Regular biography
Alessandro Palermo is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. His research focuses on structural engineering, bridge engineering, timber engineering, novel cementitious materials, non-metal reinforcement, and digital fabrication. Motivated by the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, Palermo's Ph.D. research centered on seismically resilient connections and materials for concrete bridges, leading to the implementation of the first low-damage rocking bridge in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has developed two patents for mass timber construction and contributed to the PRES-LAM system, adopted globally. Palermo's recent work integrates sustainability and circularity concepts into seismically resilient systems, including 3D printed concrete technologies for seismic resilient houses.
Scholar-generated biography
Alessandro Palermo is a Professor of structural engineering at the University of California, San Diego, specializing in earthquake engineering, bridge engineering, and timber engineering. His research focuses on developing seismic-resistant structural systems, including innovative solutions for bridges and multi-storey timber buildings. Palermo's work involves experimental and numerical studies of post-tensioned connections, rocking systems, and energy dissipating mechanisms. He has contributed to the design of seismic-resistant bridge piers, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) structures, and hybrid systems that enhance seismic performance. His research emphasizes low-damage design, self-centering systems, and the use of controlled rocking in seismic applications.