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Wavelogix, a contech firm that manufactures concrete strength sensors invented by a Purdue University professor, has received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, according to a March 11 announcement.

The technology, known as the Rebel concrete strength-sensing system, uses Internet of Things sensors embedded in concrete to help builders gain accurate, real-time temperature and strength readings. With the information, builders can improve efficiency and cut back on cement overuse and waste, according to Wavelogix’s website.

Using the cash, Wavelogix plans to focus on the engineering and manufacturing that will allow the company to expand pilot programs for the Rebel System. It aims to generate validation data for state DOTs and work with agencies to support specification development and acceptance, Joe Turek, Wavelogix’s CEO, told Construction Dive via email.

Luna Lu, an engineering professor at Purdue University and the founder of Wavelogix, invented the technology.

Wavelogix’s system went to market in 2023. In 2024, more than half the states with concrete interstate pavement participated in a Federal Highway Administration study to implement Wavelogix’s sensors, including Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Kansas, California, Texas, Tennessee, Colorado and Utah. The tech has now been tested across 17 states and more than 60 projects, according to the firm’s website. 

“We’re at an inflection point where the technology can start delivering real value at scale for the construction industry,” Turek said in the release.

The sensors embed into fresh concrete pours to measure strength during a cure to convey when highway pavement is strong enough for traffic, according to a Purdue news release. The tech is also being tested for use in bridges, airport runways and buildings.

Indeed, Wavelogix’s latest grant comes as Congress mulls the forthcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill. With the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act sunsetting at the end of the fiscal year, industry pros are hoping for new funding in excess of $550 billion. Public contractors, such as Dallas-based AECOM and Watsonville, California-based Granite, specifically called out the potential reauthorization during their recent earnings calls.

Wavelogix’s latest funding award came via the NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research Phase IIB grant, according to the announcement, and builds on a $1 million SBIR Phase II grant the firm received in 2024.