DLSU alum Aldrei Ong wins Dyson Global Sustainability Award for smart concrete sensor

MANILA— De La Salle University (DLSU) civil engineering alumnus Engr. Aldrei Ong has been named the Global Sustainability Winner at the 2026 James Dyson Award for his structural health monitoring invention, Sentinel, according to reports of DLSU and the James Dyson Award Foundation.

The global design and engineering competition, organized annually by the James Dyson Foundation, challenges university students and recent graduates across 28 countries to develop practical solutions to pressing real-world problems.

Early Earthquake & Structural Risk Detection

Sentinel is an innovative, low-cost sensor engineered to detect internal stress, micro-cracks, and structural degradation embedded deep within concrete elements before visible damage occurs on the surface.

By repurposing standard concrete spacer blocks—a component already required during construction to position steel rebar—Ong created a self-sensing block mixed with conductive materials. When concrete suffers stress or cracking, its internal electrical resistance changes. Embedded electrodes connect the block to a compact module that wirelessly transmits real-time structural health data directly to an online dashboard, providing engineers with rapid assessment tools following severe weather or seismic events.

"If buildings can have smoke detectors, fire alarms, and CCTVs, why not have a sensor that gives the structural condition of a building?" said Ong during the competition presentation.

Advancing Engineering Research

Engr. Ong developed Sentinel over the course of his master’s research at DLSU, testing over 125 concrete samples before perfecting the self-sensing formula. Prototype sensors have already undergone field trials embedded inside a live building in the Philippines.

With the ₱2.55 million (approx. £30,000) global prize grant, Ong plans to transition Sentinel’s hand-soldered components into custom printed circuit boards (PCBs), conduct further validation trials, and design adaptable retrofit options for existing buildings.

This landmark victory brings the James Dyson Award’s Global Sustainability title back to the Philippines, marking a major triumph for Lasallian research and Philippine engineering on the international stage.

(£1= P85.08)