Group Overview

Welcome to the Resilient GeoMaterials Group at Oregon State University. Led by Dr. Pavan Akula in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering, our group develops resilient, soil-based materials for infrastructure. Soil is one of the oldest and most widely available construction materials, yet its behavior is hard to predict under adverse environmental conditions. We pair laboratory experiments with computational modeling to understand how earth-based materials evolve over time and to predict their engineering performance.

Our research currently focuses on two areas:

• Chemically stabilized soils and tailings. We build geochemical kinetic models of the reactions that control strength and durability in stabilized soils and mine tailings: binder hydration, mineral dissolution, and secondary phase precipitation.

• Earth-based 3D construction printing (3DCP). We use geomechanics and geochemistry to design printable earth-based composite mixtures that are buildable, durable, and resilient.

We work across civil engineering, geochemistry, and materials science, and we welcome inquiries from prospective students, collaborators, and industry partners.

About me

I earned my Ph.D. at Texas A&M University-College Station in May 2020. During my Ph.D., I worked in the Advanced Characterization of Infrastructure Materials Lab (ACIM) under the supervision of Prof. Dallas N. Little. I received the OSU College of Engineering Engelbrecht Early Career Award (2025) and have held the John and Jean Loosley Endowed Position since 2024. My group’s research has also received the Outstanding Paper Award at the RILEM Technical Youth Symposium 2025.