Staff Profiles

PhD., Civil and Structural Engineering 

National University of Malaysia / Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

MSc., Civil Engineering -Geotechnical Engineering

University of Central Tehran

BSc., Civil Engineering

Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT)

I ‘Ali Akbar Firoozi’ have a PhD in Civil and Structural Engineering from the University Kebangsaan (National) Malaysia (UKM) with a thesis titled ‘Evaluation of Improvement Potential of Nanomaterials for Stabilizing Clayey Soils’. My research involves an extensive study of potentially a new type of material (i.e. nanomaterials) to stabilise clay soils (kaolinite/illite) …. Feedstocks used in our research were nano-magnesium, nano-alumina, nano-copper, and nano-clay. Furthermore, a novel method was introduced to mix nanomaterials with soil mixtures. During my graduate training, I have been fortunate enough to become an expert on X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX).

In addition, I was a lecturer in several universities and during my academic research, I have published more than 70 papers and two books (Basic Soil Mechanic & Guideline for Seismic Microzonation and Dynamic Analysis of Site Effects on Amplification). My academic training and more than 18 years of experience working as a civil engineer groomed me to be an effective researcher and engineer. During my 18 years of work experience in Civil Engineering, I contributed to more than 100 projects as a project manager and designer.

• Soil Mechanics
• Geomechanics
• Geotechnics I & II
• Soil Testing Laboratory
• Slope Stability and Design of Earth & Rock
• Advanced Soil Mechanics
• Pavement & Roads Design
• Foundation on Problematic Soils
• Unsaturated Soils & Structured Soils
• Materials in Constructions
• Earthquake Engineering
• Material Resistance
• Statics
• Computer Skills for Civil Engineering

• Soil Improvement
• Unsaturated & Structured Soils
• Nano Materials & Nano Composites
• Microscopy Analysis (AFM, FESEM, SEM, TEM, XRF, XRD, FTIR)
• Microzonation & Site Effects
• Foundation for Special Purposes
• Numerical Analysis
• Earth Dams
• Slopes Stability 
• Problematic Soils & Expansive Soils
• Tunnels and Bridge Area
• Piles, Micro Piles & Soil Nailing
• Cementation Materials
• Cement & Concrete
• Pipelines & Pump Stations
• Materials for Construction

• Improving the bearing capacity and reducing settlement of Kalahari sand by using different soil improvement techniques
• Evaluation of heat treatment to stabilization expansive clayey
• Stabilization of dust using liquid enzymes
• Using enzymatic emulsions to reinforce road layers (base and sub-base)
• Stabilization Kalahari sands by traditional and new additives to use in construction projects
• Evaluation of acidic and alkaline water on soil-lime & soil-cement treated soils

• A Review: Study of Integral Abutment Bridge with Consideration of Soil-Structure Interaction. Latin American Journal of Solids and Structures. (2020)
• Effect of nanocarbons on physical and mechanical properties of soils. In Carbon Nanomaterials for Agri-Food and Environmental Applications (pp. 459-485). Elsevier.
• Effect of Ultrasonic Treatment on Clay Micro Fabric Evaluation by Atomic Force Microscopy”. Elsevier Measurement. (2015)
• Performance of Loop Connection in Precast Concrete Walls Subjected to Lateral Loads”. International Journal of Civil Engineering. pp. 1-30. (2019)
• Fundamentals of Soil Stabilization”. International Journal of Geo-Engineering. (2017)
• California Bearing Ratio Tests of Enzyme-treated Sedimentary Residual Soil Show No Improvement”. Sains Malaysiana 46(8):1259-1267. (2017)
• Freeze–thaw performance of base course treated with carboxylated styrene butadiene Emulsion-Portland cement”. International Journal of Pavement Engineering (GPAV). pp. 1-9. (2016)