Ongoing
Workplace Safety and Health Training on Extreme Temperatures and Heat Stress Prevention for Construction Workers
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Role: Co-PI Project Duration: 09/2024 - 03/2025
Read MoreUTSA Safety Innovation and Intelligent Infrastructure
Making a Safer
Built Future
What do you want to build?Construction safety, automation, and resilient infrastructure research.
About (SI)³ LabAmbitious Research,
Ambitious Research,
Impactful Work
The Safety Innovation and Intelligent Infrastructure research laboratory creates cross-disciplinary solutions to improve safety performance and infrastructure sustainability by leveraging innovation, technology, and automation.
Learn More0+Papers Published
$0.0MResearch Grants
0Industry Partners
0Patents Filed
Our Mission
To advance construction and infrastructure systems through safety focused, technology driven, and sustainability oriented research.
Our Vision
To become a leading research lab shaping safer and more resilient infrastructure systems through innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Our Values
Core Values
The principles that guide our research methodology,
student mentorship, and industry collaboration.
01
Safety First
We place human health at the center of every study. Our work targets hazard reduction, risk awareness, and safer environments across construction and infrastructure systems.
02
Research Excellence
We uphold high academic standards in study design, data collection, and analysis. Every project follows ethical guidelines and produces reliable, peer reviewed outcomes.
03
Innovation
We adopt modern technologies and data driven approaches to address safety and infrastructure challenges. Our research integrates sensing systems, analytics, and intelligent tools.
04
Collaboration
We work closely with researchers, industry partners, and public agencies. These partnerships strengthen relevance, expand perspective, and support shared problem solving.
05
Impact
We focus on outcomes with clear practical value. Our research supports decision making, policy development, and real world improvement in safety and sustainability.
Collaborating Colleges & Universities
Funding Agencies
Research Areas
Our multidisciplinary approach tackles the most pressing challenges in the built environment.
Safety
Safety & Health Innovation
Despite significant advances in industrial technologies, their systematic application to safety and health management remains limited. This research thrust of the (SI)³ research la...
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Our Projects
Featured Research
Ongoing
Bulk Regolith Technologies for Landing/Launch Pad Site Preparation and Blast Shield Construction
Funding Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Astroport Space Technologies Role: Co-PI Project Period: 01/2024 - 02/2026
Read MoreOngoing
FW-HTF-R: US-Ireland R&D Partnership: ARISE: Assembly and Robotics Innovation in Steel Building Erection
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF) Role: Co-PI Project Period: 11/2022 - 10/2026
Read MorePublications
Recent Publications
2026
Hybrid Simulation Framework for Autonomous Robotics Lunar Launch and Landing Pad Construction
Okonkwo, C., Awolusi, I., Shafique, S., Ximenes, S., Gorin, B., Redfield, J., Petersen, C.
Automation in Construction
2026
Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Automated Planning and Scheduling of Lunar Launch Pad Construction
Okonkwo, C., Awolusi, I., Bin-Shafique, S., Bhaganagar, K., Ximenes, S., Redfield, J., and Johnson, J.
Acta Astronautica
2026
Aligning Construction Engineering Education to Industry Needs: A Computational Thinking Approach with Sensing Technologies and Data Analytics
Khalid, M., Akanmu, A., Yusuf, A., Awolusi, I., and Murzi, H.
Journal of Civil Engineering Education
2026
ECERI: A Context-Aware Extension of REBA for Elevated Construction Ergonomic Risk
Lan, R. and Awolusi, I.
Journal of Safety Research
2025
Gaze-directed UAV-UGV Coordination Framework for On-site Quality Inspection of Precast Bridge Construction
Cai, J., Du, A., Awolusi, I.
Transportation Infrastructure Precast Innovation Center (TRANS-IPIC)
Life at the Lab
More than a workplace — a community driven by curiosity, collaboration, and purpose.
Mentorship
Mentorship & Growth
We foster a culture of mentorship where experienced researchers guide emerging scholars, helping them navigate academic challenges and develop professionally.
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Facilities & Tools
State-of-the-art equipment supporting our experimental and computational research.
- Wearable Biosensors
- Wearable Heart Rate Monitor
- Wearable Air Quality Monitor
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone)
- Laptops
Teaching & Courses
Equipping the next generation of engineers with skills in construction safety, automation, and smart infrastructure.
CE 462/562
Vertical Construction Methods
Introduces topics of vertical construction equipment and methods, design of vertical construction systems, and construction operation analys...
University of AlabamaCE 463/563
Construction Cost Estimating
Addresses the estimating and cost control function from conceptual planning through project execution. Topics include productivity analysis,...
University of AlabamaCE 464/564
Safety Engineering
Introduces topics of safety management and accident prevention, including state and federal laws related to general and construction project...
University of AlabamaCE 366
Introduction to Construction Engineering
Applies engineering economic principles to construction and engineering problems; construction management processes and methods in planning,...
University of AlabamaGallery
A glimpse into our research environment, fieldwork, and lab activities.
Ibukun Gabriel Awolusi, Ph.D.
Lab Director • SI³ Lab
The SI³ Lab combines engineering expertise with emerging technologies to address critical challenges in construction and infrastructure.
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Careers
Join Our Team
We are looking for passionate researchers, graduate students, and postdocs who want to make a difference in construction safety and smart infrastructure. Shape the future with us.
Collaborate With Us
We are always looking for industry partners, academic collaborators, and motivated students to join our mission. Let’s build the future of infrastructure together.