Carolina Araújo Moreira Delci is a civil engineer at Salum Construções in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, who is pushing infrastructure projects toward smarter and more sustainable futures. Her work focuses on megaprojects such as roads, railways, drainage, and the rehabilitation of iron ore tailings dams. She combines traditional engineering with modern digital tools, such as 4D BIM (building information modeling plus time), artificial intelligence, and lean construction, to anticipate challenges, reduce waste, and improve safety, tells IEEE Spectrum.
Delci’s background is international and interdisciplinary. She studied civil engineering through a sandwich program that included coursework abroad, did internships, learned project management, and built technical skills early. She emphasizes that her education infused both technical rigor and exposure to real-world problems.
One of her signature projects involves tailings dams and mining waste remediation—work made more urgent by major dam failures in Brazil. Here, Delci uses dry stacking: separating fine particles from mining tailings so they can be deposited in more stable, less risky piles, not sludge-filled dams. That method is safer and less environmentally risky, though it requires more careful environmental licensing and study before it can be used at scale.
Her use of 4D BIM lets construction teams model not only physical geometry (earthworks, drainage, pavement) but also schedules. Time becomes the fourth dimension, allowing people to simulate various phases, see potential conflicts, understand where delays or cost overruns might occur, and plan ahead. She also applies lean construction ideas, aiming to minimize waste of materials, time, and resources.
Delci leads change not only through projects, but also by mentoring younger engineers and advocating for policy and practice that prioritize safety, environmental responsibility, and gender equity. She’s helping change a traditionally male-dominated field.
Delci represents a modern civil engineering ethos: infrastructure that isn’t just built, but built thoughtfully—with technology, foresight, sustainability, and social purpose. Her work shows how including time, data, and lean thinking can transform how large infrastructure projects are planned and delivered.