Karol Pietrak

Functions within the Institute and WUT:

• Assistant Professor in the ITC
• Faculty Editor of the WUT Base of Knowledge

Key research areas:

• Numerical modeling of conductive transport
• Inverse thermal problems
• Heat and mass transfer in heterogeneous media
• Hygrothermal characterization of building materials

Topics of intermediate and diploma projects:

• Modeling of conductive transport in heterogeneous media
• Heat and mass transfer problems
• Optimization and machine learning in thermal and materials engineering
• Inverse problems

Teaching courses:

• Thermodynamics (lecture and tutorials for the external studies, in Polish)
• Introduction to programming (lab and lectures, in Polish)
• Intergrated laboratory (lab, in Polish)
• Thermodynamics 1 (tutorials, in Polish)

Recent publications:

• P. Brzyski, Ł. Cieślikiewicz, K. Pietrak, and P. Łapka, “The combined effect of gum arabic and casein on selected parameters of lime-metakaolin paste and hemp concrete for use as wall material,” J. Build. Eng., vol. 123, pp. 1–22, 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2026.115824.
• K. Pietrak, M. Krakowiak, Ł. Cieślikiewicz, P. Brzyski, and P. Łapka, “Magnesium-hemp concrete is less vapor-permeable than lime-hemp concrete while the cup method is still problematic,” Build. Environ., vol. 280, pp. 1–8, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113112.
• K. Pietrak and K. Kozłowski, “On Sample Arrangement Effects in Cup Method Environmental Chamber Testing of Hemp Concrete,” Sustainability, vol. 17, Art. no. 22, 2025, doi: 10.3390/su172210185.
• K. Pietrak, “Inverse Estimation of Biochar Conductivity and Constituent Densities in Ceramic–Carbon Composites Using a GPR-Assisted Percolation Model,” Ceram. Int., vol. 51, Art. no. 28 B, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2025.10.011.
• P. Brzyski, K. Pietrak, Ł. Cieślikiewicz, and P. Łapka, “Hygrothermal and Mechanical Characterization of Hemp Concrete Modified with Acid Casein Admixture,” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., vol. 37, Art. no. 5, 2025, doi: 10.1061/jmcee7.mteng-18900.
• P. Latko-Durałek et al., “The composites of cross-linked polyethylene with enhanced thermal conductivity,” J. Therm. Anal. Calorim., vol. 149, pp. 1–12, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s10973-024-13000-2.
• P. Łapka, P. Brzyski, K. Pietrak, Ł. Cieślikiewicz, and Z. Suchorab, “Hygro-thermal characterization of the hemp concrete modified with the gum Arabic admixture,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 368, pp. 1–13, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.130392.
• K. Pietrak, M. Krakowiak, and P. Łapka, “Experimental verification of conditions within the cups in the cup method of water vapor permeability measurement,” J. Phys. CS, vol. 2423, Art. no. 1, 2023, doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/2423/1/012009.
• K. Pietrak, P. Furmański, and P. Łapka, “Effective thermal conductivity of composites with anisotropic particles of various shapes embedded in an isotropic matrix,” J. Phys. CS, vol. 2423, Art. no. 1, 2023, doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/2423/1/012019.
• K. Pietrak, M. Krakowiak, and P. Łapka, “Comparison of performance of lime- and magnesia-based hempcrete in water vapour permeability tests,” in 7th Central and Eastern European Conference on Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - book of abstracts, J. Kučerík, P. Šiler, and A. Rotaru, Eds., SITECH, 2023, pp. 128–128.
• full list, WUT Base of Knowledge
• Google Scholar page

Participation in research projects:

• 2021-2023: Development of innovative geothermal systems based on new probes with increased heat exchange efficiency applicable in vertical ground heat exchangers, acronym: GeoRura
• 2020-2022: Manufacturing technology of building products made of ecological high performance fibre composites with encapsulated PCM for the NZEB application, M-ERA.NET2- acronym: HEMP4NZEB

• 2021-2023: Development of innovative geothermal systems based on new probes with increased heat exchange efficiency applicable in vertical ground heat exchangers, Project No: POIR.01.01.01-00-0188/20

• 2017-2020: DryWall - Development of an innovative technology for drying and insulating of walls (National Center for Research and Development, POIR.04.01.02-00-0099/16)
• 2013-2016: INNOOS -Development of a system of innovative test stands for examination of personal protective equipment (National Center for Research and Development, O-ROB/ 0011/03/001)
• 2012-2013: TERMET – New functional materials of increased thermal conductivity (EU fund Innovative Economy, POIG.01.01.02-00-097/09)

Organizational activity:

• peer reviews for journals: Construction and Building Materials, Building and Environment, Thermochimica Acta, International Journal of Solids and Structures, International Journal of Materials Research, eXPRESS Polymer Letters, Buildings
• since 2018 - editor of the web page of Division of Thermodynamics

Other:

• hobby: guitars and synthesizers, histroy of religion, personality psychology

Educational materials and notes: