Section: Overview
Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career

Key details

Areas of expertise

  • Sustainable structures and building materials
  • Advanced composite structures
  • Structural stability
  • Engineering mechanics

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

About Zora Vrcelj

As Head of Built Environment at Victoria University, Professor Zora Vrcelj enjoys working across the built environment, engineering and construction sector to achieve impactful outcomes.

Prior to joining Victoria University in 2012 Professor Vrcelj was an academic for 12 years within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

Professor Vrcelj has been working to bring about technological developments aimed at enhancing the functionalities of high-performance structures (smart buildings and civil infrastructure). She has worked on numerous research projects with particular focus on structural engineering design, advanced composite structures embedded with piezoelectric sensors and actuators, and testing and evaluation of materials used in buildings and civil infrastructure. This experience, combined with her work in the fields of structural engineering, structural mechanics, materials science and smart buildings, enables her to extrapolate this expertise to built environment practice.

Professor Vrcelj has published over 80 refereed technical publications and has secured numerous competitive grants (including ARC DP and CRC grants). Since 2010, she has held a Visiting Professor position in Civil engineering at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia

Qualifications

  • PhD in Structural Engineering, University of NSW, Australia, 2003
  • Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours 1), University of Wollongong, 1998

Key publications

Year Citation
2021 Jamei, E., & Vrcelj, Z. (210802). Biomimicry and the built environment, learning from nature s solutions. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 11(16),

doi: 10.3390/app11167514

2020 Sandanayake, M., Bouras, Y., Haigh, R., & Vrcelj, Z. (201102). Current sustainable trends of using waste materials in concretea decade review. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(22), (1-38).

doi: 10.3390/su12229622

Research funding for the past 5 years

Please note:

  • Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
  • Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
  • The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.

Digital transformation of construction industry for improved quality and safety
From: Victorian Higher Education Strategic Investment Fund
Other investigators: Prof Yuan Miao, Dr Malindu Sandanayake, Dr Ayad Turky, Dr Le Li, Mr Nima Izadyar, Dr Hongen Lu, Mrs Shuo Chen, Dr Melissa Chan, Dr Hua Wang, Dr Hing-wah Chau
For period: 2021-2022
$1,249,911
Social Value Creation for Transport and Infrastructure
From: Victorian Higher Education Strategic Investment Fund
Other investigators: Dr Malindu Sandanayake, Dr Xiaocui Lou, Dr Elmira Jamei, Dr Hing-wah Chau, Aspr David Goodwin, Dr Riccardo Natoli, Dr Melissa Chan, Dr Jonny Bouras
For period: 2021-2022
$593,000

Quantifying and Optimising the Impact of Green Roof Coverage on UHI, Energy Consumption and Outdoor Comfort
From: Green our Rooftop Research Grant
Other investigators: Dr Elmira Jamei, Dr Hing-wah Chau
For period: 2020-2021
$25,000

Domestic Building Defects Data
From: Victorian Managed Insurance Authority
Other investigators: Dr Malindu Sandanayake
For period: 2018-2019
Not disclosed

Supervision of research students at VU

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

Currently supervised research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
7 PhD Principal supervisor

Currently supervised research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD (7) Principal supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
2 PhD Principal supervisor
1 PhD by Publication Principal supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD (2) Principal supervisor
PhD by Publication (1) Principal supervisor

Careers

Details of this Researcher's career are currently unavailable.