MMR Cuts Ribbon on BIM Cave and Advanced Materials Lab

April 20, 2018

BATON ROUGE, La. – MMR, in conjunction with the LSU College of Engineering, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, April 18, to officially open the MMR Building Simulation and Information Modeling (BIM) Construction Management Studio and MMR Advanced Materials and Methods Laboratory. MMR President and CEO James B. “Pepper” Rutland was joined by LSU Engineering Dean Judy Wornat and Dr. Charles Berryman, chair of the Department of Construction Management.

“MMR is proud to support higher learning initiatives that will benefit our community and better prepare students for successful employment in the construction industry,” said Rutland, a 1972 alumnus of LSU’s first construction management graduating class.

Both the BIM Construction Management Studio and Advanced Materials and Laboratory were made possible by a $1 million gift from MMR, as well as support from the University Technology Fee program and matching funds from the Construction Industry Advisory Council. MMR also contributed significantly to the design, fabrication and installation of the environment structure during the summer of 2017.

The BIM “Cave,” as it is referred, is a virtual reality environment that features 44 55-inch 4K OLED displays in a circular formation and is designed to fit in a space of 24 feet by 48 feet, allowing a sizable group of students inside. Using virtual reality and BIM software within the environment, one can experience an immersive journey to see a building or structure before it is built, allowing designers or contractors to make changes well before actual construction has begun.In the Advanced Materials and Methods Laboratory, researchers and students collaborate on groundbreaking techniques to improve concrete and asphalt durability and sustainability. This includes studying the use of microcapsules and their ability to heal concrete upon cracking.

Both the BIM and Advanced Materials and Methods laboratories are a part of the recent $116 million Patrick F. Taylor Hall construction on LSU’s campus. Patrick F. Taylor Hall houses the College of Engineering and is now the largest academic building in the state of Louisiana and the largest engineering building in the U.S.

About MMR

MMR is the industry leader in instrumentation and electrical construction, maintenance and technical services. Under the leadership of President and CEO James “Pepper” Rutland, MMR continues to grow both regionally and nationally with 30 branch offices throughout North and South America.

For more information on MMR or to inquire about services offered, please visit our brochure, website or call 225-756-5090. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter.

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