Post by UVA Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The UVA Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering hosted Dr. Nishant Garg from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for a seminar on April 23, 2026, in Olsson Hall. In his talk, “Accelerating & Automating Testing of Concrete: From Days to Minutes,” Dr. Garg presented a series of innovative approaches that dramatically reduce the time required for concrete testing, from days or weeks to just minutes. He highlighted advances including Raman imaging for particle-scale analysis, the ultra-rapid reactivity (UR2) test that predicts 28-day strength performance in about five minutes, and computer vision techniques for real-time durability assessment. The seminar also showcased the growing role of AI in concrete mix design and optimization. The presentation sparked strong interest among faculty and students, particularly in the potential to transform materials testing and infrastructure development. At the conclusion of the seminar, Dr. Osman Ozbulut presented Dr. Garg with a plaque on behalf of the department in recognition of his contributions and for sharing his expertise with the UVA CEE community.