dr. S.R. Miller (Seirgei)

My main role is that of a researcher and coordinator in the Asphalt Paving Research and innovation unit (ASPARi). Our research is focused on professionalizing the asphalt construction process using an action research methodology. We work closely with ten of the largest contractors in the Netherlands and their asphalt construction teams, to reduce process variability and to improve the quality of compacted asphalt layers using an in-house developed Process Quality improvement (PQi) method. We use high-end off-the-shelf sensors (GPS, fibre optics, RFID, Infrared, and others) to monitor operational behaviour and at the same time get the construction teams to implement and adopt new technologies using more method-based operational strategies. I am responsible for the daily running of the research unit, the liaison with the ASPARi contractors network who support the research initiatives and the coordination all research activities. I supervise PhD, EngD, MSc and BSc student projects.

I also have a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable teaching load within the Civil Engineering Department on the bachelor and master programmes. I teach freshman students in Civil Engineering's Module 1 programme and am involved in the coordination and supervision of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) developed Design Project. "Technology and Innovation in Road Construction" and "Digital Technologies for Civil Engineering" are two Master courses that I am directly involved in from a curriculum design and teaching perspective.

As of 1 September 2020, I took on the role of Programme Director for Civil Engineering's Engineering Doctorate (EngD) programme. It is a 2-year post-master design programme focusing on the direct needs of the industry.

I am a former Programme Director for the Civil Engineering Department where I was responsible for the strategy and structure of the BSc- and MSc-programme Civil Engineering & Management and the 4TU MSc-programme in Construction Management & Engineering. I worked closely with a team of education coordinators, study advisers, staff mobility, internationalization and quality assurance staff of the Office of Educational Support to set up and implement educational programmes that are in line with the Education vision of the University of Twente.

Selected invitations:

• Invited workshop facilitator – International Society for Intelligent Construction (ISIC) Conference Trends on Construction in the Post-Digital Era; (Guimarães, Portugal, 2022)
• Invited workshop facilitator and lecturer – Problem-based learning experiences in the Netherlands, Asphalt Process Control and the use of digital technologies in Construction, Erasmus+ Programme, Mobility Grant (Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, 2019)
• Invited speaker – Aachener Straßenbau-und Verkehrstage – Towards Digitalization in Road Construction (Aachen, 2019)
• Invited speaker – VDI International Conference - Digital Technologies addressing Variability in Road Construction (Amsterdam, 2019)
• Invited workshop facilitator – 12th Conference on Asphalt Pavements for Southern Africa - Asphalt Process Control: using Digital Technologies to improve construction performance (Sun City, 2019)
• Invited speaker – E & E (Eurasphalt & Eurobitume) Symposium – What technology can offer the Road Construction Industry (Berlin, 2018)
• Invited speaker, workshop facilitator, lecturer and field lab demonstrator – Asphalt Process Control and the use of digital technologies in Asphalt Construction, Sharing Problem-based learning (PBL) experiences in the Netherlands, (Universidad Concepcion, Chile, 2018)
• Invited speaker – European Asphalt Paving Association Symposium - Applied new techniques and outlooks in asphalt production and paving (Paris, 2017)
• Keynote speaker – 10th I-Roads Conference in Israel – The ASPARi case – bringing the industry to a higher level (Tel Aviv, 2016)
• Invited speaker – Belgium Roads IT User group symposium (Antwerp, 2016)
• Invited presenter – A case-study of using Sensors in Asphalt, Chinese European Congress, (TU Delft, the Netherlands, 2016)
• Lecture – The benefits of using new technologies and sensors in road building (Concordia University Montreal, 2016)
• Invited speaker – 3rd International Symposium on Asphalt Pavements & Environment – The Asphalt Construction Site of the Future – A Dutch perspective (Sun City, 2015)
• Invited speaker – Aachener Straßenbau-und Verkehrstage – The Road Construction Process – opportunities for process improvement (Aachen, 2015)

Engineering & Materials Science

# Asphalt
# Compaction
# Simulators
# Virtual Reality

Earth & Environmental Sciences

# Asphalt
# Compaction
# Road Construction
# Visualization

Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET), Market Dynamics (MD)

I am a researcher in the Asphalt Paving Research And innovation unit (ASPARi). Our research is focused on professionalizing the asphalt construction process using an action research methodology. We work closely with ten of the largest contractors in the Netherlands and their asphalt construction teams, to reduce process variability and to improve the quality of compacted asphalt layers using an in-house developed Process Quality improvement (PQi) method. We use high-end off the shelf sensors (GPS, fibre optics, RFID, Infrared, and others to monitor operational behaviour and at the same time get the construction teams to implement and adopt new technologies using more method-based operational strategies. I am responsible for the daily running of the research unit, the liaison with the ASPARi contractors network who support the research initiatives and the coordination all research activities. I supervise PhD, EngD (Engineering Doctorate), MSc and BSc student projects.

Voordijk, H. , Miller, S. R. , & Vahdatikhaki, F. (Accepted/In press). Operator guidance systems in road construction: a technological mediation perspective. Frontiers in Engineering and Built Environment, 1.

Makarov, D. (2024). Automation in paving operations, too little or too much? Effectiveness and usability assessment of implementing different degrees of automation in Paving Operator Support Systems. [PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT, University of Twente]. University of Twente. https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036559430

Miller, S. R. , Vahdatikhaki, F. , Doree, A. , Makarov, D., & Profijt-Broring, J. (2023). Educating Operators for Smart Construction Processes. 1-18. Paper presented at 13th Conference on Asphalt Pavements for Southern Africa, Drakensberg, South Africa.

Makarov, D. , Vahdatikhaki, F. , Miller, S., Mowlaei, S. , & Dorée, A. (2023). Real-time trajectory planning for asphalt compaction operator support. Automation in construction, 155, Article 105034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2023.105034

Shen, Q. , Vahdatikhaki, F. , Miller, S. R. , & Dorée, A. G. (2023). Coupling asphalt construction process quality into product quality using data-driven methods. In B. Garcia de Soto, V. Gonzalez, & I. Brilakis (Eds.), Proceedings of the 40th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, ISARC 2023 (pp. 349-356). (Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction). International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction (IAARC). https://doi.org/10.22260/ISARC2023/0048

Demir, A. , Santos, J. , Miller, S., Diele, R., & Naarding, G. (2023). Multi-objective optimization of flexible pavement design from an environmental and economic perspective. Journal of cleaner production, 430, Article 139441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139441

Shen, Q. (2023). Coupling the Road Construction Process Quality Indicators into Product Quality Indicators. [EngD Thesis, University of Twente]. University of Twente.

Sadeghian, M. (2023). Develop an ontology for pavement lifecycle management. [EngD Thesis, University of Twente]. University of Twente.

Oosterveld, M. , Miller, S. R., & Galesloot, M. (2022). Samen op de N638 - een High Tech Low Cost pilot project. 1-10. Paper presented at CROW Infradagen 2022, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Pilataxi Araujo, T. , Miller, S. R., Makarov, D. , & Doree, A. (2022). Ondersteuningssystemen voor verwerking en verdichting - waarom zijn ze niet op elke bouwplaats aanwezig?. 1-12. Paper presented at CROW Infradagen 2022, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Mookhoek, S., Sluer, B., Galesloot, M. , & Miller, S. R. (2022). Challenges for digitalization of the asphalt paving process in the netherlands - a position paper. 1-8. Paper presented at CROW Infradagen 2022, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Shen, Q. , Miller, S. R. , & Vahdatikhaki, F. (2022). Machine learning in the road construction sector: A review. 1-15. Paper presented at CROW Infradagen 2022, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Santos, J. , Miller, S. R., & Cerezo, V. (2022). Pavement vehicle interaction (PVI): the elephant in the pavement life cycle assessment (LCA) room. 1-9. Paper presented at CROW Infradagen 2022, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Giorgadze, I. M. , Miller, S. R. , & Vahdatikhaki, F. (2022). Developing a Lifecycle Infrastructure Digital Twin. 1-11. Paper presented at CROW Infradagen 2022, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Cheyyar Nageswaran, P. D. , Miller, S. R. , Bijleveld, F., & Poeran, N. (2022). Quantifying the accuracy of roller segmented compactor in simulating field compaction. In X. Liu, K. Anupam, S. Erkens, L. Sun, & J. Ling (Eds.), Green and Intelligent Technologies for Sustainable and Smart Asphalt Pavements - Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Frontiers of Road and Airport Engineering, IFRAE 2021 (pp. 531-536). (Green and Intelligent Technologies for Sustainable and Smart Asphalt Pavements - Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Frontiers of Road and Airport Engineering, IFRAE 2021). CRC Press/Balkema. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003251125-84

See all research output of this employee

I love teaching several classes in the Civil Engineering Programme. My contact with Bachelor students is limited to teaching in the Module 1 course, Fundamentals of Civil Engineering and supervising the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Design Project.

I am involved in teaching two Master courses and am fully responsible for teaching "Technology and Innovation in Road Construction" and part of a group teaching "Digital Technologies in Construction".

Students apparently enjoy my classes (they do call me a little crazy). I've been nominated for Civil Engineering's Teacher of the Year award on five occasions and have been fortunate to win the award once.

In addition to my teaching duties, I also mentor young academic staff wanting to improve their teaching methods. I’ve given several workshops locally and internationally on the benefits of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) teaching approaches. These have been well received and, in some instances, PBL techniques have been implemented at our international partners.

Bachelor

Civil Engineering

Master

Civil Engineering and Management

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Most of my time is spent on the ongoing field lab, ASPARi project. ASPARi is a collaborative network of ten of the largest contractors in the Netherlands, Rijkswaterstaat and researchers of the University of Twente. The project is currently in a fifth 4-year phase, the so-called ASPARi 5.0 phase that runs between 2023 and 2026. Numerous PhD, EngD, Master and Bachelor projects have jointly been carried out with industry partners and public clients in the previous four phases. Projects have also been carried out with machine manufacturers given our expertise in asphalt process control.