About
Civil engineer, researcher and educator working between structural practice and materials science.
Biography
I am a civil engineer who moved from designing structures to studying why they deteriorate, and how to build the next generation with less carbon.
I grew up in Amman and studied civil engineering at the University of Jordan, where I later completed a master's degree in structural engineering. My first years in practice were split between construction sites and design offices: supervising bridge rehabilitation works, checking concrete quality on site, and designing reinforced concrete buildings.
Those years left me with a practical question. Why do structures designed for 75 years so often need major repairs after 30? In 2023 I moved to Montréal to pursue a PhD on the durability and embodied carbon of concrete infrastructure in cold climates.
Alongside research, I teach as a teaching assistant in reinforced concrete and structural analysis courses, and I write about engineering practice, research methods and life as an international doctoral student.
Academic background
2023 - present
PhD, Civil Engineering
Dissertation: service-life and carbon performance of concrete bridge decks exposed to de-icing salts and freeze-thaw cycles.
2018 - 2020
MSc, Structural Engineering
Thesis: shear behaviour of reinforced concrete beams with recycled concrete aggregate. Graduated with distinction.
2012 - 2017
BSc, Civil Engineering
Capstone design of a three-span post-tensioned highway bridge.
PhD studies in Canada
Québec maintains thousands of concrete bridges that face some of the harshest exposure conditions in North America: more than 100 freeze-thaw cycles a year and heavy use of de-icing salts. That makes it an ideal place to study durability.
My doctoral project combines accelerated laboratory testing of concrete mixes with low-clinker binders, field monitoring of instrumented bridge decks, and life-cycle assessment. The aim is a decision framework that lets owners compare repair and replacement options on both service life and carbon.
- PhD, Civil Engineering
- September 2023
- 2027
- Doctoral research scholarship
Research interests
Concrete durability
Chloride ingress, freeze-thaw damage and reinforcement corrosion in transportation structures.
Low-carbon materials
Supplementary cementitious materials, limestone calcined clay cements and recycled aggregates.
Life-cycle assessment
Whole-life carbon and cost of repair, rehabilitation and replacement strategies.
Structural health monitoring
Embedded sensors, data quality and turning measurements into maintenance decisions.
Existing structures
Assessment, load rating and rehabilitation of ageing reinforced concrete bridges.
Engineering pedagogy
Case-based learning and physical models in structural engineering courses.
Professional experience
2023 - present
Teaching Assistant
Tutorials and laboratory sessions for Reinforced Concrete Design and Structural Analysis; grading of design projects.
2020 - 2023
Structural Design Engineer
Analysis and design of reinforced concrete buildings, seismic detailing, coordination with architects and contractors.
2017 - 2020
Site Engineer
Bridge deck rehabilitation, concrete quality control, method statements and site inspection records.
Skills and expertise
Design and analysis
- Reinforced concrete design
- Prestressed concrete
- Finite element analysis
- Seismic detailing
- CSA A23.3
- CSA S6
- ACI 318
Research methods
- Durability testing
- Chloride profiling
- Life-cycle assessment
- Statistical analysis
- Experimental design
Software and tools
- ETABS
- SAP2000
- ABAQUS
- Python
- R
- OpenLCA
- AutoCAD
- Revit
Languages
- Arabic (native)
- English (fluent)
- French (professional)
Good research in civil engineering should change a decision someone makes about a real structure.
I try to keep my work close to practice: questions that come from the field, methods that owners and engineers can audit, and results written for people who will use them. In teaching, I believe students learn structural behaviour best when they see it fail, predict it and then check their predictions.
Timeline
2017
Graduated in civil engineering
2017
Joined Al-Rawabi Contracting as site engineer
First bridge rehabilitation project.
2020
Completed MSc in structural engineering
Moved into structural design.
2023
Started PhD in Montréal
Relocated to Canada with a doctoral scholarship.
2025
Passed doctoral comprehensive exam
Research proposal approved.
Curriculum vitae
A complete record of education, publications, teaching and professional experience.