civil engineering

aerial view of a complex highway interchange featuring more than a dozen lanes of traffic going in half a dozen directions

Aug 24, 2022

Helping Autonomous Vehicles Navigate Tricky Highway Merges

The work allows AVs to make necessary calculations more quickly – improving traffic flow and safety.

May 5, 2022

Researchers Find Way to Make Traffic Models More Efficient

The models are used for everything from traffic-light patterns to apps for driving directions.

rows of vials containing covid-19 vaccine

Apr 1, 2022

Researchers Roll Out Data on COVID Vaccine Distribution and Waste

The researchers hope others can use the data to improve vaccination efforts in the future.

Sunset on the American Tobacco Trail I-40 Pedestrian Bridge in Durham, North Carolina

Nov 17, 2021

Infrastructure Bill Experts

Billy Williams, director of NC State’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education and a professor of civil, construction, and environmental engineering, can speak to issues associated with transportation and transportation infrastructure in North Carolina. Williams can be reached at billy_williams@ncsu.edu or 919.515.7813. Jason Coupet is an associate professor of public administration. He has expertise in the administrative challenges associated with implementing…

night-time photo shows two lines of traffic, one moving toward the camera, and one moving away from the camera

Aug 23, 2021

Study: Benefits Outweigh Risks for Autonomous Vehicles – As Long As You Regulate Them

The potential benefits of autonomous vehicles could substantially outweigh the risks.

Dec 14, 2020

Applying Compost to Landfills Could Have Environmental Benefits

Compost could be useful well beyond the garden.

dam draws water from a river to supply a power plant

Oct 7, 2020

Hydrology Data Tool Helps Users Manage Water Resources, Protect Infrastructure

Harnessing data to help authorities make informed decisions.

flood waters rise up the side of a levee

Jan 21, 2020

Study Finds Flooding Damage to Levees Is Cumulative – and Often Invisible

Repeated flooding has a cumulative effect on the integrity of earthen levees, suggesting that extreme weather associated with climate change could pose significant risks for the nation’s aging levees.

Nov 13, 2019

Turning (More) Fat and Sewage Into Natural Gas

NC State researchers have developed what is, to date, the most efficient means of converting sewage sludge and restaurant grease into methane.

Apr 30, 2019

Field Study Finds Pellet-Fed Stoves Cut Pollutant Emissions 90%, Nearing Gas-Stove Performance

A field study in Rwanda finds that a new cookstove design, which makes use of compressed wood pellets, reduces air pollution by about 90% for a range of contaminants associated with health problems and climate change.

Mar 2, 2019

How Bacteria Can Help Prevent Coal Ash Spills

New technique uses bacteria to produce “biocement” in coal ash ponds, making the ash easier to store.

Dec 5, 2018

Experts Lay Out Options For Future of Energy Storage in North Carolina

A report by NC State experts details energy storage options to inform energy policy.

A cracked highway disappears into flood waters.

Oct 8, 2018

Assessing How Florence Affected the Very Ground We Stand On

After Florence, experts moved in to assess the damage. NC State's Brina Montoya was one of them.

Oct 25, 2017

Technique Offers Advance in Testing Micro-Scale Compressive Strength of Cement

Researchers have, for the first time, used a “micropillar compression” technique to characterize the micro-scale strength of cement, allowing for the development of cement with desirable strength properties for civil engineering applications.

May 26, 2017

Above the Battlefields of World War I

James Allen Higgs Jr., a Raleigh native and two-time engineering graduate of NC State, had a birds-eye view of the battlefields of France during the First World War.