The main objective of my research activities is to upgrade the performance of existing buildings and bridges against dynamic loads arising from seismic, high wind, blast, progressive collapse as well as excessive highway and railway loads, towards achieving Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure. My research topics are selected to be academically challenging and practically useful. The goal is to develop practical design criteria and code approaches for the design, safety analysis and rehabilitation of the studied structural elements and assemblages. I strive to conduct research that has a balance between the experimental evidences and the development of analytical models to be used in practical applications. The structural elements being studied experimentally include reinforced concrete shear walls, columns, T- and inverted-T bridge girders; and unreinforced and reinforced masonry walls, columns, and beams. The structural systems being investigated includes low, medium and high-rise buildings, and medium to long span bridges.

- CSA S304.1 “Design of Masonry Structures”; - CSA N287.3 “Design Requirements for Concrete Containment Structures for CANDU Nuclear Power Plants”; - ACI 440 guide “Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Reinforcement for Concrete Structures”.

Taught the following courses:Graduate courses:- Advanced Reinforced Concrete- Precast Prestressed Concrete Structures- Planning and Design of Bridges- Introduction to Structural Dynamics- Design of Industrial StructuresUndergraduate courses:- Statics- Mechanics of Materials- Structural Analysis - Structural Design - Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures - Capstone Building Engineering Design Project - Capstone Civil Engineering Design Project

Extensive expertise in:- Structural Design.- Structural Analysis (Finite Element Analysis, Linear, Nonlinear, Dynamic) - Dynamics & Vibrations of Structures.- Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures. - Design of Reinforced Masonry Structures.- Design of water retaining structures and Tanks.- Strengthening and retrofit of structures subjected to extreme loads (seismic, wind, and blast).Industrial sectors:- Buildings: Residential, Commercial, Industrial.- Bridges: Load proof tests and Bridge rating.- Energy: Industrial large ducts and Boilers- Oil & Gas / Petrochemical: Concrete Foundations, Tabletops, Silos, Tanks, Retrofit and upgrade.- Mining: Crusher, Sag Mill, Ball Mill, Thickener, Tunnels, Conveyor towers.North American (Canada/USA) Design Codes:- Buildings, Concrete, Masonry: NBCC, CHBDC, AREMA, CSA (A23.3, A23.1, A23.2, S304, S6), ASCE-7, ACI (318, 440).- Industrial, Nuclear: API, N278.3, N289.3, and US-NUREG

Extensive experience in full-scale structural testing:(For more details, check the "Experimental work" section in the following link: http://users.encs.concordia.ca/~galal )- Seismic rehabilitation of reinforced concrete shear walls using CFRP (Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymer) composites- Enhancing the seismic performance of reinforced masonry columns using CFRP and GFRP wraps- Mechanical characteristics of new thermoplastic CFRP rebars for reinforcing concrete bridge girders- Flexural strengthening of steel beams with CFRP materials- Flexure performance of GFRP-reinforced concrete masonry block beams- Out-of-plane flexure performance of GFRP-reinforced full-scale concrete masonry block walls- Strengthening RC bridge T-girders in flexure and shear using unbonded mechanically anchored CFRP sheets and dry CF sheets- Strengthening of non-ductile inverted-T bentcap bridge girders using anchored CFRP sheets- Full-scale 6mx2.8m masonry walls with openings subjected to out-of-plane air pressure (from airbag) strengthened with CFRP strips- Fixed-fixed RC squat columns rehabilitated with FRP subjected to constant axial load and cyclic lateral displacements- Fixed-fixed RC Girder and Box Girder Bridges with haunches subjected to flexure and torsional loads