Munir Nazzal

Dr. Munir Nazzal is a Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Center for Smart, Sustainable & Resilient Infrastructure (CSSRI) at the University of Cincinnati. His research focuses on sustainable transportation infrastructure, pavement engineering, and innovative materials technology. He leads over $13M in grants from federal and state agencies, specializing in asphalt mixtures, pavement performance, and smart infrastructure.

He serves as Principal Investigator (PI) on numerous projects, including optimizing maintenance equipment tracking, evaluating micro-surfacing bond strength, and developing AI-driven pothole detection systems. Nazzal is an editor for the ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering and Buildings Journal, and a licensed professional engineer in Ohio and Louisiana.

His work integrates emerging technologies like IoT and autonomous vehicles for infrastructure monitoring. Key contributions include field validation of robotic crack sealing, analysis of aramid fibers in asphalt, and lifecycle cost studies of winter pothole patching methods. His research emphasizes cost-effective, environmentally friendly solutions for local and state transportation systems.

Recent grants include a $600,000 federal project for district highway maintenance research, and a $1.2M study on robotic crack sealing methods. He collaborates with industry partners like Honda on vehicle-based roadway data pilots. Nazzal's lab explores nanoscale asphalt properties, thermal expansion effects, and recycled material utilization in pavements.