Oğulcan Canbek

Materials Scientist
canbekogulcan@gmail.comlinkedin.com/in/ogulcanbek

Profile

Materials scientist working at the intersection of cement chemistry and materials informatics. More than four years of industrial R&D experience, building on Ph.D. research at Georgia Tech on lower-carbon binders.

Experience

Saint-Gobain Construction Chemicals (formerly GCP Applied Technologies)Boston, MA
Senior ScientistAug 2022 – Present
Cemtech Global Engineering Inc. Türkiye
Structural Engineer2015 – 2016

Project: AS Cement – Cement Grinding Center, Aydın, Türkiye

  • Coordinated concrete placements and monitored construction of plant buildings for compliance with approved engineering drawings and specifications.

Research

Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA
Graduate Research Assistant2019 – 2022
  • Developed statistical and machine learning models for rheology, hydration, and strength evolution in cementitious materials [1–3, 8, 9].
  • Designed and evaluated low-carbon limestone calcined clay cement (LC³) formulations, examining composition, performance, and environmental trade-offs [1–3, 8, 9].
  • Performed rheological, hydration, mechanical, and durability testing and life-cycle assessment of alternative binders.
Middle East Technical University Türkiye
Research Project Assistant2016 – 2018
  • Investigated effects of kiln temperature and retention time on CSA clinker properties [5].
  • Produced and characterized calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement clinkers with high industrial-waste content [6].

Education

Georgia Institute of Technology · Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering2019 – 2022

Dissertation: Elucidating the Fresh and Hardened Properties of Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC³) Through Data Analytics · Minor in Machine Learning · GPA 3.84/4.00

Middle East Technical University · M.Sc., Civil Engineering2016 – 2018

Thesis: Production of Low-Energy Cements Using Various Industrial Wastes · High Honors

Yildiz Technical University · B.Sc., Civil Engineering2011 – 2015

Graduated with Honors

Expertise

ModelingMachine learning, statistical analysis, design of experiments, thermodynamic modeling, life-cycle assessment
ProgrammingPython, R, MATLAB
CharacterizationRheology, isothermal calorimetry and hydration kinetics, particle size analysis, X-ray characterization / analysis, vibrational spectroscopy, compressive-strength and durability testing

Service

American Concrete Institute (ACI) · Voting Member, Committee 135 – Machine Learning-Informed Construction and Design

Publications

Peer-reviewed journal articles

  1. [1] O. Canbek, C. Szeto, N. R. Washburn, K. E. Kurtis (2023). “A Quantitative Approach to Determining Sulfate Balance for LC³.” Cement, 12, 100063.DOI
  2. [2] O. Canbek, Q. Xu, Y. Mei, N. R. Washburn, K. E. Kurtis (2022). “Predicting the Rheology of Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC³): Linking Composition and Hydration Kinetics to Yield Stress through Machine Learning.” Cement and Concrete Research, 160, 106925.DOI
  3. [3] O. Canbek, N. R. Washburn, K. E. Kurtis (2022). “Relating LC³ Microstructure, Surface Resistivity and Compressive Strength Development.” Cement and Concrete Research, 160, 106920.DOI
  4. [4] C. Childs, O. Canbek, T. M. Kirby, C. Zhang, J. Zheng, C. Szeto, B. Poczos, K. E. Kurtis, N. R. Washburn (2020). “Cheminformatics for Accelerated Design of Chemical Admixtures.” Cement and Concrete Research, 136, 106173.DOI
  5. [5] O. Canbek, S. T. Erdoğan (2020). “Influence of Production Parameters on Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements.” Construction and Building Materials, 239, 117866.DOI
  6. [6] O. Canbek, S. Shakouri, S. T. Erdoğan (2020). “Laboratory Production of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements with High Industrial Waste Content.” Cement and Concrete Composites, 106, 103475.DOI
  7. [7] B. A. Bilginer, O. Canbek, S. T. Erdoğan (2020). “Activation of Blast Furnace Slag with Soda Production Waste.” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 32(1), 04019316.DOI

Conference proceedings

  1. [8] O. Canbek, N. R. Washburn, K. E. Kurtis (2025). “Rheology of Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC³): Predictive Modeling of Yield Stress and Plastic Viscosity with Machine Learning.” Calcined Clays for Sustainable Concrete 2022: Conference Proceedings, pp. 447–456.DOI
  2. [9] O. Canbek, F. Lolli, C. Childs, N. R. Washburn, K. E. Kurtis (2022). “Multi-Objective Design of LC³: Sustainability and Strength.” ACI Special Publication.Link
  3. [10] O. Canbek, S. T. Erdoğan (2018). “Production of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements Using Industrial Byproducts in Turkey.” 13th International Congress on Advances in Civil Engineering, İzmir, Türkiye.

Presentations

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) Webinar (2023). “Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC³) Technology and Practical Application for DOTs.” Virtual.

ACI Spring Convention (2023). “Workability and Retardation Effects on Early CSA Hydration by Phosphono and Carboxylate Chemistries.” San Francisco, CA.

4th Corvallis Workshops: Concrete Fit for Purpose and Planet (2022). “Performance-Based Design of Limestone Calcined Clay Cements Guided by Machine Learning.” Corvallis, OR.

12th Advances in Cement-Based Materials, American Ceramic Society (2022). “Relating LC³ Microstructure, Surface Resistivity and Compressive Strength Development.” Irvine, CA.

Calcined Clays for Sustainable Concrete (2022). “Rheology of Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC³): Predictive Modeling of Yield Stress and Plastic Viscosity with Machine Learning.” Lausanne, Switzerland.

ACI RACTSI (2022). “Multi-Objective Design of LC³: Sustainability and Strength.” Milan, Italy.

ACI Fall Convention (2021). “Predicting the Rheology of Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC³).” Virtual.

11th Advances in Cement-Based Materials, American Ceramic Society (2021). “Predicting the Rheology of Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC³).” Virtual.

13th International Congress on Advances in Civil Engineering (2018). “Production of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements Using Industrial Byproducts in Turkey.” İzmir, Türkiye.

Professional education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Non-degree course2024

Data Leadership: Transforming the Corporation’s Operations, Management, and Mindset to Leverage Data, AI, and Cloud Computing

Coursera · Design of Experiments Specialization2025

Four courses taught by Douglas C. Montgomery

Honors

Georgia ACI Robert H. Kulman and LaGrit F. “Sam” Morris Student Scholarship2021
Georgia Tech Institute for Materials Graduate Student Fellowship2020

Teaching

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Civil Engineering Materials (CEE 3020), Georgia Tech2019

Languages

Turkish (native) · English (fluent) · French (B2)