Prof. dr. ir. Geert De Schutter

Name: Geert De Schutter
Title: Prof. dr. ir.
Function: Head of Department, Research Professor, ERC Advanced Grant Holder
T +32 9 264 55 21
Geert.DeSchutter@UGent.be

Secretariat:
Mrs. Christel Malfait, Mrs. Anabelle Michiels (T + 32 9 264 55 35)

Overview

Geert De Schutter (Master of Science in Civil Engineering 1990, PhD in Civil Engineering 1996) is research professor Concrete Technology at Ghent University, head of the Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, and technical director of the Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory. He is RILEM Honorary member, and ACI Fellow.

He is laureate of the Vreedenburgh Award (1998), laureate of the Royal Academy Division Natural Sciences (2000), Laureate of the RILEM Robert L’Hermite Medal (2001), and recipient of the ACI Arthur Anderson Medal (2014). In 2002 he was Invited Professor at Oita University, Japan. From 2008 to 2014, he was also Invited Professor at the University of Cergy-Pontoise, France. In 2012 he was awarded the Francqui Chair at the University of Liège, Belgium. In 2016 he was invited professor at the University of Nantes, France. From 2014 to 2022 he was Invited Professor at Tongji University, Shanghai, China.

He is (co-)author of a few books, and author of more than 700 publications in journals and conference proceedings.

His research is situated in the following domains: concrete technology, hydration and microstructure development, properties of hardening concrete, durability of cementitious materials, self-compacting concrete, rheology of cementitious materials...

For more research on his research group, you can visit the webpage Concrete technology

Scientific Career

From 01/09/1991 to 30/09/1993 he was scientific co-worker at the Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research, Department of Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University, doing research concerning ‘Thermal stresses in hardening concrete’.
From 01/10/1993 to 30/09/1997 he was Doctoral Researcher of the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO). In this function he was doing research at the Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research, Department of Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University, on the topics ‘Estimation of the service life of massive concrete elements taking into account the thermal stress formation during the hardening phase’ and ‘Evolving constitutive laws for hardening concrete’.
From 01/10/1997 to 31/01/1999 he was Postdoctoral Researcher of the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO). In this function he was doing research at the Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research, Department of Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University, on the topic ‘Study of the service life of marine concrete structures by means of a probabilistic formulation of degradation mechanisms’.
Since 01/02/1999 he is Professor Concrete Technology at the Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research (since February 2020 renamed to Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory), Department of Structural Engineering (since September 2019 renamed to Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials), Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University.
From 01/10/2002 to 31/10/2002 he was Invited Professor at the Department of Architectural Engineering, Oita University, Japan, with research topic ‘Study on the Effects of Shrinkage Cracking on the Durability of Concrete Structures’.
From 2008 to 2014 (with the exception of 2012), he was Invited Professor at the University of Cergy-Pontoise, France, Laboratoire de Mécanique et Matériaux du Génie Civil.
From 01/02/2009 to 31/01/2014, Prof. G. De Schutter was also Director of Development of RILEM (International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures).
In 2012, he was recipient of the Francqui Chair at the University of Liège, Belgium.
From 2014 to 2022, he was Invited Professor at Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
In 2016 he was invited professor at the University of Nantes, France.
In 2016 he received an ERC Advanced Grant for the project 'SmartCast' (2016-2022).

Awards

Study award 1990 of the Royal Flemish Engineering Society (Belgium)
Study award 1991 of the Dutch Concrete Society (The Netherlands)
Fernand De Waele Donation 1997 (Belgium)
Honourable Mention A.I.G.-prize 1998 (Belgium)
Vreedenburgh-prize 1998 (The Netherlands)
Laureate of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and Arts, 2000
Robert L’Hermite Award 2001 of RILEM, “in recognition of the comprehensive and encompassing research work on the behaviour of concrete at early age”
Best Paper Award for ‘Acid attack of self-compacting concrete’, with co-authors V. Boel, K. Audenaert, G. De Schutter, International conference on concrete repair, rehabilitation and retrofitting, Cape Town, South Africa, November 2005.
Best Paper Award for ‘A multi-compound model for the hydration of Portland cement - fly ash binders’, with co-authors G. Baert, N. De Belie, G. De Schutter, Second International Conference on Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies, June 2010, Ancona, Italy.
Officer in the order of Leopold, Belgium, 2010.
Francqui Chair 2012 at the University of Liège, Belgium.
Diploma of the Romanian Engineering Society, on the occasion of the 90th birthday of the Laboratory of Resistance of Materials, Polytechnic University of Timisoara, May 2013, “in recognition of the cooperation, and of the promotion of and support to laboratory activities related to Resistance of Materials”.
Best Paper Award for the paper 'Influence of the Interfacial Transition Zone on the Transport Properties of Portland Cement Concrete’, authored by K. Wu, G. De Schutter, H. Shi, G. Ye, Y. Gao, International Conference on Concrete Sustainability, ICCS13, Augustus 2013, Tokyo, Japan.
Medal of the Flemish Science Foundation (FWO), “in recognition of the active contribution to the activities of expert panel WT9, as member and as chairman”, September 2013.
Recipient of ACI Arthur Anderson Award, 2014.
Certificate of Outstanding Reviewer, Construction and Building Materials, Elsevier, June 2014.
RILEM Fellow, RILEM, September 2015.
ERC Advanced Grant for the project 'SmartCast', 2016-2021
Best Reviewer 2015 Award, Materials and Structures, RILEM, Springer, 2016.
Certificate of Outstanding Reviewer, Construction and Building Materials, Elsevier, October 2016.
Outstanding papers published in 2016 in Materials and Structures, award received for the paper “Changes in rheology of self-consolidating concrete induced by pumping" (DOI: 10.1617/s11527-016-0815-7), authored by D. Feys, G. De Schutter, K. Khayat and R. Verhoeven.
Certificate of Outstanding Reviewer, Cement and Concrete Research, Elsevier, September 2017.
ACI Fellow, American Concrete Institute, March 2019.

Committees and Working Groups

International

Member of RILEM since 1996. Member of several RILEM Technical Committees, some of them as TC chair or deputy-chair. RILEM Officer in different functions over the course of the years: Bureau member, MAC member, Chair of the RILEM Week 2007, Director of Development, DAC member and chair, Regional convener for East-Asia, member of the jury for the L’hermite Medal, member of the Recommending Committee, …
Member of fib since 1996. Member of Commission “Concrete” and of several Working Groups over the course of the years.
Member of ACI since 1996. Member of several ACI Committees over the course of the years: 231, 237 and 564.
Member of the Steering Council of In-Situ, Luxemburg, 2005-2008.
Member of the Editorial Board of international scientific journals over the course of the years, including Cement and Concrete Research, Materials and Structures, Journal of the Chinese Ceramic Society, Journal of Cement-based Sustainable Materials.
Member of CEN/TC 104/SC 1/TG 8, 2005-2009.
Member of CEN/TC 104/SC1/WG1 and Ad Hoc Group, since 2019.
Reviewer for numerous scientific journals.
Member of several evaluation committees for project proposals, on demand of research councils of several countries and universities (Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland,…).
Member of visitation committees for research and teaching in different countries.
Member of numerous doctoral committees worldwide.

National

Chair of the Study Program of Civil Engineering, Ghent University, 2005-2015
Faculty coordinator of the visitation of the Civil Engineering Study Program, Ghent University, 2007-2008
Chairman of the Belgian Normalization Committee "Concrete" (Mirror Committee CEN TC 104), since 2013.
Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee ("WAC"), SCK-CEN, from 2017 to 2023.
Member of Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) EURIDICE, from 2007 to 2019. Secretary from 2011 to 2019.
Member of FWO Expert Panel W&T9 (2006-2013). Chairman in 2013.
Member of several administrative committees at Faculty level and University level.
Member of several evaluation committees of awards for master theses of doctoral theses.
Member of the selection committee for hiring new staff at several universities in Belgium.

Research

Geert De Schutter is promoter of several national and international research projects. Internationally he is/was having bilateral agreements with Tongji University,

Shanghai (China), with Central South University, Changsha (China), with Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan (China), with the University of Cergy-Pontoise (France), with Polytechnical University of Timisoara (Romania), with the University of Cluj (Romania), and with the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia). Furthermore, he is having co-operation with the Technical University of Delft (the Netherlands).

Besides numerous master theses, Geert De Schutter also promoted several doctoral theses:

Anne-Mieke POPPE, ‘Influence of fillers on hydration and properties of self-compacting concrete’ (in Dutch), 2004.
Katrien AUDENAERT, ‘Transport mechanisms in self-compacting concrete, and relation with carbonation and chloride penetration’, (in Dutch), 2006.
Xian LIU, ‘Microstructural investigation of self-compacting concrete and high-performance concrete during hydration and after exposure to high temperatures’, 2006 (co-supervisor Y. Yuan, Tongji University, Shanghai).
Veerle BOEL, ‘Microstructure of self-compacting concrete and relation with gas permeability and durability’ (in Ducth), 2006.
Lin LUO, ‘Influence of corrosion inhibitors on concrete properties: microstructure, transport properties and rebar corrosion’, 2006. Lin LUO received the 2005 “Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad”.
Dimitri FEYS, 'Interactions between rheological properties and pumping of self-compacting concrete', 2009 (co-supervisor R. Verhoeven).
Qiang YUAN, 'Fundamental evaluation of test methods for the transport of chloride ions in cementitious materials', 2009 (co-supervisor C. Shi, Central South University, Changsha, China).
Krista VAN DEN BERGH, 'Study of the corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete by means of electrochemical methods' (in Dutch), 2009 (co-supervisor H. Terryn, VUB, Brussels).
Gert BAERT, 'Physico-chemical interactions in Portland cement - (High Volume) Fly ash binders', 2009 (co-supervisor N. De Belie).
Bart CRAEYE, ‘Early-Age Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour of Concrete Supercontainers for Radwaste Disposal’, 2009.
Zanqun LIU, ‘Study of the basic mechanisms of sulfate attack on cementitious materials’, 2010 (co-supervisors D. Deng and Z. Yu, Central South University, Changsha).
Pieter DESNERCK, ‘Compressive, Bond and Shear Behaviour of Powder-Type Self-Compacting Concrete’, 2010 (co-supervisor L. Taerwe).
Wei JIANG, ‘Constitutive Model of Early Age Concrete and its Structural Performance’, 2012 (co-supervisor Y. Yuan, Tongji University, Shanghai, China).
Song MU, ‘Chloride penetration and service life prediction of cracked self-compacting concrete’, 2012 (co-supervisor B.G. Ma, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China).
Peter HELINCKS, ‘Study of a lightweight steel-concrete bridge deck concept’, 2013 (co-supervisors W. De Corte and V. Boel).
Yun GAO, ‘Multiscale Approach to Study the Heterogeneity and Ionic Diffusivity of Ternary Blended Cement Based Composites’, 2013 (co-supervisor Prof. G. Ye).
Hai Dang LE, 'Etude de l’effet de la couche limite sur les profils de vitesse du béton pompé', 2014 (co-supervisors J. Vierendeels, and E.H. Kadri, S. Aggoun, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, France).
Kai WU, 'Experimental study on the influence of ITZ on the durability of concretemade with different kinds of blended materials', 2014 (co-supervisor H. Shi, Tongji University, Shanghai, China).
Karel LESAGE, 'Interactions between cement and combined concrete admixtures. The influence on cement paste rheology', 2014 (co-supervisor L. Vandewalle, KU Leuven).
Sara KORTE, 'Experimental and numerical investigation of the fracture behaviour and fatigue resistance of self-compacting concrete', 2014, (co-supervisors V. Boel and W. De Corte).
Ioan POP, ‘Bond between Self-Compacting concrete and Reinforcement’, 2015 (co-supervisor T. Onet, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania).
Jeroen DILS, ‘Influence of vacuum mixing, air entrainment or heat curing on the properties of hardened and fresh (ultra) high performance concrete’, 2015 (co-supervisor V. Boel).
Quoc Tri PHUNG, ‘Effects of carbonation and calcium leaching on microstructure and transport properties of cement pastes’, 2015 (co-supervisor G. Ye).
Tina SIMCIC, ‘Influence of supplementary cementitious materials on hydration, microstructure development, and durability of concrete’, 2015 (co-supervisor S. Pejovnik, Ljubljana University, Slovenia).
Corina SOSDEAN, ‘Experimental and numerical investigations of the influence of cracks on mass diffusion in mortar and concrete’, 2015 (co-supervisor L. Marsavina, “Polytehnica’ University of Timisoara, Romania).
Zhijun TAN, ‘Experimental study and numerical simulation of hydration and microstructure development of ternary cement-based materials’, 2015 (co-supervisor G. Ye).
Ravi PATEL, ‘Lattice Boltzmann Method Based Framework For Simulating Physico-chemical Processes in Heterogeneous Porous Media and its Application to Cement Paste’, 2016 (co-supervisor K. van Breugel, TU Delft).
Serge TICHKO, ‘Hydrodynamic modelling of the flow of self-compacting concrete in formworks’, 2016 (co-supervisor P. Troch).
Kunpeng ZHENG, 'Investigation on the formation and evolution of alkali-silica reaction gel in a chemical model system simulating a cementitious environment’, 2017 (co-supervisors L. Taerwe and G. Ye).
Farid VAN DER VURST, ‘The mechanisms governing the robustness of fresh self-compacting concrete’, 2017 (co-supervisor L. Vandewalle, KULeuven).
Hugo EGUEZ ALAVA, 'Durability of concrete under combined attack. Frost salt scaling in carbonated concrete and chloride ingress in mechanically loaded concrete', 2017 (co-supervisor N. De Belie).
Yang LYU, 'Autogenous shrinkage of cement-based materials: from the fundamental role of self-desiccation to mitigation strategies based on alternative materials', 2017 (co-supervisor G. Ye).
Xiang HU, 'Mechanism of chloride concentrate and its effects on microstructure and electrochemical properties of cement-based materials', 2017 (co-supervisor C. Shi, Hunan University).
Evin Dildar DZAYE, ‘Monitoring of fresh concrete by a combined methodology based on stress waves and optical techniques’, 2020 (co-supervisor D. Aggelis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel).
Maxim DEPREZ, ‘A multiscale experimental identification of freeze-thaw induced pore-scale processes in porous mineral building materials’, 2020 (co-supervisor V. Cnudde).
Dengwu JIAO, ‘Active rheology control of cementitious materials using magnetic field’, 2021 (co-supervisor C. Shi, Hunan University).
Qiang REN, ‘Rheology of cement mortar and concrete as influenced by the geometric features of manufactured sand’, 2021 (co-supervisor Z. Jiang, Tongji University).
Jolien VAN DER PUTTEN, ‘Mechanical properties and durability of 3D printed cementitious materials’, 2021 (co-supervisors K. Van Tittelboom).
Yaxin TAO, ‘Automated Construction and Structural Behavior of 3D Printed Concrete Tunnel Linings’, 2021, (co-supervisors K. Van Tittelboom, en Y. Yuan, Tongji University).
Metwally MUHAMMAD, ‘Concrete Superplasticizers: From Fundamental Studies to the Development of Smart Superplasticizers for Rheology Control’, 2022 (co-supervisors R. Hoogenboom, Faculty of Sciences).
Robin DE SCHRYVER, ‘Active Rheology Control of Cementitious Materials: Numerical and Experimental Pumping Investigation’, 2022.
Xiujiao QIU, ‘Multiscale Simulation of Alkali-Silica Reaction: From Chemical Reaction at Microscale to Cracking at Mesoscale’, 2022 (co-supervisor G. Ye).
Xiaodi DAI, ‘Rheology and Setting Behaviour of Alkali-Activated Cements’, 2022 (co-supervisor K. Lesage).
Beibei SUN, ‘Mix design methodology for blast furnace slag and fly ash based alkali activated materials’, 2023, (co-supervisor G. Ye).
Manu Kurungod MOHAN, ‘Towards sustainable concrete 3D printing for marine structural applications’, 2023 (co-supervisor K. Van Tittelboom).
Yubo SUN, ‘Rheology of Alkali-Activated Materials: From Microstructural Evolution to the Flow of Concrete’, 2023 (co-supervisor G. Ye)
Michiel Bekaert, ‘Mechanical behavior and durable aspects of 3D printed concrete formwork’, 2024 (co-supervisor K. Van Tittelboom).
Luiza Rodrigues Meire DE MIRANDA, ‘Insights into Rheological and Solidification Dynamics in 3D Concrete Printing for Enhanced Geometric Accuracy’, 2024 (co-supervisor K. Lesage).
Zhang YI, ‘Research on rheological properties and interlayer interface characteristics of 3D printed cement-based materials’, 2024 (co-supervisors K K. Van Tittelboom and Z. Jiang, Tongji University).
Xiang LI, ‘Corrosion Study of the BR1 Fuel in highly alkaline Conditions’, 2024 (main supervisor T. Pardoen, UCLouvain).

At this moment Geert De Schutter is supervising several doctoral students.

Books

Geert De Schutter is (co-)author or (co-)editor of some books:

H. Van Sande, J. Apers, M. De Kooning, G. De Schutter (Eds.), ‘Concrete in Japan’, Ghent University Architectural and Engineering Press, ISBN 90-7671-418-5, 2004.
G. De Schutter, ‘De kracht van het evenwicht. Bouwkunde in een notendop’, Uitgeverij Acco Leuven, ISBN 978-90-334-6490-4, Wettelijk depot D/2007/0543/47, 2007, pp. 191.
G. De Schutter, K. Audenaert (Eds.), ‘Durability of Self-Compacting Concrete’, RILEM Report 38, RILEM Publications, 2007, ISBN 978-2-35158-048-6.
G. De Schutter, V. Boel (Eds.), ‘Proceedings of the 5th International RILEM Symposium on Self-Compacting Concrete’, RILEM Proceedings PRO54, RILEM Publications, 2007, ISBN 978-2-35158-047-9.
K. Audenaert, L. Marsavina, G. De Schutter (Eds.), ‘Transport mechanisms in cracked concrete’, acco, 2007, ISBN 978-90-334-6637-3.
G. De Schutter, P. Bartos, P. Domone, J. Gibbs, ‘Self-Compacting Concrete’, Whittles Publishing, Caithness , UK, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Roton, USA, ISBN 978-1904445-30-2, USA ISBN 978-1-4200-6833-7, 2008, pp. 296. (This book has also been translated into Czech)
E. Schlangen, G. De Schutter (Eds.), ‘Concrete Modelling CONMOD’08’, Proceeding of the International RILEM Symposium, RILEM Proceedings PRO 58, RILEM Publications S.A.R.L., ISBN 978-2-35158-060-8, 2008, pp. 825.
G. De Schutter, ‘Damage to Concrete Structures’ , CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Ranton, USA, ISBN 978-0-415-60388-1, 2012, pp.189.
K. H. Khayat, G. De Schutter (Eds.), ‘Mechanical properties of Self-Compacting Concrete’, RILEM State-of-the-Art Reports, Volume 14, Springer, ISBN 978-3-319-03244-3, 2014, pp.271.
G. De Schutter, N. De Belie, A. Janssens, N. Van Den Bossche (Eds.), '14th International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components', RILEM Proceedings PRO 107, RILEM Publications, e-ISBN 978-2-35158-159-9, 2017, pp. 434.
E. Schlangen, G. De Schutter, B. Savija, H. Zhang, C. Romero Rodriguez (eds.), ‘Concrete Modelling – CONMOD2018’, Proceedings of the International RILEM Symposium, RILEM Proceedings PRO 127, RILEM Publications, e-ISBN 978-2-35158-216-9, 2018, pp.497.
G. De Schutter, ‘Van tunnelvisie naar visie op tunnels. Hoe betonbouw kwaliteit, ecologie en economie kan combineren’, Conaccon, Erpe-Mere, ISBN 9789464513387, Wettelijk Depot D/2021/1532/01, 2021, pp.134.
G. De Schutter, K. Lesage, ‘Active rheology control of cementitious materials’, Taylor & Francis, London, UK, eISBN 978-1-0032-8946-3, 2023, pp.298, available in Open Access, https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003289463.

Publications

A list with publications (1992-now) can be found at http://lib.ugent.be/bibliografie/801000826173.