Society of Civil Engineer's Club, I Actively Participated in Various Activities Organized by The Club
Society of Civil Engineer's Club, I Actively Participated in Various Activities Organized by The Club
Society of Civil Engineer's Club, I Actively Participated in Various Activities Organized by The Club
In our urban
environments, nearly everything we interact with on a daily basis, from the homes we grew up in,
the roads and bridges that took us to school, to the soaring skyscrapers we saw on TV. Literally every
roof put over our head began in the mind of an engineer. When civilizations demise, so does
unfortunately their much of the work of their poets, their farmers and farmers. Conquests and
battles are long gone. What remains after hundreds if not thousands of years? The work of their civil
engineers. The pyramids of Giza, Petra, the Great Wall of China, the Parthenon of Athens and the
Colosseum of Rome, Machu Picchu and Stone Hedge are a few simple examples of this amazing
legacy. What will our generation and our civilization add?
Inspired by this world Engineers built, I have built my career on solid foundations of hard work,
passion and determination. After excelling in School, I was accepted into the Bachelor’s degree
program in Civil Engineering at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), My undergraduate work
provided me with a strong and broad basis and the necessary fundamental engineering principals,
theory and ethics to launch my career. Beyond the classroom, I participated in several
extracurricular activities which enhanced my formal education. Becoming active in the American
Society of Civil Engineer’s Club, I actively participated in various activities organized by the club,
including the Civil Engineering Open Day. Additionally, I won third place in the American University
of Dubai Annual Wooden Bridge competition, a prestigious event judged by some of the most
eminent world figures in structural engineering. I was fortunate to elected Vice President of the club
twice, in my sophomore and senior years.
As part of my undergraduate education, I carried out numerous research and design projects at AUS,
including Designing the superstructure of a two-span continuous pretensioned I-girder bridge
following the AASHTO’s 7th edition of the Load and Resistance Factor Design Specification (2014).
This exercise nourished my understanding of the behavior of bridges, and enlightened me to the
practical application of an important design philosophy in civil engineering. I also carried out
Designing the footing, slabs, beams, and columns of a 3-story reinforced concrete building using the
commercial finite element software ETABS and SAFE, then verifying the results by hand calculations
according to the ACI-318 code. This project provided me with an excellent understanding of both he
uses of these software packages, and their limitations, which is testament the AUS education
strategy of producing engineers capable in both the theoretical and practical aspects of engineering
design. Upon graduation and joining the workforce, I recognized that unfortunately this was not
always the case and many engineers use computer software as a black box, producing input and
obtaining output without really understanding what goes on in between.
For my senior graduation project, I chose to design a 20-story steel building to resist lateral loads
using steel plate sheer walls. This was an important and challenging projects, involving the advanced
study and plication of principals of engineering dynamics and earthquake and wind engineering.
These three projects illustrate the breadth and depth of my undergraduate education, as the variety
of projects involving both steel structures and reinforced concrete structures, building projects and
bridge projects, computer-aided and manual design is an opportunity seldom availed to young
undergraduates. Culminating these experiences, I thankfully graduated with a 3.84 GPA Magna cum
laude.
After graduating, I spent several years in industry, working on various challenging projects, for which
the UAE is well known. I earned my license as a structural engineer with Dubai Municipality, and
progressed to work on increasingly challenging projects.
Eventually, my passion for further knowledge drew me back to my beloved alma mater AUS, this
time to earn my Master’s degree. Having honed in on my area of desired expertise and
specialization, engineering materials, I was confident I had the right background, experience and
motivation to embark on a career as an academic and a researcher. During my master’s studies, I
worked diligently on my coursework and research. For my major research and dissertation, I chose
to explore and investigate how reinforced concrete beams could be strengthened using Carbon Fiber
Reinforced Plastics, an exciting and cutting edge area in civil engineering. This research required that
I expand my fundamental knowledge of reinforced concrete, and merge that expanded knowledge
with the advanced principals and theory of CFRP’s and their applications in civil and structural
engineering. Ultimately, this field of research could revolutionize the way we build, repair and
retrofit buildings and other structures. My masters research was two-pronged, performing analytical
predictions of CFRP-strengthened beams using advanced computer modelling techniques, then
verifying the results experimentally. Doing so allowed me to calibrate my analytical models such that
they could accurately predict the behavior of CFRP strengthen members. This is a vital step which
allows for the safe and seamless design and application of CFRP’s in practical situations.
During my second stint at AUS, I was not only an MSc. Student, but also a graduate teaching
assistant, participating in the delivery of classes, correcting papers, instructing students in
laboratories and conducing advanced research myself. Some of the projects I worked on included:
Conducting an experimental investigation to study the effect of strengthening shear deficient
reinforced concrete T-beams with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) U-wrapped laminates
anchored with CFRP splay anchors, Analytical predictions for beams strengthened in shear with FRP
using the design guidelines ACI 440.2R-17, CSA-S806.12(R2017), fib14, and ISIS-M04; Investigating
the degradation of mechanical properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) FRP laminates under
elevated temperatures using digital image correlation (DIC); Finite element modeling of reinforced
concrete beams reinforced in flexure with basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars using ABAQUS
software and Investigating the mechanical properties of hybrid carbon-PET FRP laminates. Through
these projects, I was able to develop excellent research skills which would equip me for further
research at the doctorate level. Namely, Using Digital image correlation (DIC) to obtain full-field
strain maps on composite materials using Vic-2D software; Experimental testing of full-scale
reinforced concrete specimens and using ABAQUS software for finite element analysis.
Thus, my master’s degree and the research it entailed have provided me with excellent research
training in both analytical and experimental research methods, tools that undoubtedly will be
essential for my future PhD work. I have been fortunate to have had the chance to direct my passion
and work ethic at challenging projects, and built up my arsenal of research, engineering and analysis
skills and tools along the way. Illustrating the novel nature and high caliber of my work, several
papers I have co-authored have now been accepted in renowned engineering journals, including
“Experimental Investigation and Modeling of the Thermal Effect on the Mechanical Properties of
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) FRP Laminates”, which has been accepted for publication in the
high-impact and prestigious Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, published by the American
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and “FE modeling of concrete beams and columns reinforced with
FRP composites", published by Defense Technology. I have also had the honor of participating and
presenting papers in various international conferences including the International Conference on
Sustainable Environment and Urban Infrastructure and the 3rd International Conference on Structural
Integrity.
Thus my journey has culminated in my application for a PhD position at the American University of
Sharjah. It is here that I have built my academic career, have acquired the necessary skills and
knowledge that have allowed me to have the illustrious career I have had so far. I am eager and
prepared to embark on the next step. I am hardworking, tenacious and capable of working under
pressure, but beyond that I have true passion for my area of specialty. I am proud of the
achievements and knowledge I have already achieved, and I am ready for more. Thus, I submit to
you my application for PhD in Materials Science and Engineering in Earnest. The program is and ideal
fit for my research interests, including continuing my work on strengthening and rehabilitation of
structures using composite materials, Finite element analysis - using Abaqus, APDL and other
software as necessary, and testing and obtaining mechanical properties of composite materials
under elevated temperatures. If given this opportunity, I am confident I will extend my proven track
record of working effectively and collaboratively on multi-disciplinary research projects with my
fellow researchers at AUS, and hopefully continue to contribute to the human body of knowledge
through effective research and publications. I am confident and excited for this upcoming step, and
hope that Colleges of Engineering and Architecture, Art and Design at AUS will grant my wish by
accepting my application.