Professor Reza Foruzanmehr, PhD, P.Eng.

I received my Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Sherbrooke, Québec. After completing my doctoral studies in 2016, I joined the Centre for Innovation in Technological Ecodesign (CITÉ) in Granby, Québec, as a research coordinator. In January 2018, I joined the University of Ottawa, where I teach Civil Engineering materials-related courses and conduct research in the Department of Civil Engineering. 

Development of sustainable and advanced building materials using biomass.

My research interests center on the development of sustainable building materials using local natural resources. My research currently focuses on surface and bulk modifications of natural fibers to improve their performance in polymeric and cementitious composites for building applications. I believe that one of the feasible ways to achieve sustainable construction is to use building materials with less embodied energy. This will help in reducing Canada's escalating greenhouse gas emissions from the building materials manufacturing industry, which is currently responsible for six percent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions.

Determining the materials properties through macro-, micro-, and nano-scale characterizations.

Everything we use in everyday life or for engineering applications is made of materials or a combination of materials. Engineering materials are subcategorized into metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Engineers are responsible for the fabrication, selection, and quality control of materials to develop technologies with higher efficiency. Therefore, the determination of materials properties, in other words, material characterization, is one of the essential responsibilities of engineers in the development of advanced technologies.

Material characterization applies fundamental physics and chemistry principles to reveal the structure of materials at all relevant scales (macro-, micro-, or nano-scale) and understand how the structure determines the properties of materials.

Promoting sustainable development is privileging the use of locally sourced raw materials and empowering our communities.

I hope that my research results may empower communities in Canada's North to become more self-sufficient and sustainable by decreasing dependence on building materials that often need to be flown in at a great expense. I believe that ensuring social and economic independence is the most important goal of sustainable development. Hence, my research program aims to provide remote communities with a means to create, locally, the materials needed to build and repair homes to become more socially and economically independent.

SUSTAINABILITY

noun /səˌsteɪ.nəˈbɪl.ə.t̬i/

"the idea that goods and services should be produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment"

Definition of sustainability from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press

"the quality of being able to continue over a period of time: the long-term sustainability of the community"

Definition of sustainability from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press

Foruzanmehr Research, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, 161 Louis Pasteur St. (CBY), Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, CANADA
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