Materials Engineering
Material engineers improve the road you travel on, the coal used to fuel a factory, and the sidewalk in your neighborhood. Through their study of
asphalt and bituminous materials, roads and sidewalks last longer and fuels, like coal, are more energy efficient.
The Materials area of emphasis in Civil Engineering provides freedom for students to develop a plan of study that will meet individual goals. Students take a broad range of courses including chemistry, construction, geology, mathematics, mechanics, and other engineering disciplines. Historically, the area has continuously maintained a balance between theoretical, experimental and practice-based approaches to solving problems. The Materials Engineering faculty are dedicated to teaching and research. The Materials Engineering Research Facilities offer hands-on experiences to undergraduate and graduate students.
Civil Engineering's Materials group has a loyal alumni network in both academia and private practice around the world. Research is divided into two broad themes: Asphalt and Bituminous Materials, and Portland Cement and Concrete. The American Concrete Institute at Purdue University also offers opportunities for students to bridge the gap between academic learning and professional practice.
Spotlights
May 27, 2021
Self-curing concrete, self-healing roads, and concrete that reduces the global carbon footprint. Purdue University engineers are looking at new ways to pave roads, ways to extend the life of roads and ways to make roadwork less resource- and carbon-intensive.
May 21, 2021
In the latest episode of the Engineering Management Institute's civil engineering podcasts, Dr. Luna Lu talks about intelligent infrastructure and how it can benefit civil engineers and the community.
March 12, 2021
A research project led by Prof. Luna Lu using sensors that could safely speed up a construction timeline by determining concrete strength directly onsite in real time has been featured in ASCE's Gamechanger series. The series highlights innovative engineering projects that provide essential services to American citizens through resilient, efficient, cost-effective and/or creative methods.
February 10, 2021
A team lead by Mirian Velay-Lizancos, assistant professor of civil engineering, proposes adding small amounts of nanoscale titanium dioxide to the cement paste that makes up concrete. The team found that titanium dioxide, a powdery substance known best for its uses in sunscreen, paints, plastics and food preservatives, enhances concrete's natural ability to sequester carbon dioxide.
February 10, 2021
Becky McDaniel made a lasting impression on the asphalt industry. A talented engineer and pragmatic researcher, she was a genuinely kind and compassionate person, a devoted wife and mother, whose 35-year career inspired a generation of academicians, practicing engineers and road-construction personnel. On May 2, 2020, Becky’s unexpected death left everyone she touched with a heavy heart. We are celebrating her contributions to our field through this symposium.
January 19, 2021
Pablo Zavattieri, Jerry M. and Lynda T. Engelhardt Professor in Civil Engineering, has been appointed to the Defense Materials, Manufacturing and its Infrastructure (DMMI) Standing Committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
December 21, 2020
How long it takes to construct a building depends in large part on when the concrete of each floor is strong enough to take on loads. Purdue engineers have developed sensors that could safely speed up a construction timeline by determining concrete strength directly onsite in real time. Purdue’s Engineering and Polytechnic Gateway Complex is a test bed for the new technology.
October 23, 2020
Getting run over by a car is not a near-death experience for the diabolical ironclad beetle. How the beetle survives could inspire the development of new materials with the same herculean toughness, engineers show in a paper published Wednesday (Oct. 21) in Nature.
September 14, 2020
Dr. Luna Lu, ACPA Professor of Civil Engineering, was presented with the 2020 CE Outstanding Mentor of Engineering Graduate Students Award by the Civil Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Council (CEGSAC).
August 19, 2020
A $1 million SBIR Phase II grant from the U.S. Air Force will help fast-track the development of a new innovative runway mat. Pablo Zavattieri, the Jerry M. and Lynda T. Engelhardt Professor in civil engineering at Purdue University, is working with Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies (ITAMCO) to develop the new runway mat. The team uses metal 3D printing methods for its technology.
August 7, 2020
The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday (Aug. 7) ratified the appointment of Pablo Zavattieri as the Jerry M. and Lynda T. Engelhardt Professor in Civil Engineering.
July 14, 2020
U.S. roads are aging and reaching the end of their service life, resulting in the need for constant repair. States with harsher winters often see more summer road construction, but new technology being developed at Purdue University could benefit concrete infrastructure everywhere.
May 20, 2020
Roads always seem to need repairs. Luna Lu is giving concrete the ability to "talk" and even heal itself. Her lab at Purdue University is developing technology that would allow concrete-paved bridges and highways to reveal more accurately when they need repairs and to come equipped with materials that respond to potential damage.
May 11, 2020
Congratulations to the Purdue Civil Engineering undergraduate research team, advised by Assistant Professor Mirian Velay-Lizancos! They were named a top three presenter at the 2020 Spring Undergraduate Research Conference Symposium for their poster titled, "Effect of elevated temperatures on Recycled PP fiber-reinforced cementitious composites performance under flexural stresses." This event highlights the scholarly work and creative endeavors undergraduate students have been engaged in through oral or poster presentations and awards top students with both financial and non-financial awards.
April 21, 2020
PhD candidate Miguel Montoya has been appointed a member of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Standing Committee on Asphalt Pavement Construction and Rehabilitation (AFH60). This committee is concerned with the construction, rehabilitation and recycling of asphalt pavements. Areas of interest include: construction methods and procedures, in-place recycling techniques, plant production issues which impact construction operations, and paving equipment.
February 13, 2020
PhD student Miguel Montoya has been selected as one of four students nationwide to receive the Association of Modified Asphalt Producers (AMAP) Dr. David R. Jones IV scholarships for 2020.
December 9, 2019
What do bones and 3D-printed buildings have in common? They both have columns and beams on the inside that determine how long they last. Now, the discovery of how a "beam" in human bone material handles a lifetime's worth of wear and tear could translate to the development of 3D-printed lightweight materials that last long enough for more practical use in buildings, aircraft and other structures.
October 23, 2019
The next Leonard E. Wood Lecture will be held Tuesday, October 29th. Dr. Rebecca McDaniel, Technical Director of the North Central Superpave Center at Purdue University, will share lessons about life and a career in civil engineering that she learned from her mentor, Professor Leonard Wood.
September 9, 2019
Luna Lu, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, has recently been named the ACPA Scholar in Concrete Pavement and Materials Science by the Indiana Chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association.
August 28, 2019
A research team, led by Associate Professor Luna Lu, is collecting data through sensors to track concrete strength development in real time. This data can be used to select optimal times to open up traffic following a construction project.
