The center was awarded to the university based on the quality of its faculty and their research performance. Researchers study the effects of pavement management, design, construction, quality control, rehabilitation, and maintenance practices on pavement behavior and performance under traffic load. MSU was selected to administer and direct the activities of the center based on the expertise of the faculty and their research performance. A branch office also has been established at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Members set the consortium's research agenda by presenting industrial problems to faculty, reviewing their research proposals, and choosing those that best meet their specific needs.
Projects typically span one to two years and seed further work funded from other sources.
Project areas include developing management tools for environmentally conscious manufacturing assessment, designing new industrial processes, optimizing manufacturing scheduling and layout, and others. Human postures and the contours, deformations, and support forces of people interacting with seats are measured and modeled to better design and evaluate seating products. The research involves the mechanical and microstructural analysis of tissue samples and of objects being designed to interact with the body. Research is performed using finite element analysis and computer simulations. Funding comes from both government health research proposals and from industry grants to improve or validate their product designs.