Saeed B. Nia paving the way to eco-friendly concrete

Graduate research assistant in structural engineering Saeed B. Nia is pioneering the reuse of materials in concrete, investigating innovative mix designs to develop eco-friendly alternatives for future building and bridge applications.

A key finding that directed Nia’s path on alternative concrete research was defining the difference between reusing material and recycling material.

“Recycling construction waste requires energy to alter the material’s composition, often generating additional waste and emissions,” Nia said. “In contrast, reusing existing materials involves only physical modifications, such as sifting or grinding, to reintegrate them into the mixture.”

Nia has explored numerous approaches to developing a strong, practical alternative to traditional concrete, sourcing materials from local quarries and industries. Among the materials he has tested are ash from incinerators, biochar derived from agricultural waste, demolition debris from construction sites, and other by-products from various industries. While cement is traditionally used as the primary binder in concrete, Nia’s work has shown that certain reused solutions can match or even perform better than current raw materials due to their unique chemical compositions.

“Concrete is the second most used material in the world, so it’s important to be mindful of our consumption of resources. Reducing our dependence on extracting raw materials or producing new ones—both expending immense amounts of energy and creating CO2 emissions, is progress,” said Nia.

His drive to develop practical and scalable solutions for sustainable concrete has earned him recognition from leading academic and industry organizations. In 2024, he was awarded the Structural Engineers Foundation (SEF) Research Grant for his work on Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC), focusing on its application in bridge deck substrates and overlays. This year, he won the Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s scholarship and is committed to making the widespread adoption of his innovations possible in the ready-mix concrete industry.

Nia expressed gratitude to his advisor, Associate Professor Behrouz Shafei, for guiding his academic journey and helping him translate research into real-world applications.

“This journey has no end for me,” Nia said, “I am always searching for sustainable solutions in construction. My work is progressing beyond research papers and into real-world infrastructure—which is my ultimate goal.”