Associate Professor Wengui Li
Joint PhD in Structural Engineering, Tongji University (2009–2010) and Northwestern University (2010–2013)
ARC Future Fellow, Scientia Associate Professor in Construction Materials and Structural Engineering
Wengui Li is a Scientia Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Australia. He received a Joint Doctoral Degree in Structural Engineering from Tongji University, China and Northwestern University, USA in 2013. From 2010 to 2013, he was a Predoctoral Research Fellow at the US NSF-funded Center for Advanced Cement-Based Materials (ACBM) at Northwestern University. Prior to joining UNSW in 2023, he was an Associate Professor at University of Technology Sydney. Wengui received the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (Technische Universität Berlin), JSPS Invitational Fellowship (The University of Tokyo), and International Excellence Fellowship of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany). In 2015, he was awarded an ARC DECRA Fellow.
Wengui serves as a member of the College of Assessors for New Zealand’s MBIE, a role equivalent to that of a member of the ARC College of Experts. He serves as an editor or editorial board member for six leading journals in his field such as Construction and Building Materials (JCR Q1; IF: 8.9), Sustainable Materials and Technologies (JCR Q1; IF: 9.7), Cement and Concrete Composites (JCR Q1; IF: 14.4), and the ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, and as a session co-chair at several international conferences. He is also a founding member and working group leader of several international RILEM, ACI and fib technical committees. As a Fellow of Engineers Australia, he maintains strong engagement with industry and contributes to the advancement of engineering research and practice.
At UNSW, Wengui is the Leader of the "Intelligent Concrete and Infrastructure Materials" (ICIM) Research Group, comprising 15 members. The interdisciplinary research team focuses on cement chemistry, advanced concrete technology, energy harvesting and storage, and the development of novel concrete functionalities enabled by nanotechnology. He has gained international recognition for developing multifunctional intelligent concrete and advanced infrastructure materials for smart infrastructure and renewable energy systems. His research addresses global challenges in infrastructure resilience, decarbonisation, energy efficiency, smart cities, and net-zero transition, delivering broad benefits to industry through sustained research excellence and high-impact outcomes. Over the past decade, Wengui has independently established and led a research program centred on two complementary themes: Multifunctional Intelligent Concrete and Advanced Infrastructure Materials. These two research themes are highly synergistic, with discoveries and innovations in one area directly informing and accelerating progress in the other.
Theme 1: Multifunctional Intelligent Concrete
Multifunctional intelligent concrete with diverse functionalities—including self-sensing, self-healing, self-powering, hydrophobicity, photocatalytic properties, and carbon sequestration—enabled by the incorporation of carbon-based nanomaterials and alternative binders, can improve the durability, resilience, and sustainability of infrastructure. This research bridges the material properties of concrete and structural responses across multiple scales.
Theme 2: Advanced Infrastructure Materials
Energy harvesting and storage concrete enables the harvesting and storage of renewable energy to support the operation of buildings and infrastructure. This research focuses on integrating concrete materials with energy technologies to develop cement-based energy materials that endow conventional concrete with energy harvesting, storage, and thermal regulation capabilities, contributing to the development of energy-efficient buildings.
Journal publication and conference awards
Currently 13 active highly cited papers by Clarivate in 2026
Front cover paper, March 2026 issue of the ACI Materials Journal, 2026
2025 Most Downloaded Paper Award “Nano Energy, 2025, 137: 110823”, Nano Energy, 2026
2025 Most Downloaded Paper Award “Nano Energy, 2025, 135: 110656”, Nano Energy, 2026
Best International Collaboration Award, SynerCrete’23 - International Conference, 2023
Best Paper Award, 3rd International Conference on Structural Engineering Research (iCSER2022) and 6th GCSTMR World Congress, Sydney 2022
Research.com Rising Star of Science Award, 2022
2022 Most Downloaded Paper Award “Resour. Conserv. Recycl.: X, 2020, 6: 100036”, Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances, 2023
2022 Most Cited Paper Award “Resour. Conserv. Recycl.: X, 2020, 6: 100036”, Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances, 2023
Outstanding Reviewers Award “Journal of Infrastructure Preservation and Resilience”, 2021
The Best Paper Award (two papers), “ES Materials & Manufacturing”, 2021
Selected high-impact papers in leading journals
W. Dong, ..., W. Li*, Nano Energy, 2025, 135: 110656 (JCR Q1, IF=16.7)
L. Sun, …, W. Li*, Engineering Structures, 2024, 317: 118647 (JCR Q1, IF=7.6)
W. Dong, …, W. Li*, Composites Part B: Engineering, 2025, 303: 112603 (JCR Q1, IF=14.0)
S. Gomes, …, W. Li, Cement and Concrete Research, 2025, 194: 107899 (JCR Q1, IF=14.0)
Y. Guo, ..., W. Li*, Cement and Concrete Composites, 2026, 171: 106623 (JCR Q1, IF=14.4)
X. Wang, …, W. Li*, Construction and Building Materials, 2025, 494: 143448 (JCR Q1, IF=8.9)
Y. Fan, …, W. Li*, Carbon, 2026, 253: 121463 (JCR Q1, IF=12.7)
K. Chen, …, W. Li*, Chemical Engineering Journal, 2026, 529: 172697 (JCR Q1, IF=12.5)
F. Qu, …, W. Li*, Journal of Cleaner Production, 2026, 543: 147583 (JCR Q1, IF=10.7)
C. Zhao, …, W. Li*, Energy and Buildings, 2025, 338: 115732 (JCR Q1, IF=8.0)
W. Dong, …, W. Li*, Materials Today Energy, 2025, 52: 101943 (JCR Q1, IF=8.1)
X. Wang, …, W. Li*, Journal of Energy Storage, 2025, 104: 114495 (JCR Q1, IF=10.7)
W. Dong, …, W. Li*, Energy, 2025, 315: 134382 (JCR Q1, IF=10.1)
A.J. Cheng, …, W. Li, …, S. Peng, Advanced Science, 2026, 13: e19398 (JCR Q1, IF=14.1)
K. Chen, ..., W. Li*, Journal of CO2 Utilization, 2024, 90: 102986 (JCR Q1, IF=8.6)
W Dong, …, W Li*, …, Z. Tao, Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 2021, 172: 105664 (JCR Q1, IF=10.4)
C. Zhao, ..., W. Li*, Sustain. Mater. Technol., 2026, 48: e01947 (JCR Q1, IF: 9.7)
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Wengui has gained research funding from ARC scheme, public government, industry partners, and other international funding sources.
Active grants
“Cement-based triboelectric nanogenerators for renewable energy harvesting”, ARC Discovery Project (DP260100885), 2026-2029.
"Cementitious photocatalytic coating: A solution to noxious vehicle emission", ARC Linkage Project (LP240200692), 2026-2028.
"Novel hydrophobic concrete for durable and resilient mining infrastructure", ARC Linkage Project (LP230100288), 2024-2027.
"Robust cement-based sensors for smart automation in future infrastructure", ARC Future Fellowship Grant (FT220100177), 2023-2028.
"Maximising the use of waste glass in sustainable composite columns", ARC Discovery Project (DP220100036), 2022-2024.
“Next-generation coastal concrete: Recycling marine clay solid waste for decarbonization and enhanced waste management”, HKUST-UNSW Global Research Impact Program & Global Knowledge Network Awards (UNSW Sydney and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), 2025-2026.
"Seawater and sea sand concrete for navy military-use offshore infrastructure", Security & Defence PLuS Seed Grant (UNSW Sydney and Arizona State University), 2024-2025.
"Development of green phase change concrete with enhanced energy efficiency and fire resistance", UNSW-CAS Collaborative Research Seed Program (UNSW Sydney and University of Science and Technology of China), 2024-2025.
Completed grants
"Self-healing concrete for mitigation of chloride induced steel corrosion", ARC Discovery Project (DP220101051), 2022-2024.
"Nanofiller reinforced concrete for high performance thermal energy storage", ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Grant (DE150101751), 2015-2018.
"Deterioration of recycled concrete under coupled loading and aggressive environmental actions", ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub "Reclaimed waste resources to engineered materials and solutions for a circular economy" Component Project with Wuhan Geoyuan Geotechnical Engineering Co Ltd. (IH200100010), 2021-2023.
"Nano-geopolymer composites for underground prefabricated structures", ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub "Nanoscience-based construction material manufacturing" Component Project with Wuhan Zhihe Geotechnical Engineering Co., Ltd (IH150100006), 2017-2020.
"Enhanced durability of concrete materials and structures under harsh mining environments", Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (Innovation Connections) Grant with Y.A.T. Capital Group Pty Ltd. (ICG002073), 2022-2023.
Major Honours and Awards (selected)
Humboldt Research Fellowship Programme for Experienced Researchers, Technische Universität Berlin, 2025
Invitational Fellowship for Research in Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, University of Tokyo, 2024
Member of College of Assessors for New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 2022
Fellow of Engineers Australia (FIEAust), 2023
Best International Collaboration Award, SynerCrete’23, Milos Island, Greece, 2023
Research.com Rising Star of Science Award, 2022
International Excellence Fellowship of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, 2022
Best Paper Award, 3rd iCSER2022 and 6th GCSTMR World Congress, Sydney, Australia, 2022
ARC Future Fellowship (FT Level 2), 2022
ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA), 2015
Wengui’s research interests are in the field of connecting materials properties of concrete to structural responses, specifically including:
Smart, multifunctional, and intelligent concrete (e.g., self-sensing, self-healing, self-powering, hydrophobic, photocatalytic, energy-harvesting, energy-storage, cement-based supercapacitors batteries, cement-based triboelectric and thermoelectric nanogenerators)
Advanced numerical modelling of cement-based materials (AI, molecular dynamics, machine learning)
Concrete nanotechnology (e.g., nanomodification, nanocharacterisation, functionalisation)
Solid waste recovery for sustainable construction materials
Material and structure of recycled aggregate concrete
Concrete durability (e.g., chemical attacks, chloride transport, reinforcing corrosion)
Alternative binders for concrete decarbonisation
Low-carbon concrete and CO2 mineralised concrete
Fire resistance of concrete materials
Resilient and durable concrete (e.g., claystone volcanic ash, natural pozzolans)
Carbon sequestration and capture
Editorial roles in leading journals
Editor, special issue editor, guest editor, and editorial board member for six high-impact journals in my research field such as Construction and Building Materials (JCR Q1, IF=8.9), Sustainable Materials and Technologies (JCR Q1, IF=9.7), Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering (ASCE, IF=3.2), and Cement and Concrete Composites (JCR Q1, IF=14.4)
Editorial Board Member of several high-impact journals, including npj Materials Sustainability (Nature) (JCR Q1; IF: 12.0), International Journal of Mining Science and Technology (JCR Q1; IF: 15.9), Case Studies in Construction Materials (Elsevier) (JCR Q1; IF: 6.9), International Journal of Construction Management (Taylor & Francis) (JCR Q1; IF: 3.4), Journal of Infrastructure Preservation and Resilience (Springer Nature) (JCR Q2; IF: 3.0). I serve as a Guest Editor for Low-carbon Materials and Green Construction (Springer Nature) (JCR Q1; IF: 4.0)
Professional societies and technical committees
Member of the College of Assessors for New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), a role equivalent to the member of ARC College of Experts
Engineering Faculty Board Member, The University of New South Wales
Fellow and Professional Member in Engineers Australia (EA)
Member of the Royal Society of New South Wales
Member in NSW State Committee of the Concrete Institute of Australia (CIA), 2023-2025
International Union of Testing and Research Laboratories for Materials and Structures (RILEM)
RILEM 302-CNC (Carbon-based nanomaterials for multifunctional cementitious matrices) – Founding Member; Working Group Leader of Multi-Scale Characterization of MITZ within RILEM TC MTZ (Influence of recycled aggregates on multi-interfacial transition zones in recycled concrete); RILEM 273-RAC (Structural behaviour and innovation of recycled aggregate concrete); RILEM 278-CHA (Crack-healing of asphalt pavement materials); RILEM 283-CAM (Chloride transport in alkali-activated materials);
American Concrete Institute (ACI)
ACI-241 (Nanotechnology of concrete); ACI-555 (Concrete with recycled materials)
International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib)
TG4.7 (Structural Applications of Recycled Aggregate Concrete – Properties, Modeling, and Design)
My Research Supervision
PhD opportunities are available at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney (Kensington Campus).
Several scholarships of $39,206 per annum, including tuition fee waiver for a duration of 3-3.5 years will be provided to strong PhD candidates.
PhD Scholarship Opportunities
Domestic Research Scholarship: https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships
International Research Scholarship: https://research.unsw.edu.au/international-research-scholarships
UNSW-China Scholarship Council (CSC) Joint Scholarship program. For more details, click here. Top-up scholarship ($16,406 pa) will be provided to CSC awardees. https://www.unsw.edu.au/research/hdr/application#panel-3
UNSW / HEC Pakistan Joint Scholarship: https://research.unsw.edu.au/unsw-home-country-joint-scholarships
UNSW / CONICYT Chile Joint Scholarship: https://research.unsw.edu.au/unsw-home-country-joint-scholarships
Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Research Assistant positions are available at specific time.
My Teaching
Teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels
Advanced Concrete Technologies (CVEN9841), Convener and Lecture
Civil and Environmental Engineering Design Practice (Postgraduate), Coordination and Lecture
Construction Materials (Undergraduate), Coordination and Lecture
Concrete Technology and Practice (Postgraduate), Coordination and Lecture
Design for Durability (Postgraduate), Lecture
Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering (Undergraduate), Lecture
Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Structures (Undergraduate), Lecture