Research

Research in the school explores the role and significance of, and the interrelationship between, materials, water, ground and structures, the environmental impact of engineering development and the innovative use of resources.

Our research profile and successes

Work with us

The school is a leader in the discipline of civil and environmental engineering in Australia. The school has an outstanding track record in its ability to attract competitive research funding, has ongoing collaboration with industry partners on innovative research, has an impressive publication record and over 200 higher degree research candidates. With a combination of existing senior academics and the appointment of several new researchers, the school’s research profile has gone from strength to strength in recent years across a wide range of areas. Recent successes include:

Peter Irga gives the thumbs up in front of a hempcrete wall

2022 Young Tall Poppy Award recipient, Dr Peter Irga, gives his hempcrete wall the thumbs up

Research identities

Research identities

Research identities - text version

1. Sustainable Construction Materials

  • Low Carbon Products and sustainability
  • Digital transformation and Smart Materials
  • Bio-based Construction Materials
  • Structural Performance and Environment

2. Resilient Infrastructure

  • Climate change, natural hazards, extreme loading and structural resilience
  • Risk-based decision making, probabilistic risk analysis and structural safety and reliability
  • Structural health monitoring and intelligent infrastructure

3. Smart Transport

  • Transport geotechnics, unsaturated soils, ground improvement and computational geomechanics
  • Travel behaviour and risk, traffic planning and optimisation
  • Data analytics and digital transport solutions
  • Transport economics, planning and service engineering

4. Green Technology

  • Renewable energy: generation, storage and transport
  • Alternative fuels, vehicle emissions and urban air quality
  • Waste valorisation and environmental decontamination

5. Wastewater Technology and Water Resources

  • Water treatment and wastewater treatment technologies
  • Climate change, flood and drought, and water resources
  • Water and food resources and energy

6. Nutrients in a Circular Economy

  • The recovery of valuable nutrients from waste using innovative technologies
  • Closing the nutrient loop by diverting urine at the source and recovering nutrients
  • Advanced technologies for recovering plant nutrients from human urine and reusing them in plant production

Download School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research identities (PDF, 45Kb)

Research Centres

The school is home to 7 research centres which are closely aligned to the research identities in the school:

Work with us

The School collaborates on research with industry partners, government and non-government organisations in a number of ways. These include:

  • Contract research projects
  • Joint research projects funded by NSW and/or Federal Government
  • Scholarships
  • PhD Internships

The school is always looking to form new partnerships so if you would like to work with us and find out more, please contact us and we will come back to you within 2 working days. 

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.