 PM
By Dustin Duncan
Stanton Freeman, a graduate student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been awarded a 2025-26 fellowship from the American Concrete Institute (ACI).
Freeman, who is pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering, will receive the Tribute to the Founders Fellowship, which includes $10,000 for tuition, housing, books and materials. He will also be recognized in Concrete International magazine and on the ACI Foundation website and will receive paid travel and registration to attend two ACI conventions during the award year. Freeman will also receive assistance in finding an industry mentor.
According to Anton Schindler, director of the Highway Research Center (HRC), Freeman is currently performing research on an HRC project for the Texas Department of Transportation aimed at developing a new method to measure autogenous and drying shrinkage in mortar and concrete for the transportation industry. With this new test method, the performance of new binders and repair materials can be assessed to improve the sustainability and performance of our infrastructure.
“Stanton is an excellent student with significant practical work experience that has excelled in performing research,” Schindler said.
Originally from Hoover, Alabama, Freeman will transition to doctoral studies at Auburn after completing his master’s degree this summer. Currently, his research focuses on concrete materials, specifically investigating autogenous shrinkage in concrete.
“Our new method enhances accuracy, is easier to construct and run and importantly, can be applied to concrete as well as mortar and cement paste — unlike the current method, which is limited to mortar and paste,” Freeman said. “Additionally, our approach is capable of measuring both autogenous and total shrinkage.”
He said the research is crucial due to recent advancements in concrete technology that have led to lower water-to-cement ratios.
“Traditionally, concrete had sufficiently high water-to-cement ratios, making drying shrinkage the dominant factor, and autogenous shrinkage was generally overlooked,” Freeman said. “However, modern concretes can exhibit significant autogenous shrinkage, sometimes equaling or exceeding drying shrinkage, leading to excessive cracking and structural damage. Developing an accurate test method specifically designed for these modern concretes is vital, as the existing standard test is technically not suitable for concrete.”
Freeman said his future goals include specializing in forensic structural engineering, with a particular emphasis on concrete. He also hopes to work on historic concrete structures around the world, combining fieldwork with technical expertise.
Founded in 1904, ACI is one of the world’s leading technical and educational organizations in the field of concrete with 94 chapters, 244 student chapters and 40,000 members spanning more than 120 countries.
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