The Grainger College of Engineering
Civil & Environmental Engineering

Mani Golparvar-Fard

Mani Golparvar-Fard
Mani Golparvar-Fard
  • Professor
3129D Newmark Civil Engineering Bldg

Primary Research Area

  • Construction Engineering and Management

Research Areas

For More Information

Biography

Dr. Mani Golparvar is Professor of Civil Engineering, Computer Science, & Technology Entrepreneurship, Faculty Entrepreneurial Fellow, Excellence Faculty Fellow, and the director of the Real-time and Automated Monitoring and Control (RAAMAC) lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He received his Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering and MS degree in Computer Science from UIUC in 2010, MASc in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia in 2006, and MS and BS in Civil Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology in 2005 and 2002 respectively. Prior to joining the faculty at UIUC, he was an Assistant Professor in Civil Engrg at Virginia Tech.

Dr. Golparvar has worked with many national and international construction companies and most extensively with Turner Construction. Dr. Golparvar-Fard has several patents and is currently involved with Reconstruct Inc., an early-stage technology company with $28 million in venture capital funding that was founded based on the outcomes of his ongoing research projects.

He is the recipient of the 2018 Walter Huber Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2017 Young Professional Award from Engineering News-Record (ENR), 2016 ASCE Dan H. Halpin Award for Scholarship in Construction, 2013 ASCE James R. Croes Medal for innovation in Civil Engrg, 2013 FIATECH CETI award for outstanding researcher, 2012 best paper award from the ASCE Journal of Construction Engrg and Management, and numerous conference paper awards. Dr. Golparvar serves on the editorial board of the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, ASCE Journal of Construction Engrg and Management, and Elsevier Journal of Automation in Construction. He is also the founder of RECONSTRUCT, a startup company that offers visual data analytics to construction projects. The underlying technology is licensed from UIUC and is recognized by several awards including an Innovation Award from Turner Construction Company in 2015 and 016 World Economic Forum's most innovative startup company.

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, 1998-2002 
  • Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Area: Hydro Structures, Iran University of Science and Technology, 2002-2005
  • Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering, Area: Project and Construction Management, University of British Columbia, 2005-2006
  • Master of Computer Science, Areas: Computer Vision and Machine Learning, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008-2010
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, Area: Construction Engineering and Management, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006-2010

Academic Positions

  • Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech, Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2010-2012
  • Principal Faculty, Virginia Tech, Myers-Lawson School of Construction, 2010-2012
  • Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2013-2016
  • Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Computer Science, 2013-2016
  • Associate Professor, Faculty Entrepreneurial Fellow, and Faculty Excellence Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2016-2022
  • Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Technology Entrepreneurship Program, 2017-2022
  • Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Computer Science, 2016-2022
  • Faculty Affiliate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Informatics, 2013-present
  • Faculty Affiliate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Program, 2013-present
  • Professor, Faculty Entrepreneurial Fellow, and Faculty Excellence Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2022-present
  • Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Technology Entrepreneurship Program, 2022-present
  • Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Computer Science, 2022-present
  • Professor, University of Illinois System, Discovery Partners Institute, 2022-present

Other Professional Employment

  • Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), Reconstruct Inc., Champaign, IL and Menlo Park, CA, 2023-present

Journal Editorships

  • Associate Editor, ASCE Open Multidisciplinary Journal of Civil Engineering, 2023-present.
  • Associate Editor, ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, 2012-present.
  • Specialty Editor, Information Technology in Construction, ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2012-present.
  • Editorial Board Member, ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, 2020-present.
  • Guest Editor, Elsevier Journal of Automation in Construction, Special issue on IoT for Smart Infrastructure, 2017.
  • Associate Editor, Elsevier Journal of Automation in Construction, 2015-present.
  • Editorial Review Board Member, Emerald Journal of Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2015-present.
  • Member of the Editorial Board, IPMA Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management, 2011-present.
  • Guest Editor, IEEE Proceedings, 102(2), Special Issue on Applications of Augmented Reality, 2014.

Professional Societies

  • Member of the International Scientific Committee, The Georg Nemetschek Institute (GNI) AI for the Built World, TU Munich, 2023-present
  • Member of the U.S. Institute of Building Documentation (USIBD) Imagery Committee, 2022-present
  • Member of International Task Force on BIM-Driven Estimating & Scheduling, AIA BIM Forum, 2020-present
  • Member, Construction Industry Institute (CII) Technology Committee, 2019-present
  • Chair, ASCE Construction Research Council (CRC), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2018-2019
  • Chair, Data Sensing and Analysis (DSA) Committee, Technical Council on Computing and Information Technology (TCCIT), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2014-2016.
  • Chair of the Communications subcommittee, Construction Industry Institute (CII) Academic Committee, 2014-2018
  • Member, Construction Industry Institute (CII) Academic Committee, 2010- present

Service to Federal and State Government

  • Board Member, U.S. Institute of Building Documentation, 2024-present

Research Interests

  • Computer Vision and Machine Learning for Monitoring Construction and Operation in the Built Environment

Primary Research Area

  • Construction Engineering and Management

Research Areas

Books Edited or Co-Edited (Original Editions)

  • White, J., Schmidt, D.C., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2014). "Proceedings of the IEEE; Special Issue: Applications of Augmented Reality", 102(2), 1-2.

Chapters in Books

Monographs

  • Saidi, K., Cheok, G., Franaszek, M., Brown, C., Swerdlow, J., Lipman, R., Katz, I., Golparvar-Fard, M., Goodrum, P., Akula, M., Dadi, G., and Ghadimi, B. (2011), “Development and Use of the NIST Intelligent and Automated Construction Job Site Testbed”. NIST TN 1726, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, Dec. 2011.

Selected Articles in Journals

Articles in Conference Proceedings

  • Hsu, S., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2024) “Requirements for Generating Physics-based Synthetic Data using Image-based 3D Point Clouds for Learning and Inference of Condition Defects from Reality Capture Data”, Construction Institute & Construction Research Congress joint Conference, Iowa, US.
  • Núñez-Morales, J., Jung, Y., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2024) “A Bi-Directional Image-To-Text Mapping to Advance NLP-Based Schedule Generation and Computer Vision Progress Monitoring Techniques“, Construction Institute & Construction Research Congress joint Conference, Iowa, US. (in preparation)
  • Jung, Y; Golparvar-Fard, M. (2024) Voice-assisted AI-Chatbot for Construction: Speech-to-Text Deep Learning Transformer, trained with Synthetic Datasets, Proceedings, ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering.
  • Nunez-Morales, J., Jung, Y; Golparvar-Fard, M. (2024) Evaluation of Mapping Computer Vision Segmentation from Reality Capture to Schedule Activities for Construction Monitoring in the Absence of Detailed BIM, 41st International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction – ISARC 2024
  • Hsu, S.; Fu, J.; Golparvar-Fard, M. (2024) VL-Con: Vision-Language Dataset for Deep Learning-based Construction Monitoring Applications, , 41st International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction – ISARC 2024
  • Jung, Y., Hockenmaier, J., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2023) “Feasibility Analysis on the Use of NLP-based Schedule Activity Analysis for 4D Project Planning and Controls”, ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering, Corvallis, OR
  • Núñez-Morales, J., Hsu, S., Ibrahim, A., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2023) “New Metrics to Benchmark and Improve BIM Visibility within a Synthetic Image Generation Process for Computer Vision Progress Tracking“, CSCE/CRC International Construction Specialty Conference, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
  • Núñez-Morales, J., Hsu, S., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2023) “Synthetic Image Generation for Training 2D Segmentation Models at Scale for Computer Vision Progress Monitoring in Construction“, ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering, Corvallis, OR
  • Núñez-Morales, J., Hsu, S., Ibrahim, A., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2023) “Object Segmentation for Construction Scene using Synthetic Images with Realism Enhancement and Visibility Metrics“, 12th International Structural Engineering and Construction Conference (ISEC-12), Chicago, IL
  • Jung, Y., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2023) “Exploring the Use of NLP to Auto-align Master Schedules with Superintendent’s Look-Ahead in Construction Projects”, 12th International Structural Engineering and Construction Conference (ISEC-12), Chicago, IL
  • Jung, Y., Amer, F., & Golparvar-Fard, M. (2022). Feasibility of an Integrated Heuristic and Machine Learning Approach for Schedule Health Monitoring in Construction. In Construction Research Congress 2022 (pp. 351-360).
  • Roberts, D., Chu, H., Danielyan, A., Golparvar-Fard, M. and Forsyth D. (2021). "LSD-StructureNet: Modeling Levels of Structural Detail in 3D Part Hierarchies." Proc., International Conference on Computer vision (ICCV). * Acceptance Rate: 9%
  • Lin, J., Ibrahim A., Srwade, A., Nitta, Y., Moirkawa, H and Fukuchi, Y. (2020) "Bridge Inspection with Aerial Robots and Computer Vision: A Japanese National Initiative." 37thInternational Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC 2020)
  • Tang S., Chen O., Yu L., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2020). "Improving Real-Time Construction Equipment Detection by Learning to Correct False Positives." ASCE Construction Research Congress. Tempe Arizona, 2020
  • Perez-Perez, Y., Golpavar-Fard, M., and El-Rayes, K. (2020). "Convolutional Neural Network Architecture for Semantic Labeling Structural and Mechanical Elements." ASCE Construction Research Congress. Tempe Arizona, 2020
  • Amer, F., Yi Koh, H., & Golparvar-Fard, M. (2020). "Quick, Correct, and Consistent Text Annotations: An Active Learning-Based Annotation Workflow and Tool for Sequence Labeling of Construction Schedules." ASCE Construction Research Congress. Tempe Arizona, 2020
  • Tang, S., Golparvar-Fard, M.., Naphade, M. and Gopalakrishna, M.M. (2019), "Video-Based Activity Forecasting for Construction Safety Monitoring Use Cases". ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering 2019: Smart Cities, Sustainability, and Resilience, i3CE 2019, 204-210
  • Amer, F., & Golparvar-Fard, M. (2019). "Formalizing Construction Sequencing Knowledge and Mining Company-Specific Best Practices from Past Project Schedules." Computing in Civil Engineering 2019: Visualization, Information Modeling, and Simulation - Selected Papers from the ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering 2019, 215–223.
  • Ibrahim, A. and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2019) "4D-BIM based Optimal Flight Planning for Construction Monitoring Applications using Camera-equipped UAVs." The 2019 ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering. Atlanta, Georgia, June 17 - 19, 2019.
  • Ibrahim, A., Sabet, A., Golparvar-Fard, M. (2019) "BIM-Driven Mission Planning and Navigation for Automatic Indoor Construction Progress Detection using Robotic Ground Platform." 2019 European Conference on Computing in Construction. Chania, Crete, Greece. July 10-12, 2019.
  • Lin, J.J. Lee, J. and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2019). "Exploring the Potential of Image-based 3D Geometry and Appearance Reasoning for Automated Construction Progress Monitoring." The 2019 ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering, Atlanta, U.S., June 17-19, 2019.
  • Amer, F., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2019) "Construction Knowledge Formalization and Automated Construction Scheduling: a Literature Review." Canadian Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) Annual Conference, 2019
  • Amer, F., & Golparvar-Fard, M. (2019a). "Automatic Understanding of Construction Schedules: Part-of-Activity Tagging." Proceedings of the 2019 European Conference for Computing in Construction, 1, 190–197. https://doi.org/10.35490/ec3.2019.196
  • Amer, F., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2019). "Formalizing Construction Sequencing Knowledge and Mining Company-Specific Best Practices from Past Project Schedules." ASCE 2019 International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering
  • Torres-Calderon, W., Chi, Y., Amer, F., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2019). "Automated Mining of Construction Schedules for Easy and Quick Assembly of 4D BIM Simulations." ASCE 2019 International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering
  • Perez-Perez, Y., Golparvar-Fard, M., and El-Rayes K. (2019). “Artificial Neural Network for Semantic Segmentation of Built Environments for Automated Scan2BIM.” I3CE 2019, Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Roberts D., Wang Y., Sabet A. and Golparvar-Fard M. (2019). "Annotating 2D Imagery with 3D Kinematically Configurable Assets of Construction Equipment for Training Pose-Informed Activity Analysis and Safety Monitoring Algorithms." Proceedings of the 2019 ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering (I3CE)
  • Roberts D., Wang M., Torres Calderon W. and Golparvar-Fard M. (2019). "An Annotation Tool for Benchmarking Methods for Automated Construction Resource Pose Estimation and Activity Analysis." Proceedings of the 2019 International Conference of Smart Infrastructure and Construction (ICSIC)
  • Eray, E; Haas, C T; Rayside, D; Golparvar-Fard, M. (2018). "A Conceptual Framework for Tracking Design Completeness of Track Line Discipline in MRT Projects." Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC); Waterloo Vol. 35, : 1-7. Waterloo: IAARC Publications. (2018)
  • Bhandari S.,Hallowell M.R., van Boven L., Golparvar-Fard, M. (2018). "Using Augmented Virtuality to Understand the Situational Awareness Model." Construction Research Congress 2018, 105-115
  • G Garcia, M Golparvar-Fard, JM De La Garza, Fischer, M. (2018). "Model Maturity Risk Index Framework for Tracking Progress in Model-Based Engineering." Construction Research Congress 2018, 2011-2021.
  • Feng, Y. and Golparvard-Fard, M. (2018) "Indoor/Outdoor Localization and augmented Reality for Improving Construction Onsite Information Delivery and Management." 35th CIB W78 2018 Conference, Chicago, USA
  • Amer, F., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2018). “Decentralized Visual 3D Mapping of Scattered Work Locations for High-Frequency Tracking of Indoor Construction Activities.” Proceedings of Construction Research Congress 2018, April 2-4, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Amer, F., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2018). “Crowd-Sourced Visual Data Collection for Monitoring Indoor Construction in 3D.” The Second European and Mediterranean Structural Engineering and Construction Conference (EURO-MED-SEC-2).
  • Lin J.J., and Golparvar-Fard M. (2018). "Visual Data and Predictive Analytics for Proactive Project Controls on Construction Sites." EG-ICE 2018: 25th International Workshop on Intelligent Computing in Engineering, Lausanne, Switzerland, June 10-13, 2018.
  • Amer, F. and Golparvard-Fard, M.(2018). "Decentralized Visual 3D Mapping of Scattered Work Locations for High-Frequency Tracking of Indoor Construction Activities." ASCE Construction Research Congress (CRC).
  • Roberts, D., Golparvar-Fard, M., Carlos Niebles, J., Gwak, JY. and Bao, R. (2018). "Vision-based Construction Activity Analysis in Long Video Sequences via Hidden Markov Models: Experiments on Earthmoving Operations." Construction Research Congress (CRC).
  • Perez-Perez, Y., Golparvar-Fard, M., and El-Rayes K. (2018). “Automatic 3D Modeling of Structural and Mechanical Components from Point Clouds.” CRC 2018, New Orleans, Louisiana, 502-511.
  • DeGol, J., Golparvar-Fard, M., and Hoiem, D. (2016). "Geometry-Informed Material Recognition". IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), 1554-1562. Spotlight Paper (acceptance rate: 9.7%).
  • Karsch, K., Golparvar-Fard, M., and Forsyth, D. (2014). “ConstructAide: Analyzing and Visualizing Construction Sites through Photographs and Building Models.” SIGGRAPH Asia.* Acceptance Rate: 18%

Other Publications

Magazine Articles

  • Golparvar-Fard (2012). "D4AR- 4 Dimensional Augmented Reality Models for Integrated 4D AS-built, Plan Visualization, and Automated Construction Progress Monitoring." LiDAR magazine, 2(10), 1-4.
  • Ham, Y., and Golparvar-Fard (2012). "Rapid 3D Energy Modeling for Retrofit Analysis of Existing Buildings Using Thermal and Digital Imagery." LiDAR magazine, 3(4), 1-4.

Teaching Honors

  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2022)
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (Outstanding ranking) (2020)
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2018)
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2018)
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2017)
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2016)
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2016)
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2014)
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2013)

Research Honors

  • Center for Advanced Study (CAS) Associate (2020)
  • Illinois’ Innovation Economy Impact, Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) (2019)
  • Outstanding Reviewer, ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering (2019)
  • Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2018)
  • Outstanding Reviewer, ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering (2018)
  • Hojjat Adeli Award for Innovation in Computing, Wiley-Blackwell (2017)
  • National Top 20 Under 40 list, Engineering News Record (ENR) (2017)
  • Top Young Professional, Engineering News Record (ENR) Midwest (2017)
  • World Economics Forum (WEF)'s Future of Construction Ideas (2017)
  • Campus Distinguished Promotion Award, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016)
  • Daniel H. Halpin Scholarship Award in Construction, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2016)
  • Outstanding Reviewer, ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering (2016)
  • Excellence Faculty Fellowship, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016)
  • Dean's Award for Excellence in Research, College of Engineering, University of Illinois (2016)
  • Best Conference Paper Award, 6th International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management (ICCEPM) (2015)
  • Turner Innovation Award, Turner Construction Fourth Annual Innovation program (2015)
  • Faculty Entrepreneurial Fellowship, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2015)
  • Best Conference Paper, Data Sensing and Analysis, ASCE International Workshop on Computing in Civil Engineering (2015)
  • CETI Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award, FIATECH, Austin, TX (2014)
  • Best Conference Paper Award, Second-Place, ASCE Construction Research Congress, Atlanta, GA (2014)
  • Best Poster Award, Second-Place, ASCE Construction Research Congress, Atlanta, GA (2014)
  • Best Poster Award, Second-Place, ASCE Construction Research Congress, Atlanta, GA (2014)
  • Best Poster Award, Third-Place, ASCE Construction Research Congress, Atlanta, GA (2014)
  • Best Conference Paper, ASCE International Workshop on Computing in Civil Engineering (2013)
  • NCSA Faculty Fellowship - 1 (2013)
  • NCSA Faculty Fellowship - 2 (2013)
  • James R. Croes Medal, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2013)
  • Best Journal Paper, ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (2012)
  • Best Conference Paper, 12th International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality, Taipei, Taiwan (2012)
  • Best Poster Award, First-Place, ASCE Construction Research Congress, West Lafayette, IN (2012)
  • Paul E. Torgersen Research Excellence Award, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA (2011)
  • FIATECH’s Scholarship Award, FIATECH at The University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX (2010)
  • FIATECH CETI Award, Outstanding Student Researcher, FIATECH, Austin, TX (2010)
  • Best Poster Award, Construction Industry Institute 10th Annual Conference, Orlando, FL (2010)
  • Best Student Conference Paper, 6th Int. Conference on Innovations in AEC, College State, PA (2010)
  • Best Poster Award, First-Place, ASCE Construction Research Congress, Seattle, WA (2009)
  • Construction Management Association of America’s Scholarship Award, Construction Management Association of America’s Chicago Chapter, Chicago, IL (2009)

Other Honors

  • Crunchbase, 50 Hot Tech Companies Globally (2019)
  • Entrepreneurial Excellence: New Venture Award, The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation (2016)
  • Cozad New Venture Competition Winner, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016)
  • Entrepreneurship: 2013 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) Innovation Award for HD4AR research project (commercialized as PAR Works) (2013)
  • Entrepreneurship: 2013 Technical Achievement Finalist for HD4AR research project at SXSW (commercialized as PAR Works MARS). (2013)
  • Entrepreneurship: 2013 Accelerator Award Finalist for HD4AR research project at SXSW (commercialized as PAR Works MARS) (2013)