Loai Al-Mawed Email & Phone Number

I obtained my B.E in Civil and Environmental Engineering with distinction from Beirut Arab University (BAU) and an M.E of Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Structural Engineering from the American University of Beirut (AUB).My Master’s thesis was about assessment of using natural fabric sheets (Hemp) as an environmentally friendly material alternative to synthetic Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sheets in punching shear strengthening of concrete slab-column connections. This assessment included three main studies: Experimental, Numerical, and Analytical study.In the experimental study, I designed, cast, and tested 24 interior slab-column connections at the Material and Structural Engineering, Laboratory of the American University of Beirut.In the numerical study, I modeled three of 24 tested specimens using the finite element method (FEM) provided by ABAQUS software. The numerical results were compared with the experimental findings.Finally, an analytical model was adopted from the literature to calculate the punching shear capacity of the tested connections. A comparison between the results of the proposed model and experimental results was studied.The promising results of this assessment were used to report a research paper, that is under review. Through my graduate study, I also had an opportunity to be a graduate teaching assistant for undergraduate students. I believe that my graduate journey has reinforced my knowledge and experience in structure and material fields, laboratory, and research work.