Du Hongjian

Biography

Dr Du Hongjian received BEng from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China) in 2007 and a PhD from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2012. He began his academic career as a Research Fellow at NUS, progressing to a Senior Research Fellow before taking up a Lecturer position at Swinburne University of Technology (Australia). Since 2019, Hongjian has been a Lecturer at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NUS.

Hongjian believes the engineering education should be applied and responsive to the evolving demands of the professional society. He is committed to providing enriching learning experiences for students at all levels. He applies active and experiential learning strategies to foster holistic development in critical thinking, problem-solving and interdisciplinary collaboration. His innovative approach includes the introduction of design competitions in CE2155 Structural Mechanics and CE3165 Structural Concrete Design, which have significantly enhanced student engagement and learning outcomes. He has engaged in industry experience with his teaching. In CE5604 Advanced Concrete Technology, he invited guest lecturers and brought students on study tours. These initiatives have deepened students’ understanding and strengthened links between NUS and the professional community. Another teaching approach he used is student-generated questions and answers (SGQA) in TCE2155 and TCE5604 for adult learners. This assessment can greatly improve students’ performance by building a connection between the teaching content and their life and work experience.

His research focuses on the digital fabrication of reinforced concrete to improve construction productivity and the development of low-carbon building materials to address climate change. He mentors a team of researchers tackling challenging topics such as 3D concrete printing, embodied carbon calculation, carbon sequestration and upcycling waste in concrete. His research has resulted in real-world applications that transform local waste into value-added concrete solutions for structural use. He holds several inventions and patents related to green cement and low-carbon building materials. He is also the co-founder of CIRCRETE, a deep-tech startup aimed at decarbonising the built environment.

Qualifications

• PhD, 2012, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
• BEng, 2007, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

Honours & Awards

International Recognition

• Excellence in Structural Engineering Education Award, The Institution of Structural Engineers (UK), 2024. [website]
• ExCEEd Teaching Fellow, American Society of Civil Engineers (USA), 2023. [website]
• Outstanding Paper Award, Materials and Structures, RILEM, 2022. [website]

National Recognition

• SCI Excellence Award (Innovators’ Category), Singapore Concrete Institute, 2024. [website]
• Best Paper Presentation Award, Higher Education Campus Conference, Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning (CDTL), NUS, 7-8 Dec 2022. [website]
• SCI Excellence Award (Innovators’ Category), Singapore Concrete Institute, 2022.

University-Level Award

• Teaching Excellence Honour Roll, 2026
• Annual Teaching Excellence Award, NUS, 2023, 2024, 2025.
• Provost Young Educator Award, NUS, 2020.

College-Level Award

• • College Educator Award, CDE, AY2021/22, AY2022/23, AY2023/24
  • 3rd Prize Winner, 100k Innovation Challenge, CDE, 2024.
  • Engineering Educator Award, Faculty of Engineering, NUS, AY2020/21

Student Achievements under My Supervision

International Competition

• 3rd Place, Young Researchers Conference 2025, The Institution of Structural Engineers (UK). [PhD student: Luo Rui] [website]
• Finalist, Young Researchers Conference 2023, The Institution of Structural Engineers (UK). [PhD student: Gao Yangyunzhi] [website]
• 3rd Place, International Concrete Competition, CIVILWEEK2022 (Indonesia). [Undergraduate students: Chen Ge, Gao Xinge, Tristan Tan Yong Cheuh] [online video]
• Finalist, International Concrete Competition CIVILWEEK2021 (Indonesia). [Undergraduate students: Lim Keng En John, Sean Chua] [online video]
• 1st Place, APEC Innovation in Public Transport (INPUT) Competition 2021 (China). [Undergraduate students: Manikandan Annamalai, Sean Chua, Hussain Fathah] [website]

National Competition

• Champion, Engineering Innovation Challenge 2025, The Institution of Engineers, Singapore. [Undergraduate students: Tan Tin Chong, Quay Genk Swee Daniel, Shermaine Kong, Su Rati Naing, Theikhar Maung] [website]
• Merit Award, Engineering Innovation Challenge 2025, The Institution of Engineers, Singapore. [Undergraduate student: Justin Halim]
• Winner, Built Environment Case Competition 2024, NUS Civil Engineering Club. [Undergraduate students: Henrikus Nikolas Ards, Justin Halim, Vivien Trisha Javin, Jin Zixin] [website]
• Bronze Prize, SCI Young Innovators Awards 2024, Singapore Concrete Institute. [PhD and Undergraduate students: Ng Ben, Justin Adrian Halim, Adler Chua Yu Cheng]
• Merit Award, SCI Young Innovators Awards 2023, Singapore Concrete Institute. [Undergraduate students: Liu Congzhi, Bazil Bin Akhbar Angullia, Ng Jun Wei, Shanmuganathan Kumaraval, Shashank Kumaar]
• Commendation Award, SCI Young Innovators Awards 2023, Singapore Concrete Institute. [PhD and Undergraduate students: Zhang Wei, Cui Xinyue, Sherman Lee Kwan Han]
• Bronze Award, Green Concrete Cube Competition 2023, ACI Singapore Chapter. [Undergraduate students: Bazil Bin Akhbar Angullia, Lew Justin, Choo Edward] [website]
• Merit Award, Engineering Innovation Challenge 2023, The Institution of Engineers, Singapore. [Undergraduate students: Liu Congzhi, Bazil Bin Akhbar Angullia, Ng Jun Wei, Shanmuganathan Kumaraval, Shashank Kumaar] [website]
• Gold Prize, SCI Young Innovators Award 2022, Singapore Concrete Institute. [PhD and Undergraduate students: Gao Yangyunzhi, Teo Hao Jun, Wang Huan]
• Silver Prize, Project Competition 2022, ACI (Singapore Chapter). [Undergraduate students: Lu Yifan, Chloe Ng] [website]
• 1st Runner Up, Built Environment Case Competition 2022, NUS Civil Engineering Club. [Undergraduate students: Chloe Ng, Elizabeth Lim, Hugo Teo, Keamjeera Vatanawood] [website]
• Silver Prize, Project Competition 2021, ACI Singapore Chapter. [Master and Undergraduate students: Wang Dehao, Wang Yue, Sean Chua Xin Wei, Lim John]

University-Level Award

• Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize AY2024/2025, NUS. [Undergraduate students: Aung Zaw That, Justin Adrian Halim, Sunny Wu Yihang, Adler Chua Yu Cheng, Tan Kai Ying, Sue-Ann, Seng Wei Liang, Ivan] [website]
• Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize AY2023/2024, NUS. [Undergraduate students: Liu Congzhi, Bazil Bin Akhbar Angullia, Ng Jun Wei, Shanmuganathan Kumaraval, Shashank Kumaar] [website]
• Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize AY2021/2022, NUS. [Undergraduate student: Lim Keng En John]

College-Level Award

• High Achievement Award, CDE Innovation & Research Award 2025, CDE. [Undergraduate students: Aung Zaw That, Justin Adrian Halim, Sunny Wu Yihang, Adler Chua Yu Cheng, Tan Kai Ying, Sue-Ann, Seng Wei Liang, Ivan]
• High Achievement Award, CDE Innovation & Research Award 2024, CDE. [Undergraduate students: Liu Congzhi, Bazil Bin Akhbar Angullia, Ng Jun Wei, Shanmuganathan Kumaraval, Shashank Kumaar]
• 1st Runner Up Prize, Impact Accelerator Challenge, CDE Innovation Day 2024, CDE. [PhD students: Zhang Hao, Gao Yangyunzhi] [website]
• Merit Award, CDE Innovation & Research Award 2023, CDE. [Undergraduate student: Ng Ben]
• High Achievement Award, CDE Innovation & Research Award 2022, CDE. [Undergraduate student: Lim Keng En John]

Department-Level Award

• • Excellent Teaching Assistant Award AY2023/24, CEE. [PhD student: Zhang Zheyuan] [website]
  • Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award AY2022/23, CEE. [PhD student: Gao Yangyunzhi]

 

Complete PhD Student

• Zhang Wei, graduated in 2024, “Durability Performance of Seawater-mixed Cementitious Composites”.

Complete MEng Student

• Zhang Hao, graduated in 2024, “Using Machine Learning to Predict Buildability of 3D Concrete Printing”.

Professional Activities

• Member, Organising Committee, Annual Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference, UTown, NUS, 6-9 Jul 2026.
• Co-Chairperson, 5th Asian Concrete Federation (ACF) Symposium, Singapore, 14-16 Nov 2025.
• Instructor, New Faculty Teaching Programme (NFTP), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), 24 Apr 2025.
• Invited Speaker, Mingzhi Teaching & Learning #13, Department of Teaching Development, HKUST (GZ), 29 Oct 2024.
• Selected Participant, ExCEEd Teaching Workshop, ASCE, Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO), 30 Jul – 04 Aug 2023.
• Chair, Workshop on Interdisciplinary Learning, CDTL, NUS, 19 Sep 2022.
• Chair, Symposium of Learning and Teaching during and after Pandemic, in The Seventeenth East Asia-Pacific Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction (EASEC-17), 2022, Singapore.
• Member, Technical Committee on ADC: Assessment of additively manufactured concrete materials and structures, RILEM.
• Member, Working Group on SS 214: 2009 – Specification for precast concrete kerbs. Enterprise Singapore, Singapore.
• Member, Working Group on Construction Additive Manufacturing, Enterprise Singapore.

Editorial Boards

• Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Sustainable Cement-based Materials, Taylor and Francis, 2024-2026.
• Guest Editor, Special Issue on Advanced Measurements for Microstructure of Construction Materials, Journal of Measurement, Elsevier, 2020-2021.

Teaching Areas

• Structural Materials and Mechanics
• Structural Concrete Design
• Advanced Concrete Technology
• Specifying Concrete to EN 206

Research Interests

• Construction Automation
• 3D Concrete Printing
• Durability of Concrete Materials
• Reuse of Waste in Concrete

Keynote Presentations

• “Materials Innovation to Reduce Carbon Emission in the Built Environment”, Keynote Lecture, International Symposium on Recent Innovation for Sustainable Development 2025 (RISD25), Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Chancellor Hall, University of Technology Sarawak, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia, 18-19 November 2025.
• “Enhancing Sustainability Education through Structural Concrete Design Competition”, Keynote Lecture, American Concrete Institute Singapore Chapter (ACI-SC) Annual Seminar, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, Singapore, 11 November 2024.
• “Recent Development of 3D Concrete Printing in Singapore”, Keynote Lecture, PolyU-NAMI 3D Concrete Robotic Printing Research Centre (RCC3D) Forum, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 28 October 2024.
• “Advancing Building Sustainability with 3D Concrete Printing”, Keynote Lecture, Workshop on Advanced Developments in Concrete 3D Printing Technology, China Building Materials Academy, Beijing, China, 11-12 October 2023.

Sharing of Good Teaching Practices

1. Du, H., & Liang, Y. (2024). Integrating design competitions in civil engineering education: Case studies from Singapore and China [Paper presentation]. In the Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. [website]
2. Du, H., & Tay, S. E. R. (2024). Leveraging adult learners’ professional experience through scenario-based student-generated questions and answers in engineering mechanics [Paper presentation]. In the Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. [website]
3. Du H. Fostering Sustainability Education in Civil Engineering through Student-Guided Design Competitions, In World Engineers Summit Engineering for a Sustainable Future, Singapore, 8-10 Nov 2023. [Oral Presentation]
4. Du H. J., Tay, S. E. R., Yeoh, J., Geng, G., Lin, A., Goh Y. M., Ong, P., Tay, M. X. Y., & Yan S. (2023, May 29). Interdisciplinary education in the College of Design and Engineering (CDE): A learning community’s reflection. Teaching Connections. [website] 
5. Du H. J., & Tay, S. E. R. (2022). Using scenario-based student-generated questions to improve the learning of engineering mechanics: A case study in civil engineering [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2022, 7-8 December, National University of Singapore. [website]
6. Du H. (2022). Hybrid lab class for structural concrete design. In Symposium of Teaching & Learning during and after the Pandemic. Singapore, 2022. [Oral Presentation]
7. Du H. (2022). Move the lab class online for engineering undergraduate teaching. In Applied Learning Conference 2022. Singapore, 2022. [Poster Presentation]
8. Du H. (2021). Online lecture and hands-on practice: A complementary approach to learning. Teaching Connections. [website]
9. Tsang HH, Du H & Haritos N. (2019). Enhancing the experience of learning engineering mechanics with blended and experiential components. In the World Engineers Convention 2019. Melbourne: Engineers Australia, 2019, 1150-1164.

Selected Publications

1. Luo Z, Shi C, Du H. FePO₄ battery waste as set retarder and insights into the reaction products, Composites Part B: Engineering, Volume 296, 2025, 112229.
2. Guo Z, Liu C, Zhao Y, Chen G, Wu H, Gao J, Du H. Impact of nanosilica on tricalcium aluminate hydration and its reaction with sulfate solutions, Cement and Concrete Research, Volume 186, 2024, 107706.
3. Zhang W, Du H, Pang SD. Alkali-silica reaction of seawater-mixed mortar, Journal of Sustainable Cement-based Materials, Volume 13, 2024, pp. 1079-1089.
4. Zhang W, Du H, Pang SD. Sulfate resistance of cement paste to internal and external seawater, Construction and Building Materials, Volume 447, 2024, 138101.
5. Luo Z, Ren F, Dang J, Du H. Sustainable utilization of low-value lithium-ion battery waste in cement and concrete, Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 2024, e00937.
6. Zhang Z, Lei Y, Liew JYR, Liu M, Wong G, Du H. Embodied Carbon Saving Potential of Using Recycled Materials as Cement Substitute in Singapore’s Buildings, npj Materials Sustainability, Volume 2, 2024, 27.
7. Chen W, Wang Q, Huang Z, Du H. Hydration mechanism and mechanical properties of a developed low-carbon and lightweight strain-hardening cementitious composites, Journal of Sustainable Cement-based Composites, Volume 13, 2024, pp. 661-677.
8. Zhao Y, Gao Y, Chen G, Li S, Liu C, Luo X, Gao J, Du H. Development of low-carbon materials from GGBS and clay brick powder for 3D concrete printing, Construction and Building Materials, Volume 383, 2023, 131232.
9. Yu S, Sanjayan J, Du H. Effects of Cement Mortar Characteristics on Aggregate-bed 3D Concrete Printing. Additive Manufacturing, Volume 58, 2022, 103024.
10. Chen W, Dang J, Du H. Using low-grade calcined clay to develop low-carbon and lightweight strain-hardening cement composites, Journal of Building Engineering, Volume 58, 2022, 105023.