On Tuesday 18th July, a seminar entitled “Shape Memory Alloy (SMA)-based Seismically Resilient Civil Infrastructure” will be held in Aula Magna (Building 1 – piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32) by Shahria Alam, Professor of Civil Engineering at the ‘University of British Columbia (UBC).

Abstract 

Shape memory alloy (SMA) is a special kind of material that can undergo large deformations and return to its undeformed shape through stress removal (superelasticity) or heating (shape memory effect). Its distinct thermomechanical properties and flag-shaped hysteresis make SMA an ideal contender for the development of various novel and resilient structural components against seismic hazards. Different types of SMAs are available in the market (e.g., Ni-Ti, Cu- and Fe-based SMAs) in various forms (e.g., wires, round bars, plates, cables, etc). This presentation will review selected past efforts that have contributed to the enhancement of seismic resilience for buildings and bridges by utilizing SMAs in beam-column connections, bracings, dampers/isolators, etc, and outline some of the technical and non-technical issues that need to be addressed in the future. Although the high cost of SMAs is still limiting their wide use, research investigating their production and processing will make them more cost-competitive. It is expected that SMAs will emerge as an essential material in the construction industry in the near future to build more resilient civil infrastructure. 

Speaker’s biosketch 

Dr. Shahria Alam is a Professor of Civil Engineering and the Tier 1 Principal’s Research Chair in Resilient & Green Infrastructure in the School of Engineering at The University of British Columbia (UBC)’s Okanagan campus. He is serving as the Director of the Green Construction Research & Training Center (GCRTC) at UBC. Dr. Alam is the Vice President (Technical Programs) of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE). Previously, he served as the Chair of the Engineering Mechanics and Materials Division of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) from 2017 to 2023. He received his PhD in Civil/Structural Engineering from Western University in 2008. His research interests include smart and recycled materials and their structural engineering applications. He has published about 400 peer-reviewed articles in these areas. He is the recipient of many national and international awards including three best paper awards. Dr. Alam serves as an Associate Editor of ASCE’s Journal of Bridge Engineering and Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, and Engineering Structures of Elsevier. He is also serving in various code committees and currently serving as the Chair of the ASCE-ACI 441 Reinforced Concrete Column Committee.