Jialai Wang

Dr. Jialai Wang is a Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at The University of Alabama, College of Engineering. His research is affiliated with the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure, where he leads innovative projects in material science for resilient and sustainable civil systems.

• Ph.D., Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering and Advanced Materials), University of Akron, 2003
• M.S., Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, 1996
• B.S., Civil Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, 1993

Dr. Wang's research focuses on material innovations to enhance infrastructure resilience and sustainability. Key areas include synthesis of low-clinker and non-clinker construction materials, fiber-reinforced polymer composites, in-situ nanoparticle production, and adaptive building envelopes for multi-hazard mitigation and energy efficiency. His work integrates sustainability with high-performance material design.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend toward green and sustainable construction technologies, particularly utilizing industrial byproducts (e.g., cenospheres), recycled aggregates, and carbon dioxide as functional components in concrete. Keywords across these works include sustainable materials, carbon utilization, internal curing, and waste upcycling, reflecting a cohesive research vision centered on environmental impact reduction and resource efficiency in civil infrastructure.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow, Scialog: Sustainable Minerals, Metals and Materials (2024)
• Best Paper Award, CICE 2016, Hong Kong
• Outstanding Paper Award, SCMT4, Las Vegas (2016)
• ASCE ExCEEd Teaching Fellow (2010)

Dr. Wang has secured significant research funding from NSF, NASA, and DOE, including a $6 million NSF EPSCoR grant on transforming waste into economic assets and a $2.75 million project scaling CO₂-based concrete strengthening. He has advised graduate students, including NASA fellowship recipient Will Guin, and holds U.S. patent applications in microencapsulation and renewable admixtures. His research directly contributes to climate resilience, STEM education, and industrial innovation.

Dr. Wang is actively involved in the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure, where his lab develops novel technologies for upcycling agricultural and industrial waste into high-value construction materials, promoting circular economy principles in civil engineering.