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About

Jack McAlorum is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of civil engineering and robotics, whose work is redefining how we build and maintain concrete infrastructure. His primary research areas include self-sensing materials, robotic construction, and automated structural health monitoring. McAlorum’s most significant contribution is the development of self-sensing geopolymers and alkali-activated materials—cementitious technologies that can simultaneously repair concrete structures and monitor their integrity. His landmark 2020 paper, “Robotic spray coating of self-sensing metakaolin geopolymer for concrete monitoring,” has garnered 39 citations and demonstrates a novel method for deploying these smart materials via robotic spray coating. Building on this, his 2021 work on robotic installation of wireless strain gauges into precast concrete elements (5 citations) outlines a fully automated pipeline for embedding sensors, while his 2023 study on illumination-enhanced robotic concrete inspection (2 citations) tackles the challenge of automated defect detection under variable lighting. McAlorum’s work is notable for its practical, field-ready approach—combining material science with robotic deployment to create scalable, intelligent solutions for aging infrastructure.