Alireza Shams

Assistant Professor

Geospatial

Email: alshams@calpoly.edu

Education

Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Clemson University
M.S. in Civil Engineering, Kansas State University
M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
B.S. in Civil Engineering – Surveying, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Professional Registration

Professional Engineer (PE) in Civil Engineering, Georgia and Texas

Bio

Dr. Alireza Shams’ academic expertise encompasses geospatial engineering, geographic information systems (GIS), light detection and ranging (LiDAR), surveying, and transportation engineering. He has extensive experience in LiDAR point-cloud processing and developing automated algorithms for 3D road modeling and object detection from point clouds. His research focuses on integrating geospatial data and sensing technologies with artificial intelligence and machine learning to address challenges in civil engineering, transportation, and infrastructure monitoring. His teaching emphasizes the application of modern geospatial methods and emerging sensing technologies through hands-on, practice-oriented learning.

Teaching Interests

Geospatial Engineering and GIS
LiDAR and emerging sensing technologies
Transportation Asset Management
Civil Infrastructure Monitoring
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications in Civil Engineering

Selected Publications

Alzraiee, H., Shams, A., Rahim, A., Villalobos, N. C., & Pande, A. “Road Cross Slope Evaluation Using Surveying and LiDAR Techniques.” Construction Research Congress 2024, pp. 567–576.
Shokri, D., Rastiveis, H., Sarasua, W. A., Homayouni, S., Hosseiny, B., & Shams, A. “An Enhanced Descriptor Extraction Algorithm for Power Line Detection from Point Clouds.” Geographical Research, 61(4), 480–502.
Shams, A., Donohoe, S., & Ravani, B. “A Methodology to Identify Cross-Functional Synergies of CIM Knowledge within a Transportation Agency.” ASCE International Conference on Transportation and Development, pp. 71–82.
Shams, A., Sarasua, W. A., Russell, B. T., Davis, W. J., Post, C., Rastiveis, H., Famili, A., & Cassule, L. “Extracting Highway Cross Slopes from Airborne and Mobile LiDAR Point Clouds.” Accepted for publication in Transportation Research Record.
Shams, A., Sarasua, W. A., Putman, B. J., Davis, W. J., & Ogle, J. H. “Highway Cross-Sectional Design and Maintenance to Minimize Hydroplaning.” Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part B: Pavements, 146(4), 04020065.
Rastiveis, H., Shams, A., Sarasua, W. A., & Li, J. “Automated Extraction of Lane Markings from Mobile LiDAR Point Clouds Based on Fuzzy Inference.” ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 160, 149–166.

Alireza shams

Learn by Doing, Lead by Innovation.

College of Engineering