Ph.D.
Civil Engineering — Tokyo Institute of Technology
MEXT Japanese Government Scholar.
Dissertation: “Subsurface Crack Detection on Bridge Decks using Eddy Current Technique.”
Structural Engineer · Lecturer · Ph.D.
Nitipong Praphaphankul
A structural engineer teaching at the Department of Architecture — reading buildings and bridges through measurement, computation and data.
Structural engineering, read through data
Nitipong Praphaphankul is a structural engineer and full-time Lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, completed as a MEXT Japanese Government Scholar.
Teaching structure inside a school of architecture places his work at a deliberate intersection — structural engineering, computation, and architectural design. His research spans subsurface crack detection with eddy current techniques, bridge monitoring through UAV-based photogrammetry and unsupervised machine learning, and damage assessment of CFRP-strengthened structures: work aimed at turning the physical condition of ageing infrastructure into signals that engineers and designers can act on.
0Publications
0Research projects
0Degrees
0Yrs in Japan
Academia, industry, and the field
2017 — Present-
Sep 2025 — Present
Chulalongkorn University — Bangkok
Full-time Lecturer, Department of Architecture. Teaching and research in structural engineering, non-destructive evaluation and data-driven condition assessment; principal investigator on grants in composite materials and NDT.
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Oct 2024 — Jul 2025
Institute of Science Tokyo — Tokyo
Research Assistant. Continued experimental and numerical work on eddy current inspection of steel bridge decks and remote sensing for bridge movement monitoring.
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Jun 2024 — Aug 2024
TTES Co., Ltd. — Tokyo
Intern, Assistant Engineer. Bridge inspection and structural assessment practice in a consulting environment.
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Jul 2018 — Aug 2018
Supalai PCL — Bangkok
Intern, Structural QC Engineer. Quality control of reinforced concrete works on residential developments.
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Jul 2017 — Aug 2017
Italian-Thai Development PCL — Bangkok
Intern, Site Engineer. Site supervision and construction methods on large-scale infrastructure works.
Three degrees, two countries
M.E.
Civil Engineering — Tokyo Institute of Technology
Thesis: “Assessment of Bridge Structure Displacement using Structure from Motion” — UAV photogrammetry for displacement measurement.
B.E.
Civil Engineering — Chulalongkorn University
Bachelor of Engineering with Honors, Faculty of Engineering, Bangkok.
Funded projects
3 as Principal Investigator · 2 as Co-InvestigatorPrincipal Investigator
Advanced signal processing and NDT for damage assessment in CFRP composites
Development of signal-processing pipelines coupled with non-destructive testing to detect and characterise damage in carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer composites used for structural strengthening.
Damage inspection of CFRP-strengthened structures
A joint project between Chulalongkorn University and the Institute of Science Tokyo, extending inspection methods for CFRP-strengthened members across both laboratories.
Composite materials for an architecture of lightness
Sustainable hollow structural elements developed with the Center of Excellence in Social Design and the Architectural Intelligence (A.I.) Research Group, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University.
Co-Investigator
Wood-based prefabricated panel for hybrid building
Prefabricated timber-based panel systems for hybrid building construction, developed under the BCG Economy Framework.
Open data platform for digital business competitiveness
An open data platform supporting commercial and tourism districts, delivered through a Thai–Japanese research collaboration.
Ongoing projects
Unpublished work — details on requestQuantum computing × structures
Quantum optimization of reciprocal structures
Exploring quantum annealing as a search engine for the discrete geometry of self-supporting reciprocal frames — where classical solvers drown in combinatorics.
Quantum-ready truss design
Recasting classical truss sizing as a problem a quantum annealer can natively solve, with a statistically controlled benchmark against the metaheuristics engineers use today.
Quantum machine learning for bridge inspection
Asking whether quantum-native representations of eddy-current signals can see subsurface damage in steel bridge decks that classical features miss.
Digital heritage & 3D archives
study renders
Rebuilding lost pagodas from archival photographs
Century-old monochrome photographs are often the only record of Thailand's lost or altered pagodas. This project turns single archival views into measurable 3D geometry for conservation and archives.
Digitizing Thai textile heritage
Translating handwoven Thai pattern into a machine-readable footprint that a digital Jacquard loom can reproduce — preserving the pattern independently of the hands that made it.
Data analysis in civil engineering
How measurement practice shapes concrete quality decisions
A statistical look at how everyday choices in ultrasonic testing practice can tip quality classifications — and repair decisions — one way or the other.
Interested in any of these directions?
Manuscripts under preparation; specifics shared in conversation.
Selected work
6 journal · 3 conference2026
Zain, M., Kupwiwat, C., Prasittisopin, L., Praphaphankul, N., Kaewunruen, S., & Zaidi, M. A. A. (2026). Framework for Developing Resistivity Models to Identify Potential Safety Threats in Embankment Dams. Engineered Science, 39, 2054.
DOI ↗10.30919/es2054
Praphaphankul, N., Koohathong, P., Tiprak, K., Lenwari, A., & Thongchom, C. (2026). Axial behavior of hollow concrete columns with GFRP and hybrid reinforcement. Structures, 91, 112550. Elsevier.
DOI ↗10.1016/j.istruc.2026.112550
Praphaphankul, N., Prayoonwet, W., Tiprak, K., Akutsu, A., & Sasaki, E. (2026). Accessible remote sensing of bridge movement monitoring with UAV-based SfM photogrammetry and unsupervised machine learning. Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 1–26. Taylor & Francis.
DOI ↗10.1080/15732479.2026.2698097
2025
Chakrathok, P., et al., including Praphaphankul, N. (2025). Flexural Behavior of Concrete Beams Reinforced with GFRP Bars under High Temperature. 30th National Convention on Civil Engineering.
2024
Praphaphankul, N., Akutsu, A., & Sasaki, E. (2024). Numerical study of phase space analysis for the development of subsurface crack detection method using pulsed eddy current. Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 1–21.
DOI ↗10.1080/15732479.2024.2413637
Praphaphankul, N., Akutsu, A., & Sasaki, E. (2024). Enhancing Subsurface Crack Detection in Orthotropic Steel Decks. EASEC-18, 453–460. Springer.
DOI ↗10.1007/978-981-96-9917-9_59
Praphaphankul, N. (2024). Enhancing root-deck crack detection in orthotropic steel decks. IABSE Symposium Manchester 2024.
DOI ↗10.2749/manchester.2024.0822
2023
Praphaphankul, N., Akutsu, A., & Sasaki, E. (2023). Numerical study for development of subsurface crack detection using pulsed eddy current and swept frequency eddy current. Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 1–16.
DOI ↗10.1080/15732479.2023.2218351
Thongchom, C., et al., including Praphaphankul, N. (2023). Experimental Investigation on Post-Fire Mechanical Properties of GFRP Rebars. Polymers.
DOI ↗10.3390/polym15132925
Life around the research
Bangkok · Tokyo · in the fieldNo items in this category.
Tools of the trade
Programming
PythonMATLABTensorFlowPyTorch
Structural software
SAP2000ETABSATENACOMSOLAutoCADRevit
Cloud & automation
AWSAzureUiPathAutomation AnywhereCloudCompare
Languages
Thai NativeEnglish ProfessionalJapanese Basic
Credentials
Associate Civil Engineer License (COE Thailand) · DeepLearning.AI Deep Learning Specialization with 5 further TensorFlow / machine learning certificates · RPA certifications.
Leadership
Vice President, Thai Students' Association in Japan (TSAJ, 2023) · International Student Representative, Tokyo Institute of Technology (2023).