Dr. Sriram Aaleti
Associate Professor, Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies
Contact
- 2025 H.M. Comer
- phone (205) 348-5110
- fax (205) 348-0783
Research Areas
Education
- Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Iowa State University, 2010
- M.S., Civil Engineering, Iowa State University, 2006
- B.Tech, Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, 2003
Dr. Sriram Aaleti is an Associate Professor and the Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alabama. His research focuses on assessing reinforced concrete and wood structures exposed to natural and human-made hazards while developing durable, next-generation systems to address the deterioration of U.S. infrastructure. Dr. Aaleti specializes in designing performance-based systems that can withstand earthquakes, vehicle loads, or both, utilizing advanced materials such as Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) and cross-laminated timber (CLT). His work integrates small- and large-scale testing alongside numerical and analytical simulations.
He has pioneered the PreWEC system, a precast wall design aimed at reducing building damage during seismic events. His findings on post-tensioned precast systems have been incorporated into U.S. building codes (ACI 318-19; ACI ITG 5.2). Additionally, Dr. Aaleti has developed design guidelines for a new UHPC precast waffle deck panel system, expanding its use through accelerated bridge construction (ABC) methods in the U.S. He has led and co-led various federally and state-sponsored research projects, contributing to advancements in bridge construction and improving the durability and seismic resilience of critical infrastructure.
Dr. Aaleti is also actively involved in national committees, including the American Concrete Institute, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, and the Transportation Research Board, where he plays a key role in shaping standards and best practices within the industry
Affiliated Areas
Center for Sustainable Infrastructure, Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
Selected Publications
- Sharma, S., Aaleti, S., Okumus, P. (2023). Experimental testing of RC shear wall seismic retrofit using selective weakening, self-centering, and ultra-high performance concrete. Resilient Cities and Structures, 2(1), 76-90
- Ronanki, V. S., Aaleti, S. (2022). Experimental and analytical investigation of UHPC confined concrete behavior. Construction and Building Materials, 325, 126710. https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/8512445499310.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126710.
- Valentim, D. B., Aaleti, S., Kreger, M. E. (2022). Evaluation of Test Methods to Characterize Tensile Strength of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete. American Concrete Institute Materials Journal, 119(4), 165-176. 10.14359/51734835.
- Sharma, S., Ronanki, V. S., Aaleti, S., and Okumus, P. (2021). “Experimental Investigation of Surface Preparation on Normal Strength Concrete (NSC)-Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) Interface Behavior,” Journal of Bridge Engineering © ASCE, DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001697.
- Aaleti, S., and Sritharan, S. (2019). “Quantifying Bonding Characteristics between UHPC and Normal-Strength Concrete for Bridge Deck Application,” Journal of Bridge Engineering, Vol. 24, Issue 6.
Awards and Honors
- Educator of the Year Award, Prestressed/Precast Concrete Institute, 2019
- Leadership U 2024-2025 Cohort
- Faculty Excellence in Graduate Education Award (2022), The Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- George D. Nasser Award (2020), Prestressed/Precast Concrete Institute, for the paper “Long-span hybrid precast concrete bridge girder using ultra-high-performance concrete and normal weight concrete
- Faculty Excellence Award for Undergraduate Education (2020), College of Engineering, The University of Alabama
- Educator of the Year Award (2019), Prestressed/Precast Concrete Institute (PCI), to recognize early-career contributions to the PCI education mission, student learning and/or educational service and research contributions to PCI
Dr. Aaleti's Impact
UA Professor Upcycling Waste for Green Construction and Jobs
In a recently awarded grant project led by The University of Alabama, researchers will upcycle agricultural and industrial waste into affordable and greener construction materials. The project, “Transforming Wastes Into Economic Assets for Sustainability, Resilience, and Prosperity by a Novel Negative Emission Technology,” is a $6 million grant through the NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program focused on building climate resilience and strengthening STEM education in regions that have traditionally received less funding.
UA Team Wins First Place in National Big Beam Competition
A team of students from The University of Alabama’s College of Engineering recently placed first in the 2022 Engineering Student Design (Big Beam) Competition. The competition, hosted by the Precast/Prestressed...
PCI Honors Contributions to Precast Concrete Industry at Fall 2020 Committee Days and Technical Conference
The George D. Nasser Award recognizes PCI Journal papers relating to the design, research, production, or construction of precast concrete structures from authors who are 40 years old or younger....