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
August 27, 2013
Prof. Jan Olek was honored for his outstanding contributions regarding sustainable construction materials at the Third International Conference on Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies in Kyoto, Japan
April 15, 2013
Congratulations to Fernando Dri on receiving the Certificate of Excellence Award from the Purdue Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Program for his work on multiscale modeling of nanocellulose.
April 4, 2013
It's not uncommon for civil engineers today, often pushing the boundaries of their own expertise, to look to nature for a better design. Two among Purdue's ranks include John Haddock and Pablo Zavattieri.
February 1, 2013
Assistant Professor Pablo Zavattieri was recently awarded a CAREER grant, the National Science Foundation's most prestigious honor for young researchers.
January 30, 2013
Purdue University research is enabling Indiana to improve bridges in the state with a new "internally cured" high-performance concrete.
April 22, 2011
Purdue University civil engineers are working with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to perfect the use of recycled concrete for highway construction, a strategy that could reduce material costs by as much as 20 percent.
October 13, 2010
Dr. Rebecca McDaniel, Technical Director of the North Central Superpave Center, has been invited to speak at the Roads & Bridges Live: 2010 meeting in Chicago.
August 11, 2010
Congratulations to Prof. Weiss on being recognized for his significant contributions to the lightweight aggregate industry.
December 14, 2009
Former student Karol Kowalski received the award of the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure for his PhD dissertation titled "The Influence of Mixture Composition on the Noise and Frictional Characteristics of Flexible Pavements" which he completed at the Superpave Center in 2007.
December 10, 2009
Congratulations to Prof. Jan Olek for his appointment as a member of the Technical Activity Committee (TAC) of the American Concrete Institute. The TAC is responsible for overseeing all aspects of technical activities of the ACI, including activities of all technical committees and all publications.
July 8, 2009
Prof. Jan Olek weighs in on this NBC news article on processing rice husks for use in concrete.
October 25, 2006
It was recently announced that the 2007 Fred Burggraf award will be given to Gaurav Sant, undergraduate student, Pietro Lura, post-doc, and Associate Professor Jason Weiss, for their paper titled "Measurement of volume change in cementitious materials at early ages: review of testing protocols and interpretation of results".
October 2, 2006
Professor Jan Olek has been honored with the title of the Distinguished Alumnus by his alma mater, Cracow University of Technology in Krakow, Poland.
August 3, 2006
Farshad Rajabipour, graduate student, was awarded first place in poster contest for his work on the development of a sensor
for assessing drying in concrete during the Spring 2006 meeting of the Center
for Advanced Cement Based Materials.
August 3, 2006
This year's 2006 Bryant Mather Award was given to Gaurav Sant, undergraduate student, Pietro Lura,
post-doc, and Associate Professor Jason Weiss, Materials, for their paper titled "Measurement of volume change in cementitious materials at early ages: review of testing protocols and interpretation of results".
