University at Buffalo Department of Civil Structure and Environmental Engineering (CSEE) second-year PhD student Mohamed Hassan Lasheen was inspired by the aging bridge infrastructure of his homeland of Egypt when he joined Professor Pinar Okumus and Professor Negar Elhami Khorasani in a TRANS-IPIC-funded research project that would potentially simplify the process of identifying structures in need of repair. Using machine learning, the project aims to more efficiently assess shear cracks on bridges and make critical infrastructure safer.
We sat down with Lasheen to discuss his work on this project and the valuable experience he has gained at the University at Buffalo.
Can you tell me a little bit about your background? What brought you to the University at Buffalo?
I earned my bachelor's and master's degrees from the Department of Structural Engineering at Cairo University in Egypt. I also worked as a teaching assistant at the Department of Structural Engineering at Cairo University for three years. In addition, I have four years of experience as a structural design engineer, specializing in design, analysis, and detailing of concrete structures.
I chose the Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering program at the University at Buffalo because of its strong reputation, particularly in structural engineering. It includes a bunch of amazing professors who are experts in earthquake and materials engineering. My interests align well with my advisors, Professor Okumus and Professor Elhami-Khorasani, who are working on developing new techniques for evaluating cracked concrete structures.
What research are you working on right now?
My research focuses on the shear behavior of concrete structures and applications of artificial intelligence in structural engineering. Current evaluation methods for shear-cracked prestressed concrete members include load testing or finite element analysis, which may be costly or time consuming.
So, I felt motivated to develop a tool through machine learning to provide an accurate and rapid evaluation of prestressed concrete beams with shear cracks. The outcome of my research is a tool for the bridge owners that can be used in prioritizing repair actions.
Year 1 of this project developed a tool that relates cracking to load history of bridge members. Year 2 of this project will test mid-scale beams to validate and improve the developed tool.
What drew you to this topic of research or the subject of your study? Why did you decide to do this research?
I was drawn to this research because prestressed concrete bridges have become one of the most dominant bridge materials of US bridges after 1950. A significant number of US bridges are over 50 years old and are reaching the end of their service life. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a rapid and accurate assessment method to evaluate the safety of these bridges. So, I felt motivated to work on the application of machine learning to evaluate cracked prestressed concrete bridges. Fortunately, this interest aligned well with the interests of my advisor's work and, of course, TRANS-IPIC.
What drew you to the study of precast concrete specifically?
I think precast is the future. Precast construction reduces construction time significantly. Additionally, precast elements are manufactured in a controlled environment, allowing for more precise geometries and accurate placement of reinforcement.
What are the most important skills or lessons that you've learned through your experience researching or at University at Buffalo?
One of the most important lessons I have learned is the value of collaboration. Working effectively in a group is essential for research success.
Professor Okumus and Professor Elhami Khorasani have extensive experience across a wide range of research projects. They taught us how to think more creatively. Also, they are dealing with us as friends, which makes us feel like a family.
I was so lucky to assist Professor Okumus in teaching Reinforced Concrete Design and Prestressed Concrete Design for highway bridges courses. Teaching is a good way to communicate with students.
What have you gotten out of working with TRANS-IPIC?
TRANS-IPIC gives me the opportunity to work on interesting research projects. Also, the webinars and workshops provide a great opportunity to meet with students and professors from across the United States.These interactions allow the exchange of ideas and help in making new friends all over the world.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
After completing my PhD, I plan to work for three years for the concrete industry, especially in prestressed concrete bridges, to gain practical experience in this field. Practical experience will help me to be a successful professor.
I see myself as a professor specializing in the design of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures, where I can combine practical experience with teaching and research to inspire the next generation to work on prestressed and reinforced concrete structures.
Do you have advice to anyone interested in pursuing precast concrete transportation infrastructure research?
My advice for anyone interested in pursuing precast concrete infrastructure is to build a strong foundation in structural engineering courses, especially structural analysis and design courses, and construction management courses. These courses are essential to be successful in this field. Precast systems require careful planning and precision in design.
TRANS-IPIC is a Tier 1 University Transportation Center (UTC) funded by the USDOT and is working to develop solutions for the transportation infrastructure challenges by innovating precast concrete related technologies that are durable, safe, and economic.