Research
Solutions for the Common Good
Improving Infrastructure Resiliency
Renowned Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics faculty and their students collaborate with researchers across campus and the world to solve problems critical to humankind – structural integrity in the face of earthquakes and other natural disasters, traffic safety and efficiency, and the transportation of water and sediment, for example.
Further, the University of Arizona’s commercial arm, Tech Launch Arizona, helps CAEM researchers commercialize their inventions – in areas ranging from construction to mining to transportation and beyond – for public works and industry. Think green energy technology that could help save the coral reefs and traffic routing software that could help save you time on your commute.
Focus Areas
CAEM conducts research in the following primary areas:
- Construction engineering management
- Engineering mechanics
- Geomechanics and geotechnical
- Hydraulics and hydrology
- Structures
- Transportation engineering
Project Highlights
A Smoother, Faster Future
Mingfeng Shang, assistant research professor of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics, works with transportation departments across the country to modernize data management systems for safer, more functional roadways.
"This effort will lead to more efficient and transparent transportation decision making. Better-governed data enables more responsive public services, smarter infrastructure investments, and ultimately, a safer, more equitable transportation system."
Cleaner Environments and Inspired Students
Jennifer Duan, a professor of civil and architectural engineering and mechanics, focuses on the science of hydraulics and sediments. One of her projects involves using airborne imagery to monitor the health of streams and reservoirs. Work like this, as well as her work to inspire the next generation of engineers, earned her the Margaret Petersen Outstanding Woman of the Year Award for 2025.
"We have to step up and make sure the field will grow... They’re going to be more successful than we can imagine."
Research Centers and Facilities
Much of CAEM’s transportation engineering research takes place at the UA’s interdisciplinary Transportation Research Institute, which addresses the mobility, safety and environmental challenges of a rapidly evolving transportation landscape.
Further, a number of multidisciplinary labs facilitate discovery, including the Civil Engineering Prototype Lab, a precision design and manufacturing facility specializing in test fixtures and tooling.
See UA College of Engineering-affiliated Research Centers and Institutes.