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Visions and Motivations
Visions and Motivations
My research reimagines infrastructure as a system that is intelligently designed and constructed, resilient throughout its service life, and sustainable by origin. By integrating materials innovation, additive manufacturing, computational mechanics, and artificial intelligence, I develop infrastructure that can be built faster, perform longer, and leave a smaller environmental footprint.
My research reimagines infrastructure as a system that is intelligently designed and constructed, resilient throughout its service life, and sustainable by origin. By integrating materials innovation, additive manufacturing, computational mechanics, and artificial intelligence, I develop infrastructure that can be built faster, perform longer, and leave a smaller environmental footprint.
My research is driven by three fundamental questions:
My research is driven by three fundamental questions:
How can infrastructure materials move from trial-and-error formulation to predictive, closed-loop design and manufacturing?
How can infrastructure be engineered to anticipate, withstand, and recover from environmental degradation and extreme loading throughout its service life?
How can waste streams, biogenic carbon, and alternative binders be transformed into structural systems that reduce emissions, store energy, and restore ecosystems?
I aim to develop transformative emergent technologies that build infrastructure with the environment.
1. Intelligent Construction
1. Intelligent Construction
Data-Driven Materials Design
Data-Driven Materials Design
Combining materials informatics, physics-informed machine learning, and rheological theory to translate performance requirements into design-ready cementitious mixtures.
Model-Driven Additive Manufacturing
Model-Driven Additive Manufacturing
Linking mixture design, printing parameters, material flow, and filament geometry through computational modeling to enable predictable digital fabrication.
Closed-Loop Quality and Performance Engineering
Closed-Loop Quality and Performance Engineering
Connecting process monitoring with pore architecture, mechanical anisotropy, durability, and hardened performance to create adaptive construction workflows.
2. Resilient Infrastructure
2. Resilient Infrastructure
Durability by Design
Durability by Design
Understanding and controlling deterioration caused by marine exposure, freeze–thaw cycles, fatigue, creep, shrinkage, and other long-term service conditions.
Damage Monitoring and Service-Life Prediction
Damage Monitoring and Service-Life Prediction
Integrating multiscale characterization, smart sensing, and computational mechanics to assess damage evolution, residual capacity, and long-term infrastructure performance.
Protection under Extreme Loading
Protection under Extreme Loading
Developing impact- and blast-resistant materials and architected structures that dissipate energy and control damage across material and structural scales.
3. Sustainable Materials
3. Sustainable Materials
Waste-to-Infrastructure Materials
Waste-to-Infrastructure Materials
Transforming recycled aggregates, industrial by-products, paper sludge, fly ash, and other low-value resources into durable structural materials.
Biogenic Carbon for Structural Concrete
Biogenic Carbon for Structural Concrete
Engineering biochar interfaces and hierarchical structures to enable carbon storage, structural-grade performance, and multifunctionality in cementitious composites.
Low-Carbon and Energy-Active Infrastructure
Low-Carbon and Energy-Active Infrastructure
Developing magnesium-based binders, ecologically compatible marine materials, and energy-storing concrete for low-carbon buildings, transportation, and marine systems.
PUBLICATIONS
PUBLICATIONS
Book Chapters
Cheng, H., Radlińska, A. “Fresh properties of 3D-printed concrete” in 3D Printing of Concrete: Properties, Materials, and Modelling, Modern Concrete Technology series by CRC Press, 2026.
Journal Publications
[1] Cheng, H， Radlińska, A, Durate. JP, Memari. AM, Bilén. SG. (2026). Recycled cork aggregate for 3D concrete printing: Rheology, pore-driven anisotropy mitigation, and low-carbon thermal buffering. Construction and Building Materials, (IF=8.9)
[2] Cheng, H, Duarte, J, Bilén, S, Radlińska. (2026). Printing-path-dependent directional pore structure and compressive anisotropy in 3D-printed concrete, Cement and Concrete Composites, (IF=14.4)
[3] Cheng, H， Radlińska, A, Ahmad, I., Shokouhian, M. (2025). Enhancing Flexural Fatigue Performance of Recycled Aggregate Concrete under Freeze–Thaw Cycles through Aggregate and Cement Matrix Modification: Effects, Prediction Models, and Mechanisms. Construction and Building Materials, (IF=8.9)
[4] Cheng, H., Radlińska, A., Hillman, M., Liu, F., & Wang, J. (2024). Modeling concrete deposition via 3D printing using reproducing kernel particle method. Cement and Concrete Research, 181, 107526. (IF=14.0)
[5] Cheng, H., Liu, T., Zou, D., & Zhou, A. (2021). Compressive strength assessment of sulfate-attacked concrete by using sulfate ions distributions. Construction and Building Materials, 293, 123550. (IF=8.9)
[6] Xiao, S., Cheng, H., Que, Z., Liu, T., & Zou, D. (2024). Enhancing marine anti-washout concrete: Optimal silica fume usage for improved compressive strength and abrasion resistance. Construction and Building Materials, 428, 136262. (IF=8.9)
[7] Zou, D., Cheng, H., Liu, T., Qin, S., & Yi, T. H. (2019). Monitoring of concrete structure damage caused by sulfate attack with the use of embedded piezoelectric transducers. Smart Materials and Structures, 28(10), 105039. (IF=3.8)
[8] Ahmad, I., Shokouhian, M., Cheng, H., & Radlińska, A. (2024). Enhancement of Mechanical Properties and Freeze–Thaw Durability of Recycled Aggregate Concrete using Aggregate Pretreatment. Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil Engineering, 1-25. (IF=1.7)
[9] Zou, D., Du, C., Liu, T., Teng, J., & Cheng, H. (2019). Time-dependent deformations of concrete columns under different construction load histories. Advances in Structural Engineering, 22(8), 1845-1854. (IF=2.7)
Journal Publications under revision & review
[10] Cheng, H, Duarte, J, Memari, A, Bilén, S, SH, Chu, Radlińska, A. Rheology-inferred water absorption extends paste film thickness design to porous lightweight aggregates in cementitious additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing, under revision.
[11] Cheng, H, Duarte, J, Bilén, S, SH, Chu, Radlińska, Tailoring pore architecture via bio-based cellular aggregates for quasi-isotropic 3D-printed cementitious composites, Advanced Composite and Hybrid Materials, under revision.
[12] Cheng, H, Duarte, J, Bilén, S, Radlińska, Pore–fiber coupling governs in-plane mechanical anisotropy in 3D-printed concrete, Cement and Concrete Composites, under revision.
[13] Cheng, H, Bilén, S, Radlińska, Biochar-regulated structure formation and multifunctional performances of 3D-printed magnesium oxysulfate composites, Cement and Concrete Composites, under review.
[14] Cheng, H, Bilén, S, Radlińska, Charge-programmed interfacial mineralization turns biochar into an admixture-compatible reinforcing aggregate for concrete, Nature communications, under review.
Papers under development
[15] Cheng, H, Bilén, S, Radlińska, ‘Zeolite-modified magnesium oxysulfate cement: microstructural evolution and enhanced fire and water resistance’.
[16] Cheng, H, Bilén, S, Radlińska, ‘Upcycling calcined sludge in 3D-printed magnesium oxysulfate cementitious composities for improved water and fire resilience’.
[17] Cheng, H, Bilén, S, Radlińska, ‘Enhancing the energy absorption and blast resistance of 3D printed concrete via surface-oxygenated carbon multiscale reinforcement’.
[18] Cheng, H, Bilén, S, Radlińska, ‘A physics-informed predictive model for rheological behavior driven by paste film thickness’.
Presentations & technical reports
[1] Cheng, H., Radlińska, A., Hillman, M., Liu, F., & Wang, J. Modeling 3D concrete printing using reproducing kernel particle method, Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University, 2022.
[2] Cheng, H., Radlińska, A., The enhancement in ITZ between recycled aggregate and cement matrix via aggregate surface modification, Transportation Asset and Infrastructure Management Conference, State College, 2022.
[3] Cheng, H., Radlińska, A., The development of 3D printable cork concrete, 13th Advances in Cement-Based Materials, Columbia University, New York, 2023.
[4] Cheng, H., Radlińska, A., Potential Use of Granulated Cork as Sand Replacement in Preparing Eco-Friendly 3D Printed Lightweight Concrete, International Conference on Advanced Manufacturing 2023, Washington, DC, 2023.
[5] Cheng, H., Radlińska, A., The early age rheology behavior of 3D printable magnesium oxysulfate cement composites with metakaolin and fly ash, ACI Concrete Convention, Philadelphia, 2024.
[6] Cheng, H., Radlińska, A., Enhancing the performance of 3D printable lightweight cork aggregate through pre-wetting methods and surface modification for granulated cork, Digital Concrete 2024, German, 2024.
[7] Cheng, H., Radlińska, A., Development of 3D-printable magnesium oxysulfate–based concrete: Towards low-carbon and durable artificial reefs for the marine environment, Digital Concrete 2024, German, 2024.
[8] Cheng, H, Duarte, J, Bilén, S, Radlińska, A novel mixture design 3D printable concrete using porous lightweight aggregate, Penn State Material Research Institute Materials Day, State College, 2024.
[9] Cheng, H, Duarte, J, Bilén, S, Radlińska, Low-carbon 3D printable magnesium oxysulfate concrete using hemp curd, Climate Solutions Symposium 2025, State College, 2025.
[10] Cheng, H, Duarte, J, Bilén, S, Radlińska, The durability, rheology, and mechanical properties of low-carbon 3D printable magnesium oxysulfate concrete using biochar, Penn State Material Research Institute Materials Day, State College, 2025.
[11] Cheng, H, Duarte, J, Memari, A, Bilén, S, Radlińska, A, Rheology-Driven Mixture Design of 3D Printable Lightweight Concrete: A Modified Excess Paste Theory considering the Water Absorption Behavior of Porous Aggregate, 15th Advances in Cement-Based Materials, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, 2025.
[12] Cheng, H, Radlińska, A, Izhar, A, Mehdi, S, Improving Freeze-thaw Resistance and Fatigue Resistance of Recycled Aggregate Concrete, Center for Integrated Asset Management for Multimodal Transportation Infrastructure Systems (CIAMTIS) (UTC).
PATENT
The Concrete Strength Monitoring Device and Monitoring Method (ZL 201810894783.0)
The Macro Bending Fiber-Based Sensor (ZL 201810906130.X)
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