Padmaja Krishnan
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Assistant Professor
Biography
Dr. Padmaja Krishnan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering with over a decade of research experience in civil engineering materials. Her work focuses on the development and advanced characterization of sustainable construction materials, including rapid-setting concrete, carbon dioxide-sequestering binders, and the upcycling of industrial by-products in concrete. She earned her Ph.D. from the National University of Singapore, where her research focused on the development of photocatalytic construction materials designed to enhance air quality and improve the thermal performance of buildings through innovative material solutions. Dr. Krishnan’s research has received significant recognition, including the Bescher Award at the 3rd International Workshop on Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement (University of Leeds, UK, 2025), the Best Paper Award at the 4th International Conference on Countermeasures to Urban Heat Islands (Singapore, 2016), and the Japan Concrete Institute–Our World in Concrete and Structures (JCI-OWICS) Award (2013).
Education
- Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2015
- M.S., Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2010
- B.S., Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India, 2008
Selected Publications
- Singh, I., Krishnan, P., Wang, X., Shahbaz, F., Hay, R., and Celik, K., “Use of Salts from RO Brine in Construction Materials,” Water Treatment, pp. 27-50, 2025.
- Wang X., Krishnan P., and Celik K., “Enhancing carbonation and thermal insulation of reactive magnesium oxide cement (RMC)-based 3D printable pastes with cenospheres,” Cement and Concrete Composites, 2024.
- Hay, R., Krishnan, P., and Celik, K., “Influence of natural fibers on hydration and carbonation of reactive magnesium oxide cement (RMC),” Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 411, Article No. 134653, 2024.
- Krishnan, P., Singh, I., and Celik, K., “Development of Magnesium Silicate Hydrates from Brucite and Silica Fume,” The 16th International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement 2023 (ICCC2023): Further Reduction of CO2-Emissions and Circularity in the Cement and Concrete Industry, pp. 142-146, 2023.
- Shahbaz, F., Singh, I., Krishnan, P., & Celik, K. “Life cycle assessment of brucite and synthetic MgO produced from reject brine using different alkalis,” Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 380, Article No. 135071, 2022.
Google Scholar
Awards
- The Bescher Award, 3rd International Workshop on Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement, University of Leeds, UK (2025)
- Silver award, ACI (Singapore Chapter) & ACI (Singapore Student Chapter) Project Competition 2020 (Open Category) (2020)
- Best Paper Award, 4th International Conference on Countermeasures to Urban Heat Islands 2016, Singapore (2016)
- Best Paper Award, Japan Concrete Institute-Our World in Concrete and Structures (JCI-OWICS) Award (2013)
- Research Scholarship, National University of Singapore (2011-2014)
- Merit scholarship, National Institute of Technology Warangal, India (2005 – 2006)
