Jack Turicek PHD Student in the Jason Patrick Lab

Research

Innovating practical solutions that keep communities running, growing and thriving.

Advancing Ideas. Engineering What’s Next.

Cutting-edge, collaborative and impact-driven, CCEE is a home to world-leading experts in all aspects of civil, construction and environmental engineering.

Our faculty and students address urgent, tangible challenges — including clean water and air, durable buildings and bridges, safe and efficient transportation, and sustainable energy systems — delivering outcomes that benefit communities worldwide.

270+

civil, construction and environmental engineering projects are active across campus, finding solutions to big-picture challenges.

22 Winners

of National Science Foundation CAREER, National Academies Early Career, and Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator awards.

$27M in Research Funding

CCEE works closely with federal, state, industrial and nonprofit agencies. Partnerships include the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation.

Partner with us

Learning and Leading

Students are active contributors, not observers at CCEE. Undergraduates are central to our research, gaining hands-on experience that prepares them to lead in industry, academia and public service. Graduate students work alongside faculty as collaborative problem-solvers whose research advances industry practice and prepares the next generation of engineers.

Start your CCEE journey

Dr. Detlef Knappe works with graduate and post doc students in his lab on Centennial campus. Dr. Knappe is interested in drinking water quality and treatment, water reuse, organic micropollutants, development of water treatment processes for polar and persistent organic pollutants, and the fate of organic pollutants in solid waste landfills.

Engineering the Future

CCEE engineers build smart, connected communities by designing disaster-resistant infrastructure, modernizing transit, and securing the water and energy systems that protect our climate.

Innovation thrives at the intersection of expertise. Our faculty and students bridge engineering, data science and policy to transform rigorous research into practical, deployable solutions for industry and society.

Image shows thermoplastic blue piping embedded in a black carbon fiber mesh.

Self-Healing Materials Enable Aircraft and Automobile Components Last Centuries

Researchers have created a self-healing composite that is tougher than materials currently used in aircraft wings, turbine blades and other applications – and can repair itself more than 1,000 times. The researchers estimate their self-healing strategy can extend the lifetime of conventional fiber-reinforced composite materials by centuries compared to the current decades-long design-life.

Computer Model Identifies Locations for Optimizing OffShore Energy Production

“Offshore energy technologies – such as marine hydrokinetic devices that convert the the ocean’s tides, current and waves into electricity – hold tremendous potential for producing sustainable energy at a reasonable cost,” says Anderson de Queiroz, co-author of a paper on the work and an associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at North Carolina State University.

A photograph from space showing electricity grids on landmasses.

New Energy Systems Modeling Methods in an Uncertain Future

Energy systems are incredibly complex, incorporating a dizzying array of power generators, distribution technologies and end-users; analyzing how all of those variables will change in the future poses challenges for long-term planning. A new method improves the computational modeling of these systems, giving policymakers new insights into which variables have the biggest impact and merit extra attention.

Research Improves Accuracy of Climate Models – Particularly for Compound Extreme Events

Researchers have devised a new machine learning method to improve large-scale climate model projections —a new tool makes the models more accurate at global and regional level. This advance should provide policymakers with improved climate projections to inform policy and planning decisions.

a person wearing a bright yellow vest fills a sampling jar with water from a flooded street

Study Finds Coastal Flooding More Frequent Than Previously Thought

Flooding in coastal communities is happening far more often than previously thought, according to a new study from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The study also found major flaws with the widely used approach of using marine water level data to capture instances of flooding.

steam billows out of a black metal pot that rests on a stone oven. there is an open fire in the oven.

What Are the Tradeoffs When People Have to Choose Between Clean Air and Clean Water?

People in many parts of the world lack access to clean water, but boiling water to make it safer often requires burning wood or other dirty fuels that expose them to air pollution. How do these two risks compare to each other? A new study weighs those risks, and provides suggestions on which has the largest benefit.

Research Focus Areas

CCEE offers eight research focus areas covering the entire infrastructure and environmental lifecycle — from soil behavior and materials to construction and long-term performance. By integrating climate resilience, public health and data-driven modeling, we deliver innovative, actionable solutions to complex challenges.

Two people examining a computer systems model

Computing, AI and Systems

Computing, AI, and Systems focuses on parallel and distributed processing, advanced computation, mathematical modeling and optimization methods, decision support, software engineering, simulation and data assimilation and more.

Dr. Sami Rizkalla, Dist. Professor of Civil Engineering - Dept of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, looks over cracks in concrete with a student during research in the Constructed Facilities Lab on Centennial Campus.

Construction Engineering

Construction Engineering addresses modern challenges by integrating innovative, sustainable practices into the planning and management of projects. It focuses on developing efficient technologies and advanced management principles to streamline the building process.

Assistant Professor Tarek Aziz works with a student in the Hydraulics Lab in the Fitts-Woolard building on Centennial Campus.

Environmental, Water Resources and Coastal Engineering

Environmental, Water Resources and Coastal Engineering addresses complex challenges across diverse domains. Our research spans air pollution, coastal systems, and groundwater hydrology, alongside solid waste, urban stormwater, and wastewater management.

Two researchers work on equipment in CCEE's Geotechnical Lab.

Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering

Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering examines the interface between natural and built environments. Focus areas include analysis, design and construction of earth-supported structures, such as foundations, dams and levees.

Mechanics and Materials

Mechanics and Materials works toward understanding, modeling and improving a wide spectrum of traditional and emerging materials. Using theoretical, experimental and computational mechanics from nano to macro scale, research areas innovate material infrastructure.

A shot of testing equipment in a lab at NC State's Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering.

Structural Engineering and Mechanics

Structural Engineering and Mechanics investigates system failure by probing the limits of materials and structures. Research spans advanced steel and concrete design, earthquake engineering, structural mechanics, finite deformation theory and more.

Photo shows a rail station platform and railroad tracks running toward the camera in the lower foreground, with trees and the skyline of a city showing in the upper background.

Transportation Systems

NC State University has been a leader in transportation engineering education. Transportation Systems continues to lead in innovative research the planning, analysis, design, construction and management of transport facilities.

A closeup of a sample of material in CCEE's Cementitious Materials Lab.

Transportation Materials

Transportation Materials researches the lifecycle of transport infrastructure materials, from planning and design to construction and management. Focus areas include pavement and mix design, alongside advanced materials characterization.

Explore Our Labs

CCEE centers and facilities form a cutting-edge research ecosystem that enables discovery at scale — from high-performance computing and advanced materials testing to transportation systems, nuclear infrastructure, water resources, climate forecasting and coastal resilience.