Dr. Gayatri Thakre

Profile

Dr. Gayatri Thakre is a Civil and Construction Engineering professional with a Ph.D. in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Texas at Arlington, along with extensive academic, research, and industry experience. Her expertise spans construction technology, project controls, infrastructure rehabilitation, AI- enabled cost estimation, life-cycle cost analysis, trenchless construction, and forensic engineering. As a licensed Professional Engineer across multiple U.S. states, she brings strong practical industry experience into academic learning. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes experiential learning, critical thinking, and real-world problem-solving, with a focus on preparing students to become innovative, responsible, and industry-ready professionals.

Educational Qualifications

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - The University of Texas at Arlington, TX, USA
Ph.D. in Construction Engineering and Management - The University of Texas at Arlington, TX, USA
M.E. in Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering), Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
Minor in Business Administration, Mays Business School, Texas A&M, College Station, TX, USA
B.Tech. in Civil Engineering, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Sardar Patel College of Engineering (SPCE), India

Areas of Expertise 

Construction technology, construction methods & machinery, project controls, and equipment management for improving planning, execution, and performance of trenchless constructions.

AI-enabled cost estimation for underground construction, integrating construction technology, project controls, equipment productivity, and digital construction tools.

Environmental and socioeconomic impact evaluation of construction and renewal methods using advanced construction techniques and quantitative analytical methods.

Supervised machine learning models for lifecycle cost estimation and infrastructure decisionmaking supported by advanced construction techniques and quantitative methods.

Sustainable pipeline rehabilitation with emphasis on CIPP and trenchless technologies.

Construction, renewal, and management of infrastructure systems using innovative methods.

Forensic engineering, damage assessment, and structural diagnostics.

Teaching Experience

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Construction Engineering & Management at UTA – December 2025 to Present

Peer Reviewer for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice (JPS)

Research Assistant, Texas A&M (TAMU) University – Sept. 2017-Sept. 2019

Teaching Assistant, Mays Business School at TAMU – Summer 2019

Teaching Assistant for Structural Steel Design course, Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at TAMU – Fall 2017

Industry / Research Experience

Forensic Construction Engineer – 1, Alpine Intel Sept 2020-July 2026

Conducted extensive site inspections and field evaluations, coordinating with contractors, adjusters, and clients to develop remediation scopes.

Project Engineer, DCI Engineers – Sept 2019-Sept 2020

Engineering Intern, Martinez Moore Engineering – May 2018-Aug 2018

Publications and Research Work

1. Thakre, G., Kaushal, V., and Najafi, M. 2025. “Socio-Environmental Cost Evaluation of Excavation Technology Compared with Trenchless Cured-in-Place Pipe Renewal Technology for Small to Very Large Diameter Sewers: A Holistic Approach.” Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice, June 2026, https://doi.org/10.1061/JPSEA2/PSENG-2116

2. Thakre, G., Kaushal, V., and Najafi, M. 2025. “Algorithm-Based Supervised Learning Cost Estimation and Prediction Models for Trenchless Cured-in-Place Pipe Sewer System Rehabilitation.” Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice, June 2026, https://doi.org/10.1061/JPSEA2/PSENG-2089

3. Thakre, G., Kaushal, V., and Najafi, M. (Under-Review). “Integrated Machine Learning– Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Framework for Comparative Prediction of Sewer Rehabilitation Methods for Resilient Underground Infrastructure Planning: Construction, Environmental, and Social Cost Implications” Springer Nature’s Journal of King Saud University Engineering Sciences.

4. Thakre, G., V. Kaushal, E. Karkhanis, and M. Najafi. 2025. “Evaluation of life-cycle cost of excavation and trenchless cured-in-place pipeline technologies for sustainable wastewater applications.” Sustainability, 17 (5): 2329. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052329.

Awards and Recognitions

1. CMAA North Texas Chapter Scholarship Recipient, Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), North Texas Chapter, April 2024. Selected as a $1,000 scholarship recipient in recognition of academic excellence, professional dedication, and contributions to the field of construction management. Honored at the CMAA North Texas Gala, a distinguished event celebrating leadership and achievement in construction management.  Research Assistantship at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, Aug 2017

2. Awarded a fully funded scholarship for a Master's program based on academic excellence with an award-winning ratio of 0.1%.

3. Kulpati Silver Medal – University of Mumbai, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Sardar Patel College of Engineering (SPCE), Apr 2017. Awarded the Kulpati Silver Medal for securing 2nd rank in the Civil Engineering graduating batch of 2017 at SPCE, Mumbai.

Professional Affiliations

1. Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Civil Engineering with Construction Engineering and Management Specialization in 15 states.

2. Peer Reviewer for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice (JPS) – January 2026. Responsible for delivering rigorous technical reviews for ASCE’s Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice (JPS)

Subjects Taught 

Quantity Estimation and Economics, Means and Methods Workshop, and Construction Technology and Systems.

Research Profiles and Links

Google Scholar : https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=jTyUuM8AAAAJ

ORCID : https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0009-0009-0633-9981

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/gayatri-thakre/