Biography

Professor Shao’s research develops fundamental engineering concepts, models, and tools that improve the sustainability and automation level of the construction industry. Current projects focus on (1) developing sustainable, resilient, and adaptable structural systems that can be reused/reconfigured due to function/climate changes and are engineered for robotic construction, (2) advancing the knowledge and design theory of structures with Ultra-high Performance Concrete (UHPC) and/or Fiber-reinforced Polymer (FRP), and (3) developing autonomous solutions for various construction tasks. Our research adopts an interdisciplinary approach, which includes the development and usage of high-performance materials, innovative structural systems, advanced design methods, and autonomous construction methods (AI, robotic control, computer vision, etc.). 

Our team is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and dynamic educational environment. We support the unique dreams of each student. We are determined to help our team members gain the best educational experience and professional development. Through our research and educational activities, we strive to make the civil engineering industry more accessible and attractive to women, minority groups, and persons with disabilities.

Research Interests

UHPC, Robotic Construction, Structural Optimization

Courses

CIVL 320 Civil Engineering Materials

CIVL 528 Advanced Concrete Technology

Awards & Recognitions

• 2026 Featured paper award, Engineering Structures, 2026
• 2019 First-place best paper award, 2nd international UHPC symposium (Albany, NY)
• 2016 Charles H. Leavell Graduate Student Fellowship, Stanford University
• 2015, Fulbright Scholar Award
• 2012, P.E.O. Scholar Award
• 2010-2013, Graduate Fellowship, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA STAR)

Publications

• Ma, Y.; Jiang, F.; Ou, Z.; Wu, K.; Fan, X.; Shao, Y. Flexural Performance of UHPC-Encased H-Shape Steel Beams: Experiments and Theoretical Analysis. Engineering Structures 2026, 346, 121612.

• Hosseini, S. M.; Quan, Z.; Shao, Y. Enhancing Shear Performance in UHPC Beams through Strategic Fiber and Stirrup Integration. Engineering Structures 2026, 348, 121810.

• Jin, Z.; Wang, H.; Sun, X.; Shao, Y. Harnessing Human Expertise for High-Precision Robotic Assembly in Industrialized Construction: A Sample-Efficient Installer-in-the-Loop Interactive Reinforcement Learning Framework. Available at SSRN 6361639.

• Li, Y.; Dong, Z.; Shao, Y. Efficient Function-Calling Agents Based on Expert-Planned Coding for Out-of-Domain Applications: A Civil Drafting Case. Available at SSRN 6298860.

• in, L.; Wu, X.; Shao, Y.; Yang, R.; Wen, J.; Zhang, S.; Yu, H. Experimental Investigation on the Effect of Steel Fibers on Compressive Softening Behavior of Reinforced Ultra-High Performance Concrete under Biaxial Tension-Compression. Journal of Building Engineering 2026, 116102.

• Sun, T.; Han, B.; Wu, J.; Rusinkiewicz, S.; Shao, Y. Mobile Robotic Rebar Cage Assembly via Imitation Learning. Automation in Construction 2026, 181, 106671.

For a full list of my publications, visit my profile on: