Skip to main content
Santa Clara University Homepage
Santa Clara University

School of Engineering

Department ofCivil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

Research

  1. Home
  2. School of Engineering
  3. Academic Programs
  4. Department of Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering
  5. Research

Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering faculty conduct research to support the planning, design, construction, and operation of civil infrastructure in a sustainable and efficient manner. These scholarly endeavors provide opportunities for our students to develop innovative and appropriate solutions to the serious challenges facing humanity in the context of finite nonrenewable resources, population growth, and climate impact.

Biography

Tracy Abbott is an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University. Previously, she worked for 15 years in industry as a structural engineer designing bridges, buildings, and a variety of unique structures. She holds professional Civil and Structural licenses in the state of California. Tracy received her Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1996 and her Masters degree in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, in 1997. She joined Santa Clara University in 2012.

Current Research Interests

N/A

Awards

N/A

Society Memberships and Service 

  1. American Society of Civil Engineers
  2. American Institute of Steel Construction
  3. Structural Engineers Association of Northern California

Professional Design Experience

  • San Francisco Bay Bridge, Self-Anchored Suspension Span
  • Highway 152-156 Interchange
  • Mary Avenue Pedestrian Cable-Stay Bridge, Cupertino
  • Bay Street Pedestrian Arch Bridge, Emeryville
  • Bay Street Retail and Movie Theater Buildings, Emeryville

Professional Registration

  • Registered Civil Engineer, State of California
  • Registered Structural Engineer, State of California

Courses Taught

  • CENG 43 Strength of Materials
  • CENG 137/237 Earthquake Engineering Design
  • CENG 231 Bridge Engineering
  • CENG 232 Masonry Engineering

Expertise: Structural engineering, design of buildings and bridges.

 

Biography

Mark Aschheim is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University. Previously, he was on the faculty of the University of Illinois, after receiving his doctoral, masters, and bachelors degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1995, 1992, and 1986, respectively.  Dr. Aschheim works in the area of earthquake-resistant structural engineering and green building materials.  His research has produced improved techniques for the design of earthquake-resistant structures and improved structural systems for resisting earthquake actions.  Dr. Aschheim has reported on the damage in past earthquakes in the US and abroad, and works to improve the practice of structural engineering through activities with the Applied Technology Council and participation on the Provisions Update Committee of the Building Seismic Safety Council.  Dr. Aschheim is a registered professional engineer in California.

Current Research Interests

Dr. Aschheim maintains a strong interest in performance-based earthquake engineering. He is developing techniques for performance-based seismic design and is developing improved structural systems made with conventional and more sustainable (green) building materials.

Recent Publications (through 2006)

1.    Gil-Martín, L. M., Hernández-Montes, E., Aschheim, M. (2010). “Optimization of piers for retaining walls,” Journal of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization 11(6):979-987.
2.    Šćepanović, B., Gil-Martín, L. M., Hernández-Montes, E., Aschheim, M., and Lučić, D. (2010). “Eccentrically Patch Loaded Steel I-Girders: Influence Of Patch Load Length On Ultimate Strength,” Journal of Constructional Steel Research 66(5):716-722.
3.    Syntzirma, D. V., Pantazopoulou, S. J., and Aschheim, M. (2010). “Load history effects on deformation capacity of flexural members limited by bar buckling,” Journal of Structural Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers. 136(1):1-11.
4.    Hernández Montes, E., Gil Martín, L. M., and Aschheim, M., (2010). “Pilotes Asimétricos para Contención de Tierras (Non-symmetrical Piers for Retaining Walls),” Revista de Obras Públicas (Journal of the Spanish Society of Civil Engineers). No. 3.508/Año 157.
5.    Lee, H. J., Aschheim, M., Hernández-Montes, E., and Gil-Martin, L. M. (2009). “Optimum RC Column Reinforcement Considering Multiple Load Combinations,” Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 39(2):153-170.
6.    Šćepanović B., Gil-Martín L. M., Hernández-Montes E., Aschheim M., and Lučić D. (2009). Ultimate Strength of I-Girders Under Eccentric Patch Loading: Derivation of a New Strength Reduction Coefficient, Engineering Structures, 31:1403-1413.
7.    Gil-Martín, L. M., Aschheim, M., and Hernández-Montes, E. (2008). “Proportioning of Steel Beam-Column Members Based on RSD Methodology,” Engineering Structures, 30(11):3003-3013.
8.    Aschheim, M., Hernández-Montes, E., and Gil-Martín, L.M. (2008). “Optimal Domains for Flexural and Axial Loading,” Structural Journal, American Concrete Institute, 105(6):720-728, Nov-Dec.  
I developed the concept and developed much of the manuscript, which is co-authored with colleagues at the University of Granada, Spain.
9.    Hernández-Montes, E., Gil-Martín, L. M., Pasadas-Fernández, M., and Aschheim, M. (2008). “Theorem of Optimal Reinforcement for Reinforced Concrete Cross Sections,” Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 36(5):509-521, Nov.
10.    Aschheim, M. A., Hernández-Montes, E., and Tjhin, T. (2008). Closure to Discussion of “Observations on the Reliability of Alternative Multiple-Mode Pushover Analysis Methods” by T. Tjhin, M. Aschheim, and E. Hernández-Montes, Journal of Structural Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, 134(9):1585-1586, Sep.
11.    Gil-Martín, L. M., Hernández-Montes, E., Aschheim, M., and Pantazopoulou, S. J. (2008). “Approximate Expressions for the Simulated Response of Slender Longitudinal Reinforcement in Monotonic Compression,” Magazine of Concrete Research, 60(6):391-397.
12.    Gil-Martín, L. M., Hernández-Montes, E., Aschheim, M., and Pantazopoulou, S. J. (2008). Discussion of paper entitled “Inelastic Buckling of Reinforcing Bars”, by S. Bae, A. Mieses, and O. Bayrak, Journal of Structural Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, 134(8):1398-1399.
13.    Aschheim, M., and Browning, J. (2008). “Influence of Cracking on Equivalent-SDOF Estimates of RC Frame Drift,” Journal of Structural Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, 134(3):511-517, Mar.
14.    Aschheim, M., Hernández-Montes, E., and Gil-Martín, L.M. (2008). “Design of Optimally-reinforced RC Beam, Column, and Wall Sections,” Journal of Structural Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, 134(2):231-239, Feb.
15.    Aschheim, M., Flanagan, S., Harlander, J., Pitt, C., Alfaro, A., Rivas, C., and Rodriguez, M. E. (2007). “Enhancing the Sustainability and Earthquake Resistance of Confined Masonry Dwellings: the Case of El Salvador,” Journal of Earthquake Engineering, 11:829-846.
16.    Aschheim, M., Maurer, E., and Browning, J. P. (2007). “Dependency of COD on Ground Motion Intensity and Stiffness Distribution,” Structural Engineering & Mechanics, 27(4):425-438, Nov.
17.    Tjhin, T., Aschheim, M., and Wallace, J. (2007). “Yield Displacement-Based Seismic Design of RC Wall Buildings,” Engineering Structures, 29:2946-2959.
18.    Aschheim, M., Hernández-Montes, E., and Gil-Martín, L.M. (2007). “Optimal Domains for Strength Design of Rectangular Sections for Axial Load and Moment According to Eurocode 2,” Engineering Structures, 29(8):1752-1760.
19.    Inel, M., Aschheim, M., and Pantazopoulou, S. (2007). “Seismic Deformation Capacity Indices for Concrete Columns: Model Estimates and Experimental Results,” Magazine of Concrete Research 59(4):297-310.
20.    Aschheim, M., Tjhin, T., Hamburger, R., Comartin, C., and Inel, M. (2007). “The Scaled Nonlinear Dynamic Procedure,” Engineering Structures, 29(7):1422-1441.
21.    Lee, H. J., Aschheim, M., and Kuchma, D. (2007). “Interstory Drift Estimates for Low-Rise Flexible Diaphragm Structures,” Engineering Structures, 29(7):1375-1397.
22.    Lee, H. J., Kuchma, D., and Aschheim, M. (2007). “Strength-Based Design of Flexible Diaphragms in Low-Rise Structures subjected to Earthquake Loading,” Engineering Structures, 29(7):1277-1295.  
23.    Parker, A., Aschheim, M., Mar, D., Hammer, M., and King, B. (2006). “Recommended Mesh Anchorage Details for Straw Bale Walls,” Journal of Green Building, 1(4):141-151.
24.    Gil-Martín, L. M., Hernández-Montes, E., Aschheim, M., and Pantazopoulou, S. J. (2006). “Slenderness Effects on the Simulated Response of Longitudinal Reinforcement in Monotonic Compression,” Structural Engineering and Mechanics, 23(4):369-386.
25.    Tjhin, T., Aschheim, M., and Hernández-Montes, E. (2006). “Observations on the Reliability of Alternative Multiple Mode Pushover Analysis Methods,” Journal of Structural Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, 132(3):471-477.
26.    Gil-Martín, L. M., Hernández-Montes, E., and Aschheim, M. (2006) “Optimal Design of Planar Frames Based on Stability Criterion Using First-Order Analysis,” Engineering Structures 28:1780-1786.
27.    Hernández-Montes, E., Gil-Martín, L. M., Pasadas-Fernández, M., and Aschheim, M. (2006). “El armado a flexión: del teorema de Ehlers a los diagramas de armado a flexion,” Hormigón y Acero, 241(3):95-105.  (in Spanish).

Awards 

  • Outstanding Paper Award, Ninth North American Masonry Conference, 2003.
  • NSF Career Award, 2000.
  • Regent's Scholar, University of California, 1988.

Society Memberships and Service:

1. Associate Editor, EERI Spectra
2. Secretary, ACI Committee 341: Earthquake Resistant Concrete Bridges
3. Member, ACI Committee 374: Performance-Based Seismic Design of Concrete Buildings
5. Member, ASCE-ACI Committee 445: Shear and Torsion
6. Member, ASCE Structural Engineering Institute: Sustainability Committee
7. Member, Structural Engineers' Association of California

Professional Registration:

Registered Civil Engineer, State of California.

Courses Taught

  • CENG 41 Statics
  • CENG 43 Mechanics of Materials
  • CENG 115 Civil Engineering Materials
  • CENG 135 Reinforced Concrete Design
  • CENG 136 Advanced Concrete Structures
  • CENG 137 Earthquake Engineering Design

Expertise: Earthquake-resistant structural engineering.

 

Biography

N/A

Current Research Interests

N/A

Recent Publications 

  • Chiesa, S.C., "Social Justice Issues in Civil/Public Works Engineering Projects," Explore (A quarterly examination of Catholic identity and Ignatian character in Jesuit higher education), 4 (1), pp. 11-16, 2000.
  • Chiesa, S.C., "Growth and Control of Filamentous Microbes in Wastewater Management Systems," in Biodegradation Technology Developments, Volume II, S.K. Sikdar and R.L. Irvine (eds.), Technomic Publishing Company, Lancaster, PA, pp. 1-34, 1998.

Awards 

  • Santa Clara University School of Engineering Outstanding Teaching Award, 2003
  • ASCE Outstanding Service Award / San Francisco Section, 2003
  • Santa Clara University Brutacao Teaching Award, 1996
  • ASCE Service Award / Student Chapter Advisor, multiple years
  • The University of Minnesota, Institute of Technology Outstanding Professor Award, 1986
  • The University of Minnesota, University Student-Alumni Association Citation of Merit, 1986

Courses Taught

  • CENG 115 Civil Engineering Materials
  • CENG 143 Environmental Engineering

Expertise: Environmental engineering, water supply and pollution control, biological processes for waste management.

 

Biography

Before coming to SCU, Laura was a post doctoral scholar for the John Muir Institute of the Environment at University of California, Davis where she used multi-dimensional models to examine the San Francisco Bay Delta system. She earned her masters and doctoral degrees at UC Davis and her undergraduate degree is from Loyola Marymount University. It was during her time at LMU that her desire to return to teach at a Jesuit University began. Dr. Doyl'es PhD research focused on the development of a three-dimensional water quality model which was applied to the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel section of the San Francisco Bay Delta. The purpose of the model was to investigate transportation processes that contribute to low dissolved oxygen concentrations in the channel.

Current Research Interests

Dr. Doyle's research interests include using complex hydrodynamic and water quality models to investigate how to manage fragile and failing estuarine ecosystems to meet the increasing human demands but simultaneously maintain native ecology. She focuses on systems in California.

Recent Publications

1. Doyle, Laura, William Fleenor, Jay Lund.  "Modeling insights on effects of flooded island depth and configuration on phytoplankton production for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta".  Submitted to San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science Online Journal.

2. Doyle, Laura, William Fleenor, Jay Lund. 2010. "Modeling insights on effects of flooded island depth and configuration on phytoplankton production for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta." Bay Delta Science Conference, Sacramento, CA. Abstract accepted.

3. Doyle, Laura, William Fleenor, Francisco Rueda, Geoff Schladow. 2010. "Mixing, transport and oxygen dynamics of a tidally driven freshwater system of channels." Bay Delta Science Conference, Sacrament, CA. Abstract accepted.

4. Doyle, L., Durand, J., Fleenor, W. 2010. "Physical drivers of biological productivity following levee breaches on islands in the Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta. California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum, Pacific Grove, CA. Abstract accepted.

5. Doyle, l., Durand, J., Fleenor, Moyle, P. 2009. "Flooded island ecosystems: physical drivers of biological productivity following levee breaches on Delta island. State of the Estuary Conference, Oakland, CA. Abstract accepted.

6. Monismith, Steven, Hench, Jim, Fonk, Derek, Nidzieko, Nick, Fleenor, William, Doyle, Laura, Schladow, Geoff. 2008. "Thermal Variability in a Tidal River". Estuaries and Coasts. 32(1); 100 - 110.

Awards 

  • Donald W. Pritchard Award for Estuaries and Coasts Geophysics Paper, 2011
  • Presidential Citation, Loyola Marymount University, April 2003
  • Outstanding Engineering Scholar, Loyola Marymount University, April 2003

Society Memberships and Service:

Member, Society of Women Engineers
Member, California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum

Courses Taught

  • CENG 10 Surveying
  • CENG 15 Computer Applications in CENG
  • CENG 41 Mechanics I: Statics
  • CENG 140 Water Resources Engineering

Expertise: Engineering education, water supply, management and quality in California.

 

Biography

N/A

Current Research Interests

Transportation network modeling, OD demand estimation and forecasting, and Personal Navigation Systems.

Recent Publications 

  • Zhang, X., He, R.,Shi, Q.,Ban, J., andRan, B.(2013).”Critical Traffic Control Locations for Emergency Evacuation.”ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering,139(10), 1030–1038.

Awards

N /A

Courses Taught

  • CENG 10 Surveying
  • CENG 125 Municipal Engineering
  • CENG 145 Transportation Engineering
  • CENG 149 Civil Systems Engineering
  • CENG 150/250 Traffic Engineering
  • CENG 151 Special Topics in Transportation Engineering
 

Expertise: Intelligent transportation systems, transportation network modeling, traffic simulation and analysis.

 

Biography

Edwin Maurer holds a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Rhode Island, a Masters in Civil Engineering (Water Resources) from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington. He joined the faculty of the SCU Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering Department in September 2003. His general areas of expertise are in water resources and hydrologic modeling. His past experience includes work in municipal water supply and wastewater engineering, climate change studies, water resources studies in support of western tribal water rights, and rural community water supply projects in Peru. His most recent research is in simulating large scale hydrologic dynamics, looking for potential improvements in long-lead forecasting, and studying regional hydrologic effects of climate change.

Current Research Interests

Impacts of climate change on water resources, large-scale hydrologic variability, and predictability, effect land-use changes on streamflow, parameterization of land surface characteristics in hydrology.

Recent Publications

  • Maurer, E.P. and D.P. Lettenmaier, 2003, Predictability of seasonal runoff in the Mississippi River basin, J. Geophys. Res. 108 (D16) 8607 doi:10.1029/2002JD002555.
  • Ziegler, A.D., J. Sheffield, E.P. Maurer, B. Nijssen, E.F. Wood, and D.P. Lettenmaier, 2003, Detection of intensification of continental-scale hydrological cycles: temporal scale of evaluation, J. Climate 16, 535-547.
  • Maurer, E.P., J. Rhoads, R.O. Dubayah, and D.P. Lettenmaier, 2003, Evaluation of the Snow-Covered Area Data Product from MODIS, Hydrological Processes 17(1), 59-71, doi:10.1002/hyp.1193.
  • Maurer, E.P., A.W. Wood, J.C. Adam, D.P. Lettenmaier, and B. Nijssen, 2002, A long-term land surface hydrologic data set for the conterminous United States, J. Climate 15(22), 3237-3251.
  • Maurer, E.P., S. Gibbard, and P.B. Duffy, 2006, Amplification of streamflow impacts of El Niño by increased atmospheric greenhouse gases, Geophysical Research Letters Vol. 33, No. 2 L0270710.1029/2005GL025100.
  • Maurer, E.P. and P.B. Duffy, 2005, Uncertainty in Projections of Streamflow Changes due to Climate Change in California, Geophys. Res. Let. 32(3), L03704 doi:10.1029/2004GL021462.
  • Maurer, E.P. and D.P. Lettenmaier, 2004, Potential effects of long-lead hydrologic predictability on Missouri River main-stem reservoirs, J. Climate 17(1), 147-186.
  • Maurer, E.P., D.P. Lettenmaier, and N.J. Mantua, 2004, Variability and predictability of North American runoff, Water Resour. Res. 40(9), W09306 doi: 10.1029/2003WR002789.
  • Maurer, E.P., 2007, Uncertainty in hydrologic impacts of climate change in the Sierra Nevada, California under two emissions scenarios, Climatic Change, Vol. 82, No. 3-4, 309-32.
  • Maurer, E.P., I.T. Stewart, C. Bonfils, P.B. Duffy, and D. Cayan, 2007, Detection, attribution, and sensitivity of trends toward earlier streamflow in the Sierra Nevada, Journal of Geophysical Research 112, D11118, doi:10.1029/2006JD008088.
  • Maurer, E.P., H.G. Hidalgo, T. Das, M.D. Dettinger, and D.R. Cayan, 2010, The utility of daily large-scale climate data in the assessment of climate change impacts on daily streamflow in California, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 14, 1125-1138Girvetz, E., Zganjar, C, Raber, G., Maurer, E.P., Kareiva, P., Lawler, J.J., 2009, Applied climate-change analysis: The Climate Wizard Tool, PLoS ONE 4(12): e8320. 
  • Maurer, E.P., J.C. Adam, and A.W. Wood, 2009, Climate model-based consensus on the hydrologic impacts of climate change to the Rio Lempa basin of Central America, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 13, 183-194
  • Girvetz, E., Zganjar, C, Raber, G., Maurer, E.P., Kareiva, P., Lawler, J.J., 2009, Applied climate-change analysis: The Climate Wizard Tool, PLoS ONE 4(12): e8320.

Awards

  • University Fellowship, University of California at Berkeley, 1988-89
  • Phi Kappa Phi honor society, University of Rhode Island chapter, 1985
  • Graduation with High Distinction, University of Rhode Island, 1985
  • Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, University of Rhode Island chapter, 1983
  • Packard Fellowship, Santa Clara University, 2004-05
  • School of Engineering Researcher of the Year, 2009

Courses Taught

  • CENG 41 Statics
  • CENG 139/259 Groundwater Hydrology
  • CENG 141 Hydraulics
  • CENG 140 Water Resources Engineering
  • CENG 142/242 Water Resources Design
  • CENG 160/260 GIS in Water Resources
  • CENG 161 Sustainable Water Resources
  • CENG 162/262 Computational Water Resources

Expertise: Hydrology, water resources, hydrologic modeling.

 

Biography

Tonya Nilsson is a full-time lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University.  Previously, she was on the faculty at California State University, Chico where she was a tenured Associate Professor.  Dr. Nilsson has her Professional License and has worked in industry on structural engineering projects.  She received her Bachelors in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 1991, her Masters in Structural Engineering from Stanford University in 1993, and her Ph.D. in Structural Mechanics from University of California at Davis in 2002.  Her Ph.D. research focused on the development of new material properties to model crack propagation on ductile materials.  Dr. Nilsson has a strong interest in engineering education and worked for eight years with ASCE's ExCEED Teaching Workshops to train other engineering faculty on effective teaching methods and served for four years on the national ASCE, Committee on Faculty Development.  She is also a member of  School of  Engineering's NSF "Engage" team.

Current Research Interests

Dr. Nilsson maintains a strong interest in pedagogy in the classroom and the development of hands-on, interactive learning methods in Strength of Materials.  She is also interested in construction methods to mitigate damage during seismic and high-wind events in structures built with non-conventional materials and construction methods.

Recent Publications

Nilsson, T; Aschheim, M; King, B; "Ecological Building:  Recycled and Low CO2 Materials for Low-Cost, Earthquake-Resistant Housing in Haiti", 13th International Conference on Non-conventional Materials and Technologies, September 2011, abstract accepted. 

Estes, A.; Welch, R.; Ressler, S.; Dennis, N.; Larson, D.; Considine, C.; Nilsson, T; O'Neill, R; O'Brien, J. and Lenox, T.; "Ten Years of ExCEEd:  Making a Difference in the Profession", International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol 26-1, 2010

Emerson, T., "Minds in Motion – An event to engage K-12 in Science, Math, Technology, and Engineering", American Society of Engineering Education Conference Proceedings, Portland, OR, June 2005 

Emerson, T. and Ward, M., "Students Are Leaving Engineering Curriculums; Can Our Educational Approach Stop This?", American Society of Engineering Education Conference Proceedings, Portland, OR, June 2005

Emerson, T. and Mills, R., "Student Chapters – An Adjunct to Engineering Education", American Society of Engineering Education Conference Proceedings, Nashville, TN, June 2003 – Winner of the Gerald R. Seeley ASEE Fellow

Emerson, T., "Enhancing Students' Understanding of Key Engineering Concepts Through the Use of Civil Engineering Toys in the Classroom", American Society of Engineering Education Conference Proceedings, Montreal, Canada, June 2002 – Winner of the Glen L. Martin Best Paper Award

Awards 

  • First recipient of the student awarded Outstanding College of Engineering Community Member -  Fall 2005 at California State University, Chico.
  • Professional Achievement Honors – California State University, Chico – 2005
  • Gerald R. Seeley ASEE Fellow – ASEE 2003 Conference - for outstanding paper submitted by junior faculty
  • Awarded Glen L. Martin Best Paper Award for the Civil Engineering Division of ASEE – 2002 Conference
  • ExCEEd Fellow – American Society of Civil Engineers – 2002
  • Department of Energy Fellowship – Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, 1999-2001

Society Memberships and Service

  1. Member ASEE
  2. Member ASCE – Educational Activities – CFD committee 2006-2009

Professional Registration

Registered Civil Engineer, State of California.

Courses Taught

  • CENG 7 Graphic Communication
  • CENG 41 Statics
  • CENG 43 Mechanics of Materials
  • CENG 115 Civil Engineering Materials
  • CENG 121 Soil Mechanics
  • CENG 213 Sustainable Materials

At other institutions:
Foundation Engineering, Structural Analysis, Computer Applications in Engineering. Steel Design for Architects, 2-D & 3-D Computer Modeling of Structures.

Expertise: Engineering education, sustainable materials in structural engineering.

 

Biography

Hisham Said is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering at Santa Clara University. Before joining SCU in January 2012, he was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. Dr. Said holds bachelors and masters degrees from Cairo University in Egypt, and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to his academic background, Dr. Said has experience in the building industry both as structural engineer and contract administrator. Dr. Said's research interests include developing optimization and simulation models for modular construction production management, construction logistics planning, sustainable supply chain management, and sustainable development and resiliency of critical infrastructure systems.

Current Research Interests

Dr. Said's research interests are directed to improve the efficiency of construction operations and sustainable development of our built environment. He is developing new decision making and simulation models to optimize the planning and control of construction production processes, construction logistics, green building projects, and sustainable infrastructure development and management.    

Recent Publications

1.    Said H., El-Rayes K. (2013). "Optimal Utilization of Interior Building Spaces for material Procurement and Storage in Congested Construction Sites." Journal of Automation in Construction, Elsevier, 31, 292-306.

2.    Su X., Cai H., Said H., and Kandil A. (2012). "GIS-Based Dynamic Construction Site material Layout Evaluation for Building Renovation Projects Automation in Construction." Automation in Construction, Elsevier, 27, 40-49. 

3.    Said H., Kandil A., and Cai H. (2012). "Agent-Based Simulation of Labor Emergency Evacuation in High-Rise Building Construction Sites." Construction Research Congress (CRC), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), May 21-23, West Lafayette, IN. 

4.    Jeerangsuwan T., Said H., Kandil A., Ukkusuri S. (2012). "Optimization Application for Financial Viability Evaluation of PPP Toll Road Projects." Construction Research Congress (CRC), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), May 21-23, West Lafayette, IN.

5.    Said, H., El-Rayes, K. (2010). "Optimizing Material Procurement and Storage on Construction Sites." Construction Engineering and Management, ASCE, 137(6), 421 – 431.

6.    Said, H., El-Rayes, K. (2010). "Optimizing the Planning of Construction Site Security for Critical Infrastructure Systems." Automation in Construction, Elsevier, 19(2), 221 - 234.

7.    Said, H., and El-Rayes, K. (2010). "Optimizing Material Logistics Planning in Construction Projects." Construction Research Congress, Construction Institute (CI), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Banff, Alberta, Canada.

8.    El-Rayes, K., Said, H. (2009). "Dynamic Site Layout Planning using Approximate Dynamic Programming." Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, ASCE, 23(2), 119 - 127.

9.    Said, H., Marzouk, M., and El-Said, M. (2009) "Application of Computer Simulation to Bridge Deck Construction: Case Study." Automation in Construction, Elsevier, 18(4), 377 - 385.

10.    Marzouk, M., Said, H., and El-Said, M. (2009) "A framework for multi-objective optimization of launching girder bridges." Construction Engineering and Management, ASCE, 135(8), 791 – 800.

11.    El-Rayes, K., Said, H. (2009) "Global Optimization of Dynamic Site Layout Planning in Construction Projects." Construction Research Congress (CRC) Conference, Construction Institute (CI), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Seattle, WA, USA.

12.    Marzouk, M., Said, H., and El-Said, M. (2008). "Special Purpose Simulation Model for Balanced Cantilever Bridges." Journal of Bridge Engineering, ASCE, 13(2), 122-131.  

13.    Marzouk, M., Zein, H., Elsaid, M. (2006) "Bridge_Sim: Framework for Planning and Optimizing Bridge Deck Construction Using Computer Simulation." Proceedings of the 2006 Winter Simulation Conference, Monterey, CA, USA. 

Society Memberships and Service

  • Co-chair, Construction Planning, Control, and Risk Management Track, Construction Research Congress, West Lafayette, IN, 2012.
  • Associate Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
  • Member, Organizing Committee, First Global Leadership Forum for Construction Engineering and Management Program, West Lafayette, IN, March 20-22, 2011.
  • Member, Career Services Council, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2009 – 2010).
  • Reviewer, Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, ASCE (2009 - present).
  • Reviewer, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, ASCE (2007 - present).
  •  Reviewer, Journal of Automation in Construction, Elsevier (2007 - present).
  • Reviewer, Construction Research Congress, Seattle, WA, April 2009.

Awards

  • ELECTRI International Early Career Award 2013, Research project Title: Industrialization of Electrical Contracting: Supply Chain and Logistics Management. 
  • Best Paper Award, Construction Research Congress 2012, for paper: "Optimal Material Logistics Planning in Congested Construction Sites."
  • ASCE ExCEEd Fellowship, American Society of Civil Engineers (2012)
  • Eminent Engineer Honor, Order of the Engineer, SCU Chapter (May 2012) http://www.order-of-the-engineer.org 
  • AAAEA Student Scholarship (2008 and 2009), Chicago, Illinois.
  • CAPSCU Award for Distinguished Post-Graduates (2008), Cairo University, Egypt.
  • Undergraduate Excellence Award (2003). Cairo University, Egypt.

Courses Taught

  • CENG 41 Statics
  • CENG 43 Strength of Materials
  • CENG 128/208 Engineering Economics and Business
  • CENG 184/284 Construction Administration
  • CENG 186/286 Construction Planning and Control
  • CENG 187/287 Construction Operations and Equipment
  • CENG 288 Engineering Decision and Risk Analysis

Expertise: Construction management and process modeling, sustainable built environment, infrastructure management.

 

Biography

Dr. Serrette joined the SCU faculty in 1991 and founded the Light Gauge Steel Research Group (LGSRG), currently the Center for Light Frame Structural Research (CLSFR), in 1994. Work conducted by the LGSRG/CLSFR has contributed to the design provisions for cold-formed steel structures and the development of several innovative light frame products. In addition to his research professional activities, Dr. Serrette is a past president of the Light Gauge Steel Engineers Association (currently, the Cold Formed Steel Engineering Institute) and serves as a faculty advisor to the National Society of Black Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers student chapters.

Current Research Interests

His current interests are in the area of performance-based seismic resistant design of light frame structures, and sustainable, innovative and affordable design of residential and institutional structures. He has an emerging interest in methodologies for evaluation the environmental performance of construction materials.

Recent Publications

  • Serrette, R. and Peyton, D. (2009).  Strength of Screw Connections in Cold-Formed Steel Construction. American Society of Civil Engineers, Journal of Structural Engineering, Reston, VA, August, pp. 951-958.

  • Serrette, R. and Nolan, D. (2009).  Reversed Cyclic Performance of Shear Walls with Wood Panels Attached to Cold-Formed Steel with Pins, American Society of Civil Engineers, Journal of Structural Engineering, Reston, VA, pp. 959-967.

  • Serrette, R (2008).  Estimating the Effective Yield Strength of Cold-Formed Steel Light-Frame Shear Walls.  Proceedings from the 19th International Specialty Conference on Cold-Formed Steel Structures, St. Louis, MO, October, pp. 457-470.

  • Serrette, R. (2008).  Qualifications for Equivalence:  An Illustration and Discussion of New Seismic Evaluation Provisions. NCSEA/CASE/SEI, STRUCTURE Magazine, August, pp. 19-23.

  • Serrette, R. (2003). Proposed Acceptance Criteria for Shear Wall Assemblies Consisting of Wood Structural Panel Sheathing Attached to Cold-Formed Steel Framing with Pneumatic- or Gas-power-driven Pin Fasteners. ICC-ES AC230, International Code Council, Whittier, CA, October.

  • Serrette, R., et. Chau, K., (2003) Performance of Deep Leg L-Headers. Research report No. CLSFR 01-7/03, Center for Light Frame Structural Research, Santa Clara, CA, July.

  • Serrette, R., et. al., (2002) Performance of Cold-Formed Steel-Framed Shear Walls: Alternative Configurations. Research report No. LGSRG-06-02, Light Gauge Steel Research Group, Santa Clara, CA, June.

  • Serrette, R., et. al., (2002) Adhesive Applications for Shear Walls: A Pilot Study. Research report No. CLSFR-12-02, Center for Light Frame Structural Research, Santa Clara, CA, December.

  • Serrette, R., et. al., (2002) Performance of Wood Framed Shear Walls with Non-wood Structural Panels. Research report No. LGSRG-2-02, Light Gauge Steel Research Group, Santa Clara University, CA, April.

Awards

  • Santa Clara University Packard Mentor/Scholar Professor: 1998-2002

  • Santa Clara University School of Engineering Research of the Year, 2001

  • Santa Clara University President's Recognition Award, 2000

Courses Taught

  • CENG 43 Strength of Materials Structural Analysis

  • CENG 44A/44B Strength of Materials I/II

  • CENG 143 Structural Steel Design

  • CENG 146/246 Cold-Formed Steel Design

  • CENG 234 Structural Steel Design II

Expertise: Light-framed construction and design, seismic resistant design, steel structures.

 

Biography

N/A

Current Research Interests

N/A

Recent Publications 

  • Singh, S., "A Critical Examination of Dynamic Shear Modulus vs Shear Strain Relationships for Municipal Solid Waste", Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Civil and Structural Engineering Computing, September 13, 1999, Oxford, England.
  • Madabhushi, S.P.G. and Singh, S. "Centrifuge Modelling of Seismic behavior of Waste Containment Systems.  Centrifuge Test SC-3: A Brief Report.  University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1999.
  • Madabhushi, S.P.G. and Singh, S. "Integrity of landfill liners following earthquake loading."  International Symposium on Physical Modelling and Testing in Environmental Engineering Conference, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, 1999.
  • Madabhushi, S.P.G. and Singh, S. "Integrity of landfill liners following earthquake loading."  International Symposium on Physical Modelling and Testing in Environmental Geotechnics, La Baule, France, May, 2000.
  • Singh, Sukhmander.  "Dynamic Strength Characteristics of Municipal Solid Waste."  Proceedings of 4th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics, ISSMGE, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August, 2002.

Awards 

  • Researcher of the Year Award (1997)
  • Distinguished Alumni Award (1997)
  • Special Recognition Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Service (1996)
  • Visiting Professor on sabbatical at Cambridge University, England (1997 & 2003)
  • Co-Chairman, ASCE Soil Dynamics Committee Session, San Francisco (1978)
  • Citizen of the Day Award given by KABL radio station, San Francisco, California (1977)
  • Special Certificate Award from Alyeska Pipeline Company for Contributions as Project Engineer (1976)
  • Outstanding Immigrant Award (1977)
  • Scholarship for M.S. studies (1964-1966)
  • Gold Medal for M.S. thesis (1967)

Courses Taught

  • CENG 20 Geology
  • CENG 121 Geotechnical Engineering
  • CENG 138/238 Geotechnical Engineering Design

Expertise: Geotechnical engineering, liquefaction of silts, stability of sanitary landfills.

 

Contact Us

Chair:  Ed Maurer
Senior Administrative Assistant: Melanie Massie

Department of Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053

Heafey-Bergin, Bldg. 202

(408) 554-4061