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Bu Wang

Bu Wang

Associate Professor
Google Scholar profile

Bu leads the Sustainable Materials Innovation Lab in the CEE department (SMIL-CEE). The lab’s mission is to develop innovative and interdisciplinary technological solutions to address the urgent need for sustainable civil engineering materials.

Department

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Contact

2260, Engineering Hall
1415 Engineering Dr
Madison, WI
p: (608) 262-8698

Featured news

Hopping atoms help predict how liquid silica cools into good glass

July 20, 2022

Building on a solid process, Wang pours resources into making carbon-negative cement

July 1, 2022

UW team among winners of Musk Foundation’s XPRIZE for Carbon Removal Student Competition

November 9, 2021
View more articles with Bu Wang

  • PhD 2012, Alfred University
  • MS 2007, Tianjin University,
  • BS 2004, Tianjin University

  • Carbon negative concrete
  • Direct air capture and utiliization of CO2 using industrial alkaline wastes
  • Making Cement Green by Low-Temperature Manufacturing of Calcium Hydroxide
  • Utilizing CO2 to produce precipitated calcium carbonate
  • Fundamental behaviors of glassy materials

Affiliated Departments

  • 2019 Grainger Institute for Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Grainger Institute for Engineering Faculty Scholar Award
  • 2016 ASCE at UCLA, Lecturer of the year from ASCE at UCLA
  • 2010 Alfred University, Korean Alumni Association Award

  • Lee, W., Li, H., Biswas, D., Du, Z., Ren, W., Zhao, L., Sheikh, M. S., Choi, G., Wang, B., Yao, Y., E. K., & Feng, D. (2025). A Cost-Effect Na and K Ion-Conducting Amorphous Covalent Organic Framework with High Ion Conductivity. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 8(1), 569-580 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.4c02760
  • Finley, S., Hosseini, P., Wang, B., & Ginder-Vogel, M. (2025). Aqua regia-based digestion methods for trace rare earth element recovery from coal fly ash. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 215, 108093 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.108093
  • Liu, Q., Hosseini, P., & Wang, B. (2025). Improving the performance of SiO2 nanoparticles in portland-limestone cementitious systems using silica-limestone composites. Cement and Concrete Composites, 157, 105961 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.105961
  • Chen, Q., Annamareddy, A., Li, Y., D. M., & Wang, B. (2025). Physical regularized Hierarchical Generative Model for Metallic Glass Structural Generation and Energy Prediction https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2505.09977
  • Sheikh, M. S., Guo, L., Chen, Q., & Wang, B. (2025). Silk: A promising natural blend of amino acids for efficient CO2 capture https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2504.01129
  • Lee, W., Li, H., Du, Z., Sheikh, M. S., Biswas, D., Ren, W., Zhao, L., Wang, B., Yao, Y., E. K., & D. F. (2025). Single Na- and K-Ion-Conducting Sulfonated −NH-Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 17(4), 6211-6221 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c09568
  • Zhai, H., Chen, Q., Liu, B., & Wang, B. (2024). Enhancing aqueous carbonation via co-milled serpentine and wollastonite: Effects of mechanochemical activation. Applied Clay Science, 260, 107546 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2024.107546
  • Yu, Z., Annamareddy, A., Morgan, D., & Wang, B. (2024). How close are the classical two-body potentials to ab initio calculations? Insights from linear machine learning based force matching. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 160(5), 054501 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0175756
  • Zhai, H., Chen, Q., Duan, Y., Liu, B., & Wang, B. (2024). Silica Polymerization Driving Opposite Effects of pH on Aqueous Carbonation Using Crystalline and Amorphous Calcium Silicates. Inorganic Chemistry, 63(10), 4574-4582 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c04005
  • Chen, Q., Zhai, H., Beebe, D. J., Li, C., & Wang, B. (2024). Visualization-enhanced under-oil open microfluidic system for in situ characterization of multi-phase chemical reactions. Nature Communications, 15(1), 1155 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45076-7

  • CIV ENGR 525 - Case Studies Exploring Infrastructure Sustainability and Climate Change (Fall 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 699 - Independent Study (Fall 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 999 - Advanced Independent Study (Fall 2025)
  • GLE 699 - Independent Study (Fall 2025)
  • GLE 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • GLE 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2025)
  • GLE 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • GLE 999 - Independent Work (Fall 2025)
  • MS&E 699 - Independent Study (Fall 2025)
  • MS&E 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • MS&E 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2025)
  • MS&E 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 699 - Independent Study (Summer 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 999 - Advanced Independent Study (Summer 2025)
  • GLE 699 - Independent Study (Summer 2025)
  • GLE 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • GLE 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2025)
  • GLE 990 - Research and Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • GLE 999 - Independent Work (Summer 2025)
  • MS&E 699 - Independent Study (Summer 2025)
  • MS&E 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • MS&E 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2025)
  • MS&E 990 - Research and Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 495 - Sustainable Building and Materials (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 999 - Advanced Independent Study (Spring 2025)
  • MS&E 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • MS&E 990 - Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 395 - Materials for Constructed Facilities (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 525 - Case Studies Exploring Infrastructure Sustainability and Climate Change (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 699 - Independent Study (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2024)
  • EMA 395 - Materials for Constructed Facilities (Fall 2024)
  • MS&E 699 - Independent Study (Fall 2024)
  • MS&E 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • MS&E 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2024)
  • MS&E 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Summer 2024)
  • MS&E 990 - Research and Thesis (Summer 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 495 - Sustainable Building and Materials (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 669 - Special Topics in Construction Engineering and Management (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 999 - Advanced Independent Study (Spring 2024)
  • MS&E 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Spring 2024)
  • MS&E 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 395 - Materials for Constructed Facilities (Fall 2023)
  • EMA 395 - Materials for Constructed Facilities (Fall 2023)
  • MS&E 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Fall 2023)
  • MS&E 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2023)