🧑‍💻 About Me

Hello! I’m Xiangdong Yan, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. My research centers on leveraging advanced computer vision and deep learning techniques to enhance quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) of civil infrastructure.

My current work focuses on developing modular frameworks for semantic and instance segmentation of high-resolution LiDAR point clouds, integrating cross-modal vision-language models (e.g., Open Vocabulary Model, Grounded-SAM), and applying 3D neural rendering techniques (e.g., Gaussian Splatting, NeRF) for spatially coherent infrastructure analysis. Through this, I aim to improve 3D structural modeling, finite element meshing, and asset monitoring protocols.

I also have experience in photometric stereo, stereo vision systems, and numerical modeling for concrete behavior under dynamic loading conditions. My interdisciplinary background spans civil engineering, artificial intelligence, and structural mechanics, enabling me to design data-driven solutions for real-world engineering challenges.

With international research and academic experience in China, Japan, and the United States, I am fluent in Chinese, Japanese, and English. This multicultural perspective enriches my collaborative approach and enhances my ability to contribute to global research initiatives.

📰 News

🔹 2025.04 – Awarded the 🌟NSF I-Corps Regional Program fellowship for translational research on civil infrastructure QA/QC systems.
🔹 2025.02 – Passed Ph.D. Proposal Defense and became a Ph.D. candidate at Pitt.
🔹 2025.01 – Attended the 104th TRB Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
🔹 2024.11 – Received the CEE Travel Grant from the Swanson School of Engineering.
🔹 2024.08 – Launched a high-resolution LiDAR segmentation project with IRISE.
🔹 2024.08 – Presented at the 13th ICCP Conference in Minneapolis, MN. View my talk.

📑 Selected Publications

Journal Articles (*Corresponding Author)

🔸 Yan, X., Fascetti, A.* (2025). An Integrated Framework for Mesoscale Modeling of Concrete Elements Based on Spherical Harmonic Expansion. Construction and Building Materials. Under review.
🔸 Yan, X., Fascetti, A.* (2025). A Photometric Stereo and Vision Transformer-Based Framework for Automated Air Void Analysis in Hardened Concrete. Cement and Concrete Research. Under review.
🔸 Yan, X., Chen, P.S., Liu, B.* (2025). Mechanical Evaluation of Novel High-Strength Lightweight Concrete with Core-Shell Structured Lightweight Aggregate. Construction and Building Materials, 483, 141683. DOI.
🔸 Yan, X., Darnell, M., Vandenbossche, J., Fascetti, A.* (2024). Camera-Based Binocular Stereo Vision for Dynamic Assessment of Vibration Operations in Slipform Paving. Transportation Research Record, 0(0). DOI
🔸 Yan, X., Fascetti, A.,* Vandenbossche, J., Darnell, M. (2023). Computer Vision-Based Estimation of the Effects of Vibration in Slipform Paving. Transportation Research Record, 2678(11), 56–71. 🌟Best Paper Award. DOI
🔸 Liu, B., Chen, P.S.,* Yan, X., Jin, J. (2023). Fitting the Approximate Equation to Estimate the Global Buckling Load of Cylindrical Single-Layer Space Frames. AIJ J. Technol. Des, 29(72), 725–730. DOI
🔸 Choo, J., Mohammed, B.S.,* Chen, P.S., Abdulkadir, I., Yan, X. (2022). Modeling and Optimizing the Effect of 3D Printed Origami Bubble Aggregate on Mechanical Properties of Rubberized ECC. Buildings, 12(12), 2201. DOI
🔸 Yan, X., Chen, P.S.,* Liu, B., Mohammed, B.S., Jin, J. (2022). Effect of Hollow Body Material on Mechanical Properties of Bubble Concrete. Crystals, 12(5), 708. DOI
🔸 Yan, X., Chen, P.S.,* Al-Fakih, A., Liu, B., Mohammed, B.S., J. Jin. (2021). Experiments and Mechanical Simulation on Bubble Concrete: Effects of Shape and Position of Hollow Bodies. Crystals, 11(8), 858. DOI

Conference Proceedings

🔸 Yan, X., M. Darnell, Vandenbossche, J., Fascetti, A.* (2024). Deep Learning-Based Entrapped Air Segmentation and Evaluation (EASE) for Plain Concrete Pavement Applications. 13th International Conference on Concrete Pavements (ICCP), Minneapolis, MN. DOI
🔸 Yan, X., Chen, P.S.,* Al-Fakih, A., B. Liu, Mohammed, B.S., J. Jin. (2022). The Effect of Hollow Body Properties on the Mechanical Characteristics of Bubble Concrete: A Review. AIJ Annual Convention, Hokkaido, Japan.
🔸 Yan, X., Chen, P.S.,* Mohammed, B.S., Liu, B. (2022). Effect of Hollow Bodies on the Strength and Density of Bubble Concrete. In AWAM International Conference on Civil Engineering, Springer, Penang, Malaysia. DOI
🔸 Yan, X., Chen, P.S.* (2021). Effect of Hollow Body Shape on Internal Stress Distribution of Bubble Concrete. In International Conference on Architecture, Materials and Construction, Springer, Lisbon, Portugal. DOI
🔸 Yan, X., Jin, J., Chen, P.S.* (2021). Numerical Simulation on Lightweight Concrete Mixed with High-Strength Ceramic Hollow Bodies. AIJ Annual Convention, Nagoya, Japan.

🌿 For more

🔹 “We are standing on the shore of the unknown, a vast ocean of mystery stretching before us. To live seriously is to sail bravely into those depths, guided not by fear but by the stars of curiosity and compassion. For every truth uncovered is a lantern lit for those who follow.”
— Adapted from Carl Sagan & Mary Shelley

🔹 “Science is not a cold ledger of facts, nor life a mere tally of days. True research is a love affair with the unknown—a courtship of questions, a marriage of patience and insight. And a life well-lived? It is the poetry we write with our choices, stanza by deliberate stanza.”
— Original synthesis

If you see this, you touched the end.