Advancing Innovative and Durable Concrete from Research to Real-World Implementation
Bridging Innovation & Practice
The Lab2Slab program, a joint effort between UC Pavement Research Center (UCPRC) and UC Davis Materials Decarbonization and Sustainability Center (MDSC), is accelerating the adoption of sustainable concrete technologies through rigorous, stepwise evaluation.
Concrete must deliver long service life and steady performance, yet new materials often move slowly into practice because owners and builders need reliable evidence that these materials will hold up in real conditions. Promising innovations stall when they are not evaluated through a clear process that confirms durability, constructability, and long-term behavior.
The Lab2Slab program addresses this need by applying a structured, step-wise, comprehensive testing framework to address risk and communicate results with standardized reporting. The goal is to shorten the adoption timeline from 10+ years to just 2–5 years.
Initial funding for the initiative comes from the American Concrete Institute’s Foundation (ACI Foundation), and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The program is also supported by membership dues from paying industry members.