Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials

Prof. dr. ir. Nele De Belie

Nele De Belie

Name: Nele De Belie
Title: Prof. dr. ir.
Function: Professor
T +32 9 264 55 22
F +32 9 264 58 45
Nele.DeBelie@UGent.be
Secretariat:
Mrs. Christel Malfait (T + 32 9 264 55 36)

Nele De Belie is professor in Durability of Cement Bound Materials at Ghent University (UGent) since 2000. Since 2018 she is director of the Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory for Structural Engineering and Building Materials of Ghent University. She is furthermore head of the “Concrete and Environment” research group which consists of about 15 postdoctoral and Ph.D. researchers. For more information on her research group, visit the webpage Concrete and environment.

Nele De Belie obtained her Master of Science (1994) and PhD (1997) from Ghent University both with the highest distinction, after which she carried out postdoctoral research at KULeuven (1997-2000), with 6 month research visits to Mt Albert Research Centre New Zealand and KVL University Copenhagen. She obtained the title of Collaborateur Scientifique à l’Unité de Résistance des matériaux et constructions, Gembloux (1997-1999) and has also spent one month at University of Stuttgart to focus on non-destructive testing (2004). She has been expert advisor for “Science and Innovation” of the Flemish Minister of Economy, Enterprise, Science, Innovation and Foreign Trade (2005 – 2009).

Her research focuses on

  • sustainable concrete with supplementary cementitious materials,
  • smart concrete with self-healing or self-cleaning properties,
  • circular economy and life cycle assessment,
  • concrete durability in various aggressive environments,
  • concrete/stone-microorganism interactions (biodeterioration, bioconsolidation).

She has coordinated and supervised more than 60 (inter)national projects in these areas. She is author of > 350 WoS publications and 20 book chapters, editor of 10 books, inventor in 4 patent applications, editorial board member of 3 SCI-indexed scientific journals.
Nele De Belie is president of RILEM (International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures). Since 2022 she is appointed as a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts.

Publications

Scientific career

  • Research Assistant of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO – Vlaanderen) at the Biosystems Engineering Department of Ghent University from 01-10-1993 to 30-09-1997. Ph.D. Research project: “Concrete technological and chemical aspects of floor degradation in pig houses”
  • Postdoctoral Researcher of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO – Vlaanderen) at the Department Agro-technology and Economy of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KULeuven) from 01-10-1997 to 30-09-2000. Research project: “Mechanical properties of cells and tissues related to fruit texture”
  • Postdoctoral researcher at The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand, from 01-02-1998 to 01-08-1998
  • Postdoctoral researcher at Chemometrics Group of The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University of Denmark, Copenhagen from 06-01-2000 to 15-07-2000
  • Professor at the Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research, Department of Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University, since 01-10-2000
  • Invited Professor at the Department of Construction Materials (Institüt für Werkstoffe im Bauwesen) of the University of Stuttgart, from 1 to 29 March 2004
  • Advisor for “Science and Innovation” of the Flemish Minister of Economy, Enterprise, Science, Innovation and Foreign Trade, 2005 - 2009

Awards

Nele De Belie is laureate of several best paper prizes and awards in recognition of her scientific work, she is RILEM Robert L’Hermite medallist (2010) and holds a RILEM fellowship (2015).

Committees and working groups

  • President of RILEM (International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures) and outgoing chair of the Technical Activities Committee of RILEM (coordinating ~40 Technical Committees)
  • Chair of RILEM TC 281-CCC - Carbonation of concrete with supplementary cementitious materials and member of several other RILEM Technical Committees
  • Member of the Strategic Advisory Council of VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research (2018-2023)
  • Member of the Board of Directors of the spearhead cluster Strategic Initiative Materials (SIM) – Flanders (2009-2023)
  • Board member of the Belgian Concrete Group (BBG)
  • Member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI)
  • Member of WTA – Wissenschaftlich-Technische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Bauwerkserhaltung und Denkmalpflege e.V.
  • Member of the organising or scientific committee of various international conferences

Editorial tasks

Current teaching activities

  • Strength of materials
  • Statistics and data handling
  • Life cycle assessment of materials and structures
  • Sustainability of materials

Concrete and environment group activity