Dimitrios Kalliontzis, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Office Location N113 Engineering Building 1

Phone 713-743-9838 | Fax 713-743-4260

Email dkallion [at] central.uh.edu

Personal Website

Education

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California San Diego, 2018-2020

Ph.D., Structural Engineering, University of Minnesota at Twin Cities, 2018

M.S., Structural Engineering, Iowa State University, 2014

B.S., Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece

Professional Experience

Technical Intern, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), NY, 2014

Students Supervised

Vasileios Kotzamanis (09/2021-present)
PhD Candidate
Dissertation topic: Coastal Infrastructure Resilience and Energy Recovery Through Multi-Mode Wave Converter Systems

Waleed Khan (09/2021-present)
PhD Candidate
Dissertation topic: Integrating high strength steel reinforcement in the design of structural masonry

Priyanshu Pokhrel (09/2024-present)
PhD Student
Dissertation topic: An Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian with Skeleton-Based Structural Modeling (ALE-SSM) Formulation for Fluid-Structure Interaction of Civil Infrastructure Systems

Samvid Parajuli (09/2024-present)
PhD Student
Dissertation Topic: Understanding Flood Risk of Masonry Structures in Hurricane-Prone Regions

Yousef Abu Amneh (09/2024-present)
PhD Student
Dissertation topic: Ultra-High-Performance Concrete for Offshore Wave Energy Converters

Abdulrahman Salah (09/2021-05/2025)
PhD - Graduated
Dissertation topic: Characterizing Axial Load and Size Effects in the Shear Behavior of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Through the Universal Panel Tester

Omar Khalid (05/2021-12/2023)
MSc - Graduated with Thesis
Thesis topic: High-Strength Reinforcing Bars (HSRB) and TMS 402: A First Study on Grade 80 (550 MPa) Bars

Noran Shahin (09/2021-12/2023)
MSc - Graduated with Thesis
Dissertation topic: A Softened Membrane Model for Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (SMM-UHPC)

Angel Montoya(10/2025-present)
Undergraduate student
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Research topic: Infrastructure Integrated Wave Energy Conversion

John Alvey (08/2022-12/2022)
Undergraduate student
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Research topic: Uni-Directional Gearbox for Wave Energy Converter Systems

Isaiah Camarillo (11/2024-05/2025)
Undergraduate Student
Major: Civil Engineering
Research Topic: Investigating Masonry Performance under Wave Loading

Saira Hussain (01/2025-05/2025)
Undergraduate Student
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Research Topic: Design of a WaveBox Wave Energy Converter

David Ferrer (01/2024-09/2024)
Undergraduate Student
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Research Topic: Optimization of Gear Box Design for MWEC

Brandt Bechtel (01/2022-08/2022)
Undergraduate Student
Major: Energy
Research Topic: Design and Fabrication of Small-Scale Wave Energy Converter System

George Shenouda (06/2022-12/2022)
Undergraduate Student
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Duties: Assistance with Structural Laboratory Work

Abdalrahman Alnabriss (09/2021-12/2021)
Undergraduate Student
Major: Civil Engineering
Duties: Assistance with Structural Laboratory Work

Classes

Mechanics I-Statics (ENGR 2301)

Prestressed Concrete (CIVE 6353)

Masonry Structures (CIVE 5397/7397)

Awards & Honors

Teaching Excellence Award, University of Houston – Cullen College of Engineering, Houston, Texas, May 2024.

Research Excellence Award by Iowa State University for Research Contributions to Structural Engineering, Ames, IA, 2014

Honorable Mention by the 14th Canadian Masonry Symposium for the Publication Entitled “Structural Masonry Walls with Rubber Pads and Unbonded Posttensioning Tendons: Experiment and Design Procedure”, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2021

Honorable Mention by 13th Canadian Masonry Symposium for the Publication entitled "Simplified Approach for Estimating the Envelope Response of Unbonded Posttensioned Masonry Shear Walls", Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2017

2nd Place Award in Oral Presentation Competition of 6th Annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium at University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 2018

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Award: Research Proposal Entitled “Understanding Dynamic Decay of Rocking Precast Concrete Members” was selected to be funded for the academic year 2013-2014. Ames, Iowa, July 2013-July 2014.

Travel Award for NHERI E-Defense (NIED) Meeting by National Science Foundation, Kobe, Japan, January 2025.

Travel Award for 2024 NHERI Summit by National Science Foundation, College Park, MD, May 2024.

Travel Award for NHERI Computational Symposium by National Science Foundation, Los Angeles, California, February 2024.

Grant by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) to present research in 11th US National Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, 2018

Ranked 1st in Students originating from Kavala, Greece: Awarded Special Distinction by the President of the Greek (Hellenic) Democracy, Athens, Greece, 2007

Professional Memberships

American Concrete Institute (ACI)

The Masonry Society (TMS)

University Marine Energy Research Community (UMERC)

Research Interests

My expertise lies in leveraging multiphysics to resolve fundamental engineering problems spanning structural and fluid domains. My research advances the development of innovative structural systems using contemporary technologies, such as Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) and High-Strength Reinforcing Bars (HSRBs). I also develop computational methods to tackle critical problems of fluid-structure interaction.

Our planet has a finite number of resources and a growing population that overloads our aging infrastructure. These factors create the need for advanced long-lasting technologies, onshore and offshore, that deliver superior strengths and minimize repair-replacement cycles. Addressing these contemporary system challenges necessitates an integrated, multidisciplinary strategy. New structural systems in onshore (coastal structures) and offshore (marine energy systems) environments are exposed to extreme loads driven by natural hazards or other processes, which require a thorough understanding of fluid-structure interaction (FSI).

FSI effects are omnipresent in engineering and nature. The constitutive behavior of concrete technologies, such as UHPC (and other fiber-reinforced materials), is dictated by the fiber-matrix interactions during casting, which profoundly influence fiber alignment. Onshore and offshore structures and ecosystems interact with wind and wave flows, storm surge and flooding. Marine energy systems harness the natural energy from moving water to produce power. By integrating fluid and structural mechanics, my multiphysics approach effectively bridges knowledge gaps and delivers comprehensive, mechanics-based solutions.

A pivotal outcome of my research is the training of a new generation of engineers uniquely equipped to re-conceptualize engineering problems by integrating multiphysics effects across fluid and solid phase states.
Ongoing research projects are focusing on the following topics:

Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, Reinforced and Prestressed/Precast Concrete

Fluid-Structure Interaction and Multiphysics Engineering

Marine Energy

Masonry Structures

Presentations

- Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) Conference (2025). “Modeling Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) Flow During Casting.”
- 15th Canadian Masonry Symposium (2025). “Masonry Structure Vulnerability and Strengthening Needs for Extreme Storm Surge and Sea Level Rise.”
- 15th Canadian Masonry Symposium (2025). “Raising Code Limits on Specified Reinforcement Strength by Adoption of High-Strength Steel Bars (HSRBs) in Structural Masonry.”
- University Marine Energy Research Community (UMERC) Conference (2024). “Reconfigured Gearbox and Flywheel System for Multi-Mode Wave Energy Converter (MWEC).” by Vasileios Kotzamanis, PhD Student, and David Ferrer, Undergraduate Student.
- Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference and Probabilistic Mechanics & Reliability Conference (EMI/PMC) (2024). “Experimental Study of Broken Wave Attenuation and Load Mitigation by Mangrove Forests of Varying Configuration and Density.” by Vasileios Kotzamanis, PhD Student.
- Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference and Probabilistic Mechanics & Reliability Conference (EMI/PMC) (2024). “Addressing Geometric and Material Nonlinearities in FSI Simulations with the ALE-SSM Framework.”
- Natural Hazards Research Summit (2024). “Fluid-Structure Interaction with ALE-SSM: A New Approach to Simulate Structural Responses to Fluid-Induced Loading.”
- NHERI Computational Symposium (2024). “Fluid-Structure Interaction with ALE-SSM: A New Approach To Simulate Structural Responses to Fluid-Induced Loading for Natural Hazards.”
- American Concrete Institute Fall Convention (2023). “Experimental and Analytical Study on the Shear Behavior of UHPC Considering Axial Load Effects.”
- University Marine Energy Research Community (UMERC) Conference (2023). “Multi-Mode Wave Energy Converter (MWEC) for Nearshore Wave Energy Extraction.”
- 14th North American Masonry Conference (2023). “Numerical Investigation of the Bond Behavior Between High Strength Steel Bars and Concrete Masonry.” by Waleed M. Khan, PhD Student.
- 14th North American Masonry Conference (2023). “Experimental Study for the Bond Development of High-Strength Steel Reinforcement in Structural Masonry.” by Omar Khalid, MSc Student.
- Third International Interactive Symposium on Ultra-High Performance Concrete (2023). “Experimental Study of Shear Behavior of UHPC Considering Axial Load Effects.” by Abdulrahman Salah, PhD student.
- 3rd International Conference on Natural Hazards & Infrastructure (2022). "Self-Centering Rocking Bridge Columns with Hysteretic Damping through Locally Heat-treated Replaceable Bars."
- Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference (2022). "“Fluid-Structure Interaction with ALE Formulation and Skeleton-Based Structural Models."
- CWRM Symposium, U.S. Army Corps Engineering Research and Development Center (2022). "Effects of Structural and Soil Flexibilities on the Responses of Coastal Housing to Wave-induced Loads." with Vasileios Kotzamanis, PhD student
- 12th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (2022). "Hybrid Rocking Wall with Locally Heat-treated Replaceable Bars for Hysteretic Energy Dissipation."
- Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference (2022). "Effect of Foundation Flexibility on the Interaction between Elevated Light-Framed Timber Coastal Housing and Solitary Waves." with Vasileios Kotzamanis, PhD student
- Natural Hazards Research Summit (2022). “Advancing FSI Knowledge to Characterize Flexibility Effects in Hurricane-Induced Structural Responses.”
- American Concrete Institute Fall Convention (2022). “Experimental Investigation of Shear Behavior of UHPC Considering Axial Load Effects.” by Abdulrahman Salah, PhD student.
- American Concrete Institute Fall Convention (2022). “Softened Membrane Model for UHPC.” by Noran Shahin, PhD student.
- The Masonry Society Fall Meetings (2022). “Creating a Roadmap to Adoption of High Strength Steel in Structural Masonry.”
- 14th Canadian Masonry Symposium (2021). "Structural Masonry Wall with Rubber Pads and Unbonded Posttensioning Tendons: Experiment and Design Procedure."
- 13th North American Masonry Conference (2019). “Improving Performance of Unbonded Post-Tensioned Masonry Walls with the Use of Elastomeric Interfaces.”
- Kobe-UCSD Joint Symposium (2019). "Recovery Columns for Bridge Structures: Numerical Study."
- 13th North American Masonry Conference (2019). “The Effect of Impact Energy Loss in the Dynamic Response of Unbonded Post-Tensioned Masonry Walls.”
- 11th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (2018). “Modeling of a Rocking Masonry Wall with Unbonded Post-Tensioning Subjected to Shake-Table Testing.
- PCI Convention and National Bridge Conference (2017). “Improving Seismic Response of Precast Structures Designed with Jointed Connections.”
- 16th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (2017). “Improving Accuracy of the Simple Rocking Model of Rigid Blocks.”
- 13th Canadian Masonry Symposium (2017). “Simplified Approach for Estimating the Envelope Response of Unbonded-Posttensioned Masonry Walls.”
- 3rd Huixian International Forum on Earthquake Engineering for Young Researchers (2017). “Modeling of Fully-Grouted Masonry Shear Walls with Unbonded Post-Tensioning under Reverse-Cyclic Loading.”
- VII European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering (2016). “A Simple Analytical Model for the Rocking PreWEC System.”

Invited Presentations / Lectures

- ACI 123 Forum Spring 2025, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. “UHPC Shear and Fiber Alignment: Does it Matter? How to Measure it?”
- University of Texas San Antonio, September 2024. “Understanding Axial Load and Size Effects in Shear of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC).”
- University of New Hampshire, October 2023. “Understanding Axial Load and Size Effects in the Shear Behavior of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) via the Universal Element Tester (UET) Facility.”
- UC San Diego, May 2023. “Utilizing Universal Panel Tester to Study Shear Behavior of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete.”
- Nirma University Webinar, April 2023. “Experimental and Analytical Investigation of Shear Behavior of UHPC.”
- Rice University, September 2022. "Understanding Fluid-Structure Interaction of Coastal Housing with Hurricane-induced Wave Action."
- South Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, April 2022. "Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulations in Support of Developing Resilient Structural Systems in Coastal Regions."
- NHERI Lehigh Seminar Series, April 2022. "Multi-physics Simulations of Structural Responses to Fluid Flows Induced by Coastal Hazards."
- Texas A&M, College Station, Texas, December 2021. "Performance Assessment of the Pre-tensioned Piles in the San Diego-Coronado Bridge."
- EERI McMaster Guest Lecture Series, May 2017. "Understanding the behavior and improving the seismic performance of rocking structures." McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Refereed Journal Publications

- Salah, A., and Kalliontzis, D. (2026). “One-Way Shear Design for Transverse Bar-Free UHPC Members,” ACI Structural Journal, in press.
- Salah, A., and Kalliontzis, D. (2025). “Size effects in UHPC shear considering depth, width, and fiber alignment.” Engineering Structures, 338: 120544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.120544.
- Kalliontzis, D. (2025). “Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian Formulation with Skeleton-Based Structural Models (ALE-SSM) Framework for Water-Structure Interaction with Large Structural Deformations.” International Journal of Multiphase Flow, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2025.105269.
- Salah, A., Kalliontzis, D., Lawler, JS., and Wagner, El. (2025). “Shear Behavior of Rebar-Free UHPC Considering Axial Load Effects and Fiber Alignment.” ACI Structural Journal, DOI: 10.14359/51743306.
- Khan, W., Parajuli, S., and Kalliontzis, D. (2025). “Out-of-Plane Masonry Walls Reinforced with Grade 80 (550 MPa) Deformed Bars,” Structures, 80, 109792. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2025.109792
- Khalid, O., Khan, W., and Kalliontzis, D. (2025). “Evaluating Lap-Splice Length Requirements for Grade 80 Deformed Bars in Structural Masonry.” ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, DOI: 10.1061/JSENDH/STENG-13571.
- Shahin, N., Salah, A., and Kalliontzis, D. (2024). “Softened Membrane Model for Shear of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (SMM-UHPC).” Engineering Structures, 308: 117956.
- Kalliontzis, D., Kotzamanis, V. (2023). “Addressing Geometric and Material Nonlinearities in Fluid-Structure Interaction with the ALE-SSM Framework.” Engineering Structures, 295: 116851.
- Kotzamanis, V., Kalliontzis, D. (2023). “Understanding flexibility effects in the interaction of light-frame wood structures with wave action.” ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, DOI: 10.1061/JSENDH/STENG-12283, 149(12), 04023187-13.
- Salah, A., Kalliontzis, D. (2023). “Strategic use of ultra-high-performance concrete and carbon fiber reinforced polymer reinforcement for end zone design of prestressed girders.” Advances in Structural engineering, DOI: 10.1177/13694332231213459.
- Khalid, O., and Kalliontzis, D. (2023). “High-strength reinforcing bars (HSRBs) and TMS 402: A first study on Grade 80 bars.” TMS Journal, December 2023.
- Kalliontzis, D. (2022). “Fluid-Structure Interaction with ALE Formulation and Skeleton-Based Structural Models.” Journal of Fluids and Structures, 110: 103513.
- Kalliontzis, D., Morrison, M., Liu, Q., Nazari, M, Kotzamanis, V. (2022). “Improving Recovery of Hybrid Rocking Walls through Locally Heat-treated Replaceable Bars for Hysteretic Energy Dissipation.” Engineering Structures, 267: 114621.
- Kalliontzis, D., Schultz, A. E., Sritharan, S. (2022). “Unbonded Post-tensioned Structural Masonry Wall with Rubber Interface for Limited-Damage Systems.” ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, 148(1): 04021223.
- Kalliontzis, D., Shing, P. B. (2021). “Force-Based Frame Element with Axial Force-Flexure-Shear Interaction for Modeling Reinforced Concrete Members.” ACI Structural Journal, 118(3), 131-146.
- Kalliontzis, D., Sritharan, S. (2021). “Seismic Behavior of Unbonded Post-tensioned Precast Concrete Members with Thin Rubber Layers at the Jointed Connection.” PCI Journal, 66(1): January-February.
- Kalliontzis, D., Nazari, M. (2021). “Unbonded Post-tensioned Precast Concrete Walls with Rocking Connections: Modeling Approaches and Impact Damping.” Frontiers in Built Environment, 7: 638509.
- Kalliontzis, D., and Sritharan, S. (2020). "Dynamic response and impact energy loss in controlled rocking members." Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, 49(4), 319-338.
- Kalliontzis, D., Schultz, A. E., and Sritharan, S. (2020). "Generalized dynamic analysis of structural single rocking walls (SRWs)." Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, 49(7), 633-656.
- Kalliontzis, D., and Sritharan, S. (2018). "Characterizing dynamic decay of motion of free-standing rocking members." Earthquake Spectra, 34(2), 843-866.
- Kalliontzis, D., and Schultz, A. E. (2017). "Characterizing the in-plane rocking response of masonry walls with unbonded posttensioning." ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, 143(9): 04017110.
- Kalliontzis, D., and Schultz, A. E. (2017). "Improved estimation of the reverse-cyclic behavior of fully-grouted masonry shear walls with unbonded post-tensioning." Engineering Structures, 145, 83-96.
- Kalliontzis, D., Sritharan, S., and Schultz A. E. (2016). "Improved coefficient of restitution estimation for free rocking members." ASCE Journal of Structural engineering, 142(12): 06016002.

Conference Proceedings / Technical Papers Published in Refereed Conference Proceedings

- Kalliontzis, D., and Morrison, M. (2022). “Self-Centering Rocking Bridge Columns with Hysteretic Damping through Locally Heat-Treated Replaceable Bars.” 3rd International Conference on Natural Hazards & Infrastructure, Athens, Greece.
- Kalliontzis, D., Morrison, M., Liu, Q., and Nazari, M. (2022). “Hybrid Rocking Wall with Locally Heat-Treated Replaceable Bars for Hysteretic Energy Dissipation.” 12th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Kalliontzis, D., Schultz, A. E., and Sritharan, S. (2021). “Structural Masonry Walls with Rubber Pads and Unbonded Posttensioning Tendons: Experiment and Design Procedure.” 14th
  Canadian Masonry Symposium, Montreal, Canada (Received Honorable Mention).
- Kalliontzis, D., Schultz, A. E., and Sritharan, S. (2019). “The Effect of Impact Energy Loss in the Dynamic Response of Unbonded Post-Tensioned Masonry Walls.” 13th North American Masonry Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Kalliontzis, D., Sritharan, S., and Schultz A. E. (2019). “Improving Performance of Unbonded Post-Tensioned Masonry Walls with the Use of Elastomeric Interfaces.” 13th North American Masonry Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Kalliontzis, D., Schultz, A. E., and Sritharan, S. (2018). “Modeling of a Rocking Masonry Wall with Unbonded Post-Tensioning Subjected to Shake-Table Testing.” 11th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Los Angeles, California.
- Kalliontzis, D., and Schultz, A. E. (2017). “Modeling of Fully-Grouted Masonry Shear Walls with Unbonded Post-Tensioning under Reverse-Cyclic Loading.” 3rd Huixian International Forum on Earthquake Engineering for Young Researchers, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.
- Kalliontzis, D., and Schultz, A. E. (2017). “Simplified Approach for Estimating the Envelope Response of Unbonded-Posttensioned Masonry Walls.” 13th Canadian Masonry Symposium, Halifax, Canada (Received Honorable Mention).
- Kalliontzis, D., and Sritharan, S. (2017). “Improving Seismic Response of Precast Structures Designed with Jointed Connections.” PCI Convention and National Bridge Conference, Cleveland, Ohio.
- Kalliontzis, D., Sritharan, S., and Schultz, A. E. (2017). “Improving Accuracy of the Simple Rocking Model of Rigid Blocks.” 16th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Santiago, Chile.
- Kalliontzis, D., and Sritharan, S. (2016). “A Simple Analytical Model for the Rocking PreWEC System.” VII European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering (ECCOMAS), Crete Island, Greece.
- Kalliontzis, D., and Sritharan, S. (2014). “A Finite-Element Approach for Modelling Controlled Rocking Systems.” 2nd European Conference on Earthquake Engineering Seismology, Istanbul, Turkey.