S.H. Chu

Email: shchu@connect.hku.hk / sc5237@columbia.edu

Google Scholar ORCID                 CUPS Website                CSH Website

Research vision

Vision and Motivation

 The built environment contributes over 39% of global carbon emissions, with cement alone accounting for 8%. Yet construction remains among the least automated and most resource-intensive sectors. As climate change, aging infrastructure, resource constraints, and labor shortages escalate, the need for sustainable, intelligent infrastructure has become critical. My long-term vision is to transform how infrastructure is designed, built, and maintained by integrating material innovation with robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

My research is driven by three fundamental questions:

1. How can we accelerate the design of next-generation cementitious materials?

2. How can infrastructure self-heal, self-sense, and adapt to the environment?

3. How can robotics and AI enable agile construction in remote or disaster zones?

I aim to develop transformative emergent technologies that build infrastructure not just for, but with the environment.

Three Research Thrusts (Sustainable, Intelligent and Resilient)

 Thrust 1: AI-driven design of sustainable cementitious materials

My recent work demonstrates the feasibility of extracting calcination-free magnesium-based cement from seawater and desalination brine—an abundant and underutilized resource. However, the complex phase behaviors, CO₂ uptake kinetics, and process variables pose significant barriers to deployment. To address this, I will develop a machine learning framework that couples physics-informed models with experimental data to:

• Predict hydration, carbonation, and microstructure evolution using neural networks;

• Enable inverse mix design through generative modeling and Bayesian optimization;

• Integrate high-dimensional datasets to for life cycle assessment.

Thrust 2: Autonomous healing and adaptive infrastructure systems

Crack propagation, corrosion, and chemical degradation are key failure modes in infrastructure. While self-healing materials offer promise, current systems lack active intelligence and adaptability to diverse environments. Building on my patented smart bio-capsules, I aim to engineer an autonomous healing platform comprising:

• Bacteria-encapsulated capsules activated via environmental triggers;

• Embedded sensors to detect mechanical damage or pH changes;

• Robotic delivery or microfluidic systems to deploy healing agents with precision.

Thrust 3: Robotics and digital twins for intelligent and resilient construction

The third pillar of my research focuses on robotics and automation to fundamentally reimagine how infrastructure is constructed, particularly in extreme environments, resource-limited settings, and disaster zones. Building on my previous work in 3D-printable fiber-reinforced composites and modular construction, I aim to develop an integrated platform that merges materials science, AI, and robotics to enable autonomous, adaptable fabrication, I will prototype:

• Cable-driven robots for on-site printing of lightweight, low-carbon structures;

• Digital twins integrating real-time sensing, AI decisions, and robotic control;

• Reinforcement learning for autonomous adaptation to terrain and weather.

Full publication list

Seawater resources recovery and CO2 removal materials

1.     S.H. Chu, E.H. Yang, C. Unluer*. (2023) Chemical synthesis of magnesium oxide (MgO) from seawater towards minimum energy consumption. Desalination. (2023) 556, 116594.

2.     S.H. Chu, E.H. Yang, C. Unluer. Energy-efficient calcination-free low carbon Mg cement recovered from desalination brine. Desalination. Accept.

3.     S.H. Chu*, E.H. Yang, C. Unluer*. Development of nanofiber reinforced reactive magnesia-based composites for 3D printing. Construction and Building Materials. 366 (2022) 130270.

4.     Z.X. Chen, C.Y. Zhang, Y. Jia, L.Y. Lin, Q.X. Zhao, S.H. Chu* (2024) CO2 sequestration in green porous concrete using red mud. Journal of American Chemical Society (ACS) Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c06004

5.     Z.X. Chen, N.T. Zhang, S.R. Yan, J. Fish, S.H. Chu*. (2023) CO2 mineralization into waste-valorized lightweight artificial aggregate. Construction and Building Materials. 409, 133861.

6.     Z.X. Chen1, S.H. Chu1*, Y.S. Lee, H.S. Lee. Coupling effect of γ-dicalcium silicate and slag on carbonation resistance of low carbon materials. Journal of Cleaner Production. 262 (2020) 121385.

7.     Z.X. Chen, N.T. Zhang, S.H. Chu*. (2023) Role of alkalinity in carbonation of γ-belite. Construction and Building Materials. 430 (2024) 136508.

Use of AI and modeling in engineering

8.     Y.K. Kong, K. Kurumisaw, C. Tokoro, Z.Z. Li, SH Chu. (2024) Data-driven inverse mix design for sustainable alkali-activated material. Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials. 1-22.

9.     J.H. Gao, C.F. Wang, J.Q. Li, S.H. Chu. (2024) Data-driven rheological design of 3D printing concrete. Construction and Building Materials.

10.  Q. Li, M. Tan, D. Zhang, D. Zhang, X. Zhao, P. Kamnoedboon, S. Lei, L. Li, S.H. Chu (senior author). How LLMs react to industrial spatio-temporal data? Assessing hallucination with a novel traffic incident benchmark dataset. 2025 Annual Conference of the Nations of the Americas Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics (NAACL 2025). Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, April 29–May 4, 2025. Paper No.: 21-Ind.

11.  J.H. Gao, C.F. Wang, S.H. Chu. (2024) Mix design of sustainable concrete using generative models. Journal of Building Engineering. 96, 110618.

12.   Z. Meryn, S.H. Chu*. Comparative analysis of PID and fuzzy logic controllers for AI-based neural networks. SSRN.

13.  S.H. Chu, J.J. Yao*, J. Fish, A.K.H. Kwan. Evaluating 3-parameter packing model with discrete element modeling. Construction and Building Materials. 430 (2024) 136309.

14.  S.H. Chu, K. Kurumisawa, Y.K. Kong*. Physically explicable mathematical model for strength prediction of UHPFRC. Engineering Structures. 275 (2022) 115191.

Self-healing materials and bio-inspired design

15.  X. Xiao, C. Unluer, S.H. Chu, E.H. Yang*. (2023) Single bacteria spore encapsulation through layer-by-layer self-assembly of poly(dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride) and silica nanoparticles for self-healing concrete. Cement and Concrete Composites. 140, 105105.

16.  S.H. Chu*, M. Khan, X.W. Deng, C. Unluer. Bio-inspired self-prestressing concrete (SPC) involving basalt fibers and expansive agent. Cement and Concrete Research. 155 (2022) 106735.

17.  D.Q. Fan, J. Zhu, M. Fan, J.X. Lu, S.H. Chu, E. Dong, R. Yu. (2023) Intelligent design and manufacturing of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) – A review. Construction and Building Materials. 385, 131495.

Structural Engineering and Cement & Concrete Science

18.  S.H. Chu*. (2025) Enhancing intrinsic tensile strength of multiscale FRC by nanofibers. ACI Materials Journal. 122(3).

19.   S.H. Chu*, L. Sneed, D.Y. Yoo, A.K.H. Kwan. (2024) Hooking effect on flexural strength and toughness of steel fiber reinforced concrete beams. ACI Materials Journal. 121(6).

20.  S.H. Chu*. Strain-hardening ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) with hybrid steel and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers. Construction and Building Materials. 438 (2024). 136716.

21.   J.J. Chen*, P.L. Ng, C.F. Wang, S.H. Chu*. (2024) Rheological design of fiber reinforced calcium sulfoaluminate cementitious composite: a new approach. Construction and Building Materials. 457, 139423.

22.  L.G. Li, Z.Q. Fang, S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. (2024) Improving mechanical properties of 3D printed mortar by exploiting synergistic effects of fly ash microsphere and nano-silica. Magazine of Concrete Research. 1-48.

23.  Y.K. Kong, K. Kurumisaw, C. Tokoro, Z.Z. Li, SH Chu. (2024) Data-driven inverse mix

24.  S.H. Chu*, C. Unluer, D.Y. Yoo, L. Sneed, A.K.H. Kwan. (2023) Bond of steel reinforcing bars in self-prestressed hybrid steel fiber reinforced concrete. Engineering Structures. 291, 15, 116390.

25.  S.H. Chu*. (2023) Volume-based design of ultra-low cement concrete. Construction and Building Materials. 391, 131405.

26.  S.H. Chu*, J.Q. Wang, A.K.H. Kwan. Flexural strength and toughness of self-leveling UHPFRC. Composite Structures. 315 (2023) 116921.

27.  S.H. Chu*. Volume-based concrete mix design. ACI Materials Journal. (2022) 120, 1.

28.  S.H. Chu, W.L. Lam, L. Li, C.S. Poon. Packing density of ternary cementitious particles based on wet packing method. Powder Technology. 405 (2022) 117493.

29.  S.H. Chu*, M. Khan, X.W. Deng, C. Unluer. Bio-inspired self-prestressing concrete (SPC) involving basalt fibers and expansive agent. Cement and Concrete Research. 155 (2022) 106735.

30.  J.J. Yao, S.H. Chu*. Durability of concrete made with marine dredged sediment. Developments in the Built Environment. 13 (2022) 100118.

31.  T.W. Mi, Y. Li, W. Liu, W. Li, W. Long, Z. Dong, Q. Gong, C. Min, F. Xing, Y. Wang, S.H. Chu. Role of carbonation-induced chloride redistribution in corrosion of steel reinforcement. Construction and Building Materials. 323 (2022) 129641.

32.  Y.K. Kong, K. Kurumisawa, S.H. Chu*. Infilled cementitious composites (ICC): a comparative life cycle assessment with UHPC. Journal of Cleaner Production. 377 (2022) 134051.

33.  J. Shi, B. Liu, S.H. Chu, Y. Zhang, Z. Zhang, K. Han Recycling air-cooled blast furnace slag in green fiber-reinforced alkali-activated slag mortars. Powder Technology. 407 (2022) 117686.

34.  Z.X. Chen, S.H. Chu*, S. Ishak, H.S. Lee, Q.X. Zhao, D.Y. Yoo Roles of particle packing and water coating thickness in carbonation and strength of γ-dicalcium silicate-based low carbon materials, Journal of Cleaner Production. 358 (2022) 131735.

35.  S.K. Lee, T. Oha, B. Chun, S.H. Chu, P. Sukontasukkul, D.Y. Yoo. Surface refinement of steel fiber using nanosilica and silver and its effect on rate-dependent pullout resistance of ultra-high-performance concrete. Journal of Building Engineering. 51 (2022) 104269.

36. 

M. Khan, M.L. Cao*, S.H. Chu*, M. Ali. Properties of hybrid steel-basalt fiber reinforced concrete exposed to different surrounding conditions. Construction and Building Materials. 322 (2022) 126340.

37.   M. Khan, S.H. Chu, X.W. Deng, Y.H. Wang. Protection of steel tube against corrosion using self-prestressing UHPC prepared with expansive agent and steel fibers. Structures. 37 (2022) 95-208.

38.  P. Shakor, S.H. Chu, A. Puzatova, Enrico Dini. Review of binder jetting 3D printing in construction industry. Progress in Additive Manufacturing. 7(4) (2021) 643–669.

39.  L. Li, D.X. Xuan, S.H. Chu, C.S. Poon. Modification of recycled aggregate by spraying colloidal nano silica and silica fume. Materials and Structures. 54 (2021) 223.

40.  S.H. Chu, L. Li, P.L. Shen, J.X. Lu, C.S. Poon*. Recycling waste glass powder as paste replacement in UHPFRC. Construction and Building Materials. 361 (2022) 125719.

41.  S.H. Chu, Y.K. Kong*. Mathematical model for strength of alkali-activated materials. Journal of Building Engineering. 44 (2021) 103189.

42.  S.H. Chu*, A.K.H. Kwan. Crack mitigation utilizing enhanced bond of rebars in steel fiber reinforced concrete. Structures. 33 (2021) 4141-4147.

43.  S.H. Chu*, J.J. Chen, L.G. Li, P.L. Ng, A.K.H. Kwan. Roles of packing density and slurry film thickness in synergistic effects of metakaolin and silica fume. Powder Technology. 387 (2021) 575-583.

44.  S.H. Chu*. Development of Infilled cementitious composites (ICC). Composite Structures. (2021) 113885.

45.  S.H. Chu*, A.K.H. Kwan. Novel hybrid fiber factor for hybrid fiber reinforced concrete. American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE). Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. 33(10) (2021). p.04021278.

46.  Y.K. Kong S.H. Chu* Modeling the drying shrinkage of cement paste prepared with wastewater. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. 34(6) (2021) p.04022104.

47.  Y.H.M. Amran, A. Al-Fakih, S.H. Chu, R. Fediuk, S. Haruna, A. Azevedo, N. Vatin. Long-term durability properties of geopolymer concrete: An in-depth review. Case Studies in Construction Materials. 15 (2021) e00661.

48.  L. Li, D.X. Xuan, S.H. Chu, J.X. Lu, C.S. Poon. Efficiency and mechanism of nano-silica pre-spraying treatment in performance enhancement of recycled aggregate concrete. Construction and Building Materials. 301 (2021) 124093.

49.  M. Khan, M.L. Cao*, A. Hussain, S.H. Chu*. Effect of silica-fume content on performance of CaCO3 whisker and basalt fiber at matrix interface in cement-based composites. Construction and Building Materials. 300 (2021) 124046.

50.  K.K. Sun, X.Q. Peng*, S.H. Chu*, S.P. Wang, L. Zeng, G.X. Ji. Utilization of steel slag aggregate in metakaolin-based geopolymer. Construction and Building Materials. 300 (2021) 124024.

51.  J.J. Chen, G.X. Guan, P.L. Ng, S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. Packing optimization of paste and aggregate phases for sustainability and performance improvement of concrete. Advanced Powder Technology. 32 (2021) 987-997.

52.  L. Li, D. Xuan, A.O. Sojobi, S. Liu, S.H. Chu, C.S. Poon. Development of nano-silica treatment methods to enhance recycled aggregate concrete. Cement and Concrete Composites. 118 (2021) 103963.

53. 

S.H. Chu, C.S. Poon, C.S. Lam, L. Li. Effects of aggregate packing on the properties of concrete blocks. Construction Building Materials. 278 (2020) 122247.

54.  S.H. Chu*, L.G. Li, A.K.H. Kwan. Development of extrudable high strength fiber reinforced concrete incorporating nano calcium carbonate. Additive Manufacturing. 37 (2020) 101617.

55.  S.H. Chu*, H. Ye, L. Huang, L.G. Li. Carbon fiber reinforced geopolymer (FRG) design based on liquid film thickness. Construction and Building Materials. 269 (2020) 121278.

56. 

Y. Du, X. Shao, S.H. Chu*, F. Zhou, R.K.L. Su. Strengthening of preloaded RC beams using prestressed carbon fiber reinforced mortar jackets. Structures. 30 (2020) 735-744.

57.  L.G. Li, B.F. Xiao, Z.Q. Fang, Z. Xing, S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. Feasibility of glass/basalt fiber reinforced seawater coral sand mortar for 3D printing. Additive Manufacturing. 37 (2020) 101681.

58.  S.H. Chu*, J.J. Yao. A strength perspective on the use of marine sediment for concrete production. Journal of Cleaner Production. 274 (2020) 122673.

59.  J.J. Chen, P.L. Ng, S.H. Chu, G.X. Guan, A.K.H. Kwan. Triple blending with metakaolin and silica fume to improve packing density and performance of binder paste. Construction and Building Materials. 252 (2020) 119031.

60.  S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. A new bond model for reinforcing bars in steel fibre reinforced concrete. Cement and Concrete Composites. 104 (2019) 103405.

61.  S.H. Chu*, A.K.H. Kwan. Matrix design of self-levelling ultra-high performance FRC. Construction and Building Materials. 228 (2019) 116761.

62.  S.H. Chu*. Effect of paste volume on fresh and hardened properties of concrete. Construction and Building Materials. 218 (2019) 284-294.

63.  S.H. Chu*, Y. Jiang, A.K.H. Kwan. Effect of rigid fibres on aggregate packing. Construction and Building Materials. 324 (2019) 326-335.

64.  L. Huang, H.L. Ye, S.H. Chu, L.H. Xu, Y. Chi. Stochastic damage model for bond stress-slip relationship of reinforcing bar embedded in concrete. Engineering Structures. 194 (2019) 11-25.

65. 

L.G. Li, J.J. Feng, J. Zhu, S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. Pervious concrete: Effect of porosity on permeability and strength. Magazine of Concrete Research. 73(2) (2019) 69-79.

66.  L.G. Li, X.Q. Chen, S.H. Chu, Y. Ouyang, A.K.H. Kwan. Seawater cement paste: Effects of seawater and roles of water film thickness and superplasticizer dosage. Construction and Building Materials. 229 (2019) 116862.

67.  L.G. Li, Z.P. Chen, Y. Ouyang, J. Zhu, S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. Synergistic effects of steel fibres and expansive agent on steel bar-concrete bond. Cement and Concrete Composites. 104 (2019) 103380.

68.  S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. A new method for pull out test of reinforcing bars in plain and fibre reinforced concrete. Engineering Structures. 164 (2018) 82-91.

69.  L.G. Li, S.H. Chu, K.L. Zeng, J. Zhu, A.K.H. Kwan. Roles of water film thickness and fibre factors in workability of polypropylene fibre reinforced mortar. Cement and Concrete Composites. 93 (2018) 196-204.

70.  S.H. Chu, L.G. Li, A.K.H. Kwan. Fibre factors governing the fresh and hardened properties of steel FRC. Construction and Building Materials. 186 (2018) 1228-1238.

71.  A.K.H. Kwan, S.H. Chu. Direct tension behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete measured by a new test method. Engineering Structures. 176 (2018) 324–336.

72.  S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. Co-addition of metakaolin and silica fume in mortar: effects and advantages. Construction and Building Materials. 197 (2018) 716-724.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

1.      S.H. Chu, Jacob Fish. Ocean-derived low carbon materials for sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Gordon Research Conference on Advanced Materials for Sustainable Infrastructure Development. Feb 25–Mar 1, 2024, Ventura, CA, USA (Presentation & Poster).

2.     S.H. Chu, Jacob Fish. Ocean-derived low carbon materials for sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Gordon Research Seminar on Advanced Materials for Sustainable Infrastructure Development, Feb 25–Mar 1, 2024, Ventura, CA, USA (Presentation & Poster).

3.     S.H. Chu, P.L. Ng, G.X. Guan, A.K.H. Kwan. Exploiting synergistic effect of metakaolin and silica fume in production of high strength mortar. RELIM, 14th International Conference MBMST2023, Oct 2023.

4.     S.H. Chu, Design of sustainable materials and resilient structures for cities of tomorrow, International Conference on Materials Science & Engineering, London, UK, 2022.

5.     S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. Fiber factors governing the workability and superplasticizer dosage of SFRC. 9th International RILEM Symposium on Self Compacting Concrete (SCC9) & 2nd International RILEM Conference on Rheology and Processing of Construction Materials (RheoCon2), Sep 8-11, 2019, Dresden, Germany.

6.     S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan. Development of low paste volume concrete based on particle packing. 2nd Seminar on sustainable concrete theory and technology. May 2019, Tongji University, China. (Abstract)

7.      P.L. Ng, J.J. Chen, G.X. Guan, S.H. Chu, D.K. Mishra. Addition of fillers in cementitious paste for improving packing density and water film thickness. UKI Concrete congress, Mar 5-8, 2019, Jalandhar, India. (Full paper)

8.     S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan, P.L. Ng. Redesigning the test method for assessing the bond behavior of reinforcing bars in concrete. International conference on engineering research and practice for steel construction (ICSC), Sep 5-7, 2018, Hong Kong. (Full paper)

9.     S.H. Chu, A.K.H. Kwan, P.L. Ng. Experimental evaluation of the new method for pull out test of reinforcing bars in plain and fiber reinforced concrete. International conference on engineering research and practice for steel construction, Sep 5-7, 2018, HK. (Full paper)

10.  E. Gudonis, P.L. Ng, S.H. Chu, A. Sokolov. A new creep test method for reinforced concrete tension members under constant loading. SynerCrete’18 International conference on interdisciplinary approaches for cement-based materials and structural concrete, Oct 24-26, 2018, Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal. (Full paper)

The University of Hong Kong: 

QS world ranking: 17 Data source: HKU; QS2025

US News ranking: 44 Data source: US News

ARWU ranking: 66 Data source: ARWU

QS world ranking (Civil Engineering): 20                             Data source: QS

University of Cambridge:

QS world ranking: 2 Data source: QS2024

US News ranking: 8 Data source: US News

ARWU ranking: 4 Data source: ARWU

Columbia University:

QS world ranking: 23 Data source: QS2024

US News ranking: 7 Data source: US News

ARWU ranking: 8 Data source: ARWU

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore:

QS world ranking: 26 Data source: QS2024

US News ranking: 30 Data source: US News

ARWU ranking: 93 Data source: ARWU

University of California, Los Angeles:

QS world ranking: 29 Data source: QS2024

US News ranking: 14 Data source: US News

ARWU ranking: 13 Data source: ARWU

The Chinese University of Hong Kong:

QS world ranking: 36 Data source: QS2025

US News ranking: 42 Data source: US News

ARWU ranking: 100-150 Data source: ARWU

Cornell University:

QS world ranking: 13 Data source: QS2024

US News ranking: 12 Data source: US News

ARWU ranking: 12 Data source: ARWU

Hong Kong PolyU:

US news worlds ranking (Civil Engineering): 2                             Data source: US News by Subject

QS world ranking: 57 Data source: QS2025

US News ranking: 100 Data source: US News

ARWU ranking: 150-200 Data source: ARWU