Mahdi Kioumarsi

• Aloisio, Angelo; Salehi, Mohammadreza; Skarseth, Andreas Sandnes; Berge, Håvard Bolstad; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Ussher, Ebenezer (2026). Probabilistic Vibration Screening Chart for Square Pinned-Edge CLT Floors Under Random Walking Excitation. Advances in Civil Engineering. ISSN 1687-8086. 2026(1). doi: 10.1155/adce/7006662.
• Safhi, Amine el Mahdi; Mejjad, Nezha; Ghribi, Mounir; Pilehvar, Shima & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2026). Benchmarking sustainable blue economy in Canada and Norway: A comparative KPI-based assessment. Marine Policy. ISSN 0308-597X. 195. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2026.107298. Full text in Research Archive
• Vakili, Amirhosein; Qureshi, Mohammad Haseeb; Nawaz, Sarosh Raja; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (2026). Experimental Investigation of Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete Shear Walls of Various Height-To-Length Ratios. Journal of Structural Engineering. ISSN 0733-9445. 152(9). doi: 10.1061/JSENDH.STENG-16093. Full text in Research Archive
• Bellei, Poliana; Magalhães, Fernanda Caroline; Mendes, Maria Paula; Silva, Rui Vasco; Pereira, Manuel Francisco Costa & Dias, Ana Paula Soares [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2026). Survey Dataset Supporting Blue Circular Economy Strategies for Bivalve Shell Waste Valorisation. Data in Brief. 67, p. 1–8. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2026.112929. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The circular economy advocates for a fundamental shift, focusing on the reuse, recycling, and valorization of waste to keep materials in use for as long as possible, thereby reducing the need for new resources and minimizing waste. In this context, the concept of the Blue Circular Economy emerges, emphasizing the preservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal resources. This paper presents and explains a dataset collected through a survey administered in two regions: Algarve-Portugal, and Oslo-Norway. The aim was to address the existing data gap on the production, consumption, and disposal of bivalve shells from aquaculture, as well as to assess stakeholders' perceptions of the reuse and circularity of products. In Portugal, data collection focused on analyzing the mollusk supply chain in the Algarve region and assessing the potential for oyster shell reuse within the country. In Norway, data collection targeted the construction industry and academia to understand their perspectives on the reuse of shells in building applications. The dataset comprises responses from 112 voluntary participants from different countries, categorized into three main groups. The questions addressed the quantity of bivalves produced and consumed, shell disposal practices, perceptions regarding the potential reuse of this waste, and the level of awareness of public policies promoting circular economy strategies. Upon completion of the survey, respondents were given the opportunity to receive a summary of the study findings by voluntarily providing their e-mail address in a designated field of the survey. The dataset integrates quantitative data from online and local face-to-face surveys across different groups. This dataset provides a valuable resource for stakeholders in the aquaculture and construction sectors seeking to explore the potential of this biomaterial to valorise waste into innovative products, as well as for public authorities aiming to support the transition towards a circular economy.

• Aliyari, Mostafa; Safhi, Amine el Mahdi; Pilehvar, Shima; Nehdi, Moncef L. & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2026). High-fidelity data-driven multi-objective design of class F fly ash–geopolymer concrete. Powder Technology. ISSN 0032-5910. 469(2). doi: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121900. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Class F fly-ash geopolymers (FA-GPCs) can slash the CO₂ burden of structural concrete, yet their mix design still relies on costly trial-and-error. The first geometry-normalized database of FA-only geopolymer concretes was assembled—799 mixes from 67 publications, every reported strength converted to the 150 Ø 300 mm cylinder equivalent—and interrogate it with a three-scenario, data-availability workflow. Eighteen machine-, deep- and hybrid-learning models are benchmarked; a Voting ensemble predicts 7–28 days compressive strength with an R2 of 0.962, while an LSTM + XGBoost hybrid forecasts mix-specific CO₂ footprints at an R2 of 0.996. SHAP analysis reveals that the Si/Al ratio and initial curing temperature dominate early-age strength, whereas total Na₂SiO₃/NaOH and Na₂O/binder ratios control embodied carbon, underscoring an inherent strength–footprint trade-off. These surrogate models feed a multi-objective optimizer (NSGA-II, confirmed superior to NSGA-III and MOEA/D) that explores the 1st–99th-percentile bounds of 11 mix variables. The resulting Pareto fronts deliver eco-efficient recipes reaching 65 MPa at ≤30 kg CO₂/m3 (at 90-d curing age) and extend to 87 MPa under relaxed carbon targets. Compared with state-of-the-art optimization that rely on mixed precursors or un-normalized data, the proposed pipeline widens the design space, lifts strength by 10–20 MPa and trims CO₂ by up to 70 %. The framework— in this order: data curation, geometry correction, scenario-specific ML, evolutionary optimization—cuts trial batching efforts and offers practitioners ready-to-deploy, class F FA-GPC mixtures while providing a transparent template for other alkali-activated binders which was confirmed by an experimental validation.

• Zri, Abdeljalil; Abriak, Nor-Edine; Safhi, Amine el Mahdi; Pilehvar, Shima & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2025). Performance Limits of Hydraulic-Binder Stabilization for Dredged Sediments: Comparative Case Studies. Buildings. 15(14). doi: 10.3390/buildings15142484. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Maintenance dredging produces large volumes of fine sediments that are commonly discarded, despite increasing pressure for beneficial reuse. Lime–cement stabilization offers one pathway, yet field performance is highly variable. This study juxtaposes two French marine dredged sediments—DS-F (low plasticity, organic matter (OM) ≈ 2 wt.%) and DS-M (high plasticity, OM ≈ 18 wt.%)—treated with practical hydraulic road binder (HRB) dosages. This is the first French study that directly contrasts two different DS types under identical HRB treatment and proposes practical boundary thresholds. Physical indexes (particle size, methylene-blue value, Atterberg limits, OM) were measured; mixtures were compacted (Modified Proctor) and tested for immediate bearing index (IBI). IBI, unconfined compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, and elastic modulus were determined. DS-F reached IBI ≈ 90–125%, UCS ≈ 4.7–5.9 MPa, and ITS ≈ 0.40–0.47 MPa with only 6–8 wt.% HRB, satisfying LCPC-SETRA class S2–S3 requirements for road subgrades. DS-M never exceeded IBI ≈ 8%, despite 3 wt.% lime + 6 wt.% cement. A decision matrix distilled from these cases and recent literature shows that successful stabilization requires MBV < 3 g/100 g, plastic index < 25%, OM < 7 wt.%, and fine particles < 35%. These thresholds permit rapid screening of dredged lots before costly treatment. Highlighting both positive and negative evidence clarifies the realistic performance envelope of soil–cement reuse and supports circular-economy management of DS.

• Safhi, Amine el Mahdi; Aliyari, Mostafa; Pilehvar, Shima; Nehdi, Moncef & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2025). Systematic data-driven meta-analysis of class F fly-ash geopolymer concrete. Open Ceramics. 24. doi: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100861. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Geometry-dependent strength reporting has hindered reliable design of Class F fly-ash geopolymer concrete (FA-GPC). In this study, compressive-strength (CS) results from about 800 mixtures were normalized to the reference 150Ø300 mm cylinder, permitting direct cross-comparison of specimen geometries extracted from 67 peer-reviewed papers. The harmonized dataset bundles oxide chemistry, mix proportions, activator composition, curing schedules, fresh-state metrics, multi-age strengths, and cradle-to-gate CO₂ inventories. Normalized CS across 1–365 days spans 5.8–85.0 MPa, and CO₂ intensities range 66–895 kg CO₂/m³ (mean 160 ± 91). Data mining isolates practical activation windows—NaOH 10–12 M, silica modulus 1.5–2.3, curing ≤ 75 °C—that consistently deliver 28-d CS ≥ 50 MPa at ∼160 kg CO₂/m³. Compared to strength-matched OPC concretes, these mixes reduce embodied carbon by ∼45–55 % (median ≈ 50 %). Strength–carbon design maps and the open dataset enable practitioners to target structural classes under explicit CO₂ budgets and provide a reproducible springboard for machine learning-based prediction, life-cycle assessment, and optimization of alkali-activated concretes and geopolymers.

• Nia, Saeed Bozorgmehr; Nyland, Anette; Wivast, Jennifer; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (2025). Investigations of portland limestone cement and waste glass powder for sustainable ultra-high performance concrete. Case Studies in Construction Materials. 22. doi: 10.1016/j.cscm.2025.e04425. Full text in Research Archive
• Ahmadi, Masoud & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2025). Predicting the elastic modulus of normal and high strength concretes using hybrid ANN-PSO. Materials Today: Proceedings. doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2023.03.178. Full text in Research Archive
• Farahzadi, Leila; Nia, Saeed Bozorgmehr; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2025). Sustainability assessment of ultra-high performance concrete made with various supplementary cementitious materials. Cleaner Materials. 15. doi: 10.1016/j.clema.2025.100301. Full text in Research Archive
• Najafi, Leila Haj; Kheyroddin, Ali & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2025). Reliability assessment of unreinforced masonry buildings using fragility curves for collapse and non-collapse scenarios. Journal of Building Engineering. ISSN 2352-7102. 101. doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2025.111884. Full text in Research Archive
• Farahzadi, Leila; Odeh, Ibrahim; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (2025). Automated image-based condition assessment of the built environment: A state-of-the-art investigation of damage characteristics and detection requirements. Results in Engineering (RINENG). 26. doi: 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.104978. Full text in Research Archive
• Safhi, Amine el Mahdi; Pilehvar, Shima & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2025). Review of advances and challenges in alkali-activated materials from dredged sediments. Open Ceramics. 23. doi: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100824. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Dredging worldwide generates over 1 billion m³ of sediments annually, creating disposal and environmental challenges. Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) offer a circular pathway by converting dredged sediments (DS) into sustainable binders and aggregates. This review synthesizes 32 studies on DS-based AAMs, detailing sediments chemistry, pretreatment routes, mix-design strategies, performance, and field cases. Calcination or mechanochemical activation elevates DS reactivity, producing binders that achieve 28-day compressive strengths of 15–40 MPa and durable matrices resistant to sulfate, freeze–thaw, and carbonation. Processed DS sands can fully or partially replace natural fine aggregates while maintaining ≥25 MPa concrete strength. AAM matrices immobilize heavy metals, keeping leachate below inert-waste thresholds. Key knowledge gaps remain in standardized mix design, long-term durability, and regulatory acceptance. The review outlines research and policy priorities to scale DS-AAM technologies for low-carbon infrastructure.

• Qureshi, Mohammad Haseeb; Nawaz, Sarosh Raja; Vakili, Amirhosein; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (2025). Assessment of the Structural Potential of Nonconventional Material Alternatives in Shear Walls. In Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (Ed.), The 1st International Conference on Net-Zero Built Environment: Innovations in Materials, Structures, and Management Practices. Springer. ISSN 9783031696268. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-69626-8_106. Full text in Research Archive
• Bypour, Maryam; Yekrangnia, Mohammad & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2025). Machine learning-driven optimization for predicting compressive strength in fly ash geopolymer concrete. Cleaner Engineering and Technology. 25. doi: 10.1016/j.clet.2025.100899. Full text in Research Archive
• Khoshtinat, S.; Marano, C. & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2025). Computational modeling of biocementation by S. pasteurii: effect of initial pH. Discover Materials. 5(1). doi: 10.1007/s43939-025-00241-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Bypour, Maryam; Yekrangnia, Mohammad & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Predicting the shear capacity of composite steel plate shear wall with the application of RSM. Engineering structures. ISSN 0141-0296. 301. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.117263. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This research aims to predict the maximum shear capacity of Composite Steel Plate Shear Walls (CSPSWs) through nonlinear Finite Element (NLFE) analyses and Response Surface Method (RSM). The variables are concrete thickness and compressive strength, steel infill plate thickness, and yield stress. A parametric study was performed on CSPSW comprising a concrete layer on one side of the infill plate and the corresponding models having the concrete layer between the two plates. The results show that RSM is a reliable practice for precisely predicting the maximum shear capacity of the studied models. Furthermore, comparing the RSM results with those acquired by Linear Regression (LR) indicated that RSM is more accurate than LR. Moreover, in the models with the internal concrete layer, the concrete contributed more to the shear capacity of the specimens, and this difference expands with an increase in the thickness of the concrete layer.

• Kheyroddin, Ali; Raygan, Shakiba & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Strut and tie model for CFRP strengthened reinforced concrete corbels. Engineering structures. ISSN 0141-0296. 304. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2024.117609. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study aims to explore the optimal strut-and-tie-model (STM) for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) corbels with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), utilizing finite element (FE) analysis. While previous studies have only examined a single type of FRP sheet arrangement, this research fills a gap by investigating the effect of four configurations with the Externally Bonded Reinforcement (EBR) installation method. Verification was conducted using a fully horizontally wrapped strengthened RC corbel. This study also evaluates other variables, such as the Near-Surface Mounted (NSM) method, concrete strength, reinforcement yield stress, and the number of CFRP layers. The results provide valuable insights into the optimal STM for strengthened RC corbels and contribute to developing effective strengthening techniques. The study suggests 12 STMs with variable main strut angles and primary tie widths lower than the proposed equations for calculating the upper limit. Results indicate that different arrangements of CFRP sheets, an increase in concrete strength, reinforcement yield stress, and the number of CFRP layers can cause up to 33%, 16%, 16%, and 7% increase in bearing capacity, respectively, with the same volume of CFRP. However, using the NSM installation method with the same arrangement and volume of FRP can decrease bearing capacity by 17%. The best proposed STM was presented for the arrangement of selected CFRP sheets based on the highest primary tie width calculated by the proposed equation of the upper limit. The total percentage difference in maximum stresses for finite elements varied by 62%.

• Bypour, Maryam; Mahmoudian, Alireza; Yekrangnia, Mohammad & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Explainable tuned machine learning models for assessing the impact of corrosion on bond strength in concrete. Cleaner Engineering and Technology. 23. doi: 10.1016/j.clet.2024.100834. Full text in Research Archive
• Imperatore, Stefania; Benenato, Armando; Spagnuolo, Simone; Ferracuti, Barbara & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Corrosion effects on the flexural performance of prestressed reinforced concrete beams. Construction and Building Materials. ISSN 0950-0618. 411. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.134581. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  An experimental campaign aimed at understanding the behavior of corroded prestressed beams is carried out to investigate the effects of low corrosion levels spreading along the entire beams. The results show that corrosion affects the flexural stiffness, the beams’ crack pattern, and the failure conditions. Analytical models, implemented to simulate the experimental investigation, allowed a better interpretation of the obtained results, showing that the flexural performance of the corroded beam is governed by both a prestress loss and a reduction of the strand’s mechanical properties, such as ultimate strength and strain.

• Farahzadi, Leila; Tellnes, Lars G. F.; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Life-cycle environmental assessment of ultra-high-performance concrete with sustainable materials and fiber substitutions. Cleaner Engineering and Technology. 23. doi: 10.1016/j.clet.2024.100846. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahmoudian, Alireza; Bypour, Maryam & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Explainable Boosting Machine Learning for Predicting Bond Strength of FRP Rebars in Ultra High-Performance Concrete. Computation. 12(10). doi: 10.3390/computation12100202. Full text in Research Archive
• Kheyroddin, Ali; Salmassi, Mehran Akhavan & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). The Impact of End Shear Walls on the Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Tall Buildings with Helipad for Personal Transportation. Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil Engineering. ISSN 2364-1843. doi: 10.1007/s40996-024-01574-8. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi; Dabiri, Hamed; Kandiri, Amirreza & Farhangi, Visar (2023). Compressive strength of concrete containing furnace blast slag; optimized machine learning-based models. Cleaner Engineering and Technology. 13. doi: 10.1016/j.clet.2023.100604. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Replacing Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with industrial waste like Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) has been proven to have remarkable benefits regarding the mechanical properties of concrete and the environment. The main objectives of this research, as a result, are to (a) develop a generalized, accurate, and optimized Machine Learning (ML)-based model for predicting the compressive strength of concrete incorporating GGBFS and (b) propose equations for easier calculation of the compressive strength of concrete containing GGBFS. To this aim, various ML-based methods, namely Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) were considered for predicting the compressive strength of concrete containing GGBFS. An extensive dataset including 625 results of experimental studies was collected from international peer-reviewed publications. The dataset was divided into two sub-datasets: the training dataset (85%), used to train the models on the relationship between input and output parameters, and the testing dataset (15%), used to evaluate the accuracy of the models. The most influential parameters, including ordinary Portland cement, GGBFS grade, GGBFS to cement ratio, water, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, and testing age, were considered as the input variables for proposing prediction models. The predicted and actual values were compared in each model. The accuracy of the models was also compared using common performance metrics (RMSE, MSE, MAE, MAPE, R, and R2 -score) and Taylor diagram. Eventually, a sensitivity analysis was conducted at the end of the study to explore the influence of GGBFS on cement ratio and GGBFS grade on concrete compressive strength, and consequently, equations were suggested based on the results.

• Hassanvand, Pouya; Rezaie, Freydoon & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Steel Fibers on the Flexural Behavior of Corroded Prestressed Reinforced Concrete Beams. Materials. 16(4). doi: 10.3390/ma16041629. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rebar corrosion and its consequences are one of the most common damages to reinforced concrete (RC) structures. In structures with greater sensitivity, such as prestressed reinforced concrete (PRC) structures, where steel elements, including prestressed tendons, play a more significant role in supporting the structure, the importance of this issue increases. Methods for repairing and reinforcing such structures have been developed, including incorporating fibers into the concrete mixture to improve its mechanical properties, particularly its bending resistance. This paper presents the results of an experiment that studied the influence of steel fibers on the flexural behavior of PRC beams subjected to accelerated corrosion. Twelve beams with a rectangular cross-section of 150 mm × 300 mm and a length of 2000 mm were fabricated. The steel fibers used in the experiment were corrugated and hooked-end types, with volume fractions of 0.5% and 1.0% in the concrete. Nine beams were subjected to accelerated corrosion testing, with three of them being without fibers and the remaining six being reinforced with steel fibers at volume fractions of 0.5% and 1.0%. Each group of three beams was exposed to three different levels of corrosion, namely 5%, 10%, and 15%. The specimens were tested after exposure to corrosion through a four-point bending load. The accelerated corrosion was induced using an electric current on the prestressing tendons. The results indicated that different levels of corrosion reduced the final bearing capacity and other behavioral characteristics of the specimen, including the amount of energy absorption, effective hardness, and midspan displacement. Adding fibers to the concrete mixture positively affects the compensation of these reduced capacities. Moreover, the amount of this compensation was directly correlated with the volume fraction of used fibers.

• Shabani, Amirhosein & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Seismic assessment and strengthening of a historical masonry bridge considering soil-structure interaction. Engineering structures. ISSN 0141-0296. 293. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.116589. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A holistic methodology for developing the digital twins and conducting seismic vulnerability assessments of masonry arch bridges is proposed and applied to a historical stone masonry bridge. In this light, digital cameras, drones, and 3D laser scanners were utilized for 3D geometric documentation of the bridge. 3D finite element (FE) models were constructed and calibrated based on the operational modal analysis results derived from the accelerometer sensors. The fragility curves for different limit states were derived by performing a multi-stripe analysis (MSA). The effect of soil-structure interaction (SSI) on the calibration results and seismic response of the bridge was evaluated. The results of the visual inspection, model calibration, and seismic analysis revealed that the central pier and the arches are the most susceptible parts of the bridge. Therefore, three strengthening techniques were proposed, and corresponding numerical models were developed. The first model was developed by enhancing the mechanical properties of the vulnerable parts of the bridge, and the two other models were built by covering the central pier’s outer surface with polyparaphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) and carbon fiber-reinforced concrete mortar (FRCM) layers. Results revealed that the strengthening techniques improved the seismic response of the bridge when subjected to transverse seismic excitations. Negligible differences in the displacement response and crack width of the strengthened models were observed from the nonlinear dynamic analysis.

• Azarhomayun, Fazel; Haji, Mohammad; Shekarchi, Mohammad & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Investigating the Effectiveness of the Stable Measurement Tests of Self-Compacting Concrete. Construction and Building Materials. ISSN 0950-0618. 383. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.131262. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a highly flowable concrete that can fill complex formwork without the need for vibration. However, its high consistency can lead to various forms of instability, such as separation, bleeding, blockage, and settling. These instabilities can adversely affect the fresh and hardened properties of the concrete. Therefore, understanding the types of instability, the factors that cause it, and the methods for measuring stability is crucial in preventing instability. However, there is currently no standardization for stability measurement methods, and their efficiency has yet to be thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, some standardized methods are expensive and time-consuming. Thus, examining proposed methods is necessary to identify valuable and efficient ones and to explore the possibility of using easier and less expensive methods instead of standardized ones. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of different stability tests for SCC based on their reproducibility and measurability capabilities. Two types of concrete with different fluidity and stability were tested, and the relationship between the tests was investigated. The results revealed that, except for the J-ring and rocking device tests, all investigated tests yielded acceptable results for measuring SCC stability. Additionally, the effects of instability on implementing a beam-shaped mold were examined. The findings indicated that instability reduces the compressive strength, decreases the specific electrical resistance, and increases the inhomogeneity of its distribution throughout the concrete volume, thereby increasing its susceptibility to corrosion.

• Azarhomayun, Fazel; Haji, Mohammad; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Kheyroddin, Ali (2023). Combined Use of Sewage Sludge Ash and Silica Fume in Concrete. International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials. ISSN 1976-0485. 17. doi: 10.1186/s40069-023-00593-5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The lack of adequate space for sewage sludge disposal has become a significant challenge in many countries. Land- filling and using sewage sludge as fertilizer in agricultural lands are the main methods for disposal. However, these methods can result in soil and groundwater contamination as well as heavy metal and microbial pollution in soil. An alternative disposal method is using sewage sludge ash (SSA) in concrete production. If the sludge ash is reactive, it can replace a portion of cement in concrete; otherwise, it can be used as a filler. In the present study, X-ray fluores- cence (XRF) experiments were conducted to determine the elemental composition of sewage sludge. Then, the sew- age sludge was incinerated, and XRF and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests were performed on the resulting sewage sludge ash. The ash was utilized in different proportions in the mortar and concrete specimens, and compressive strength tests were conducted on the resulting specimens. The results indicate that using 20% SSA instead of cement resulted in a 25% reduction in compressive strength in concrete specimens. However, the combination of 10% silica fume and 10% SSA was the optimal combination to compensate for the reduction in compressive strength caused using SSA.

• Shabani, Amirhosein; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Plevris, Vagelis (2023). Performance-based seismic assessment of a historical masonry arch bridge: Effect of pulse-like excitations. Frontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering (FSCE). ISSN 2095-2430. 17(6). doi: 10.1007/s11709-023-0972-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Seismic analysis of historical masonry bridges is important for authorities in all countries hosting such cultural heritage assets. The masonry arch bridge investigated in this study was built during the Roman period and is on the island of Rhodes, in Greece. Fifteen seismic records were considered and categorized as far-field, pulse-like nearfield, and non-pulse-like near-field. The earthquake excitations were scaled to a target spectrum, and nonlinear timehistory analyses were performed in the transverse direction. The performance levels were introduced based on the pushover curve, and the post-earthquake damage state of the bridge was examined. According to the results, pulse-like near-field events are more damaging than non-pulse-like near-field ground motions. Additionally the bridge is more vulnerable to far-field excitations than near-field events. Furthermore, the structure will suffer extensive post-earthquake damage and must be retrofitted.

• Mahboubi, Shima; Shiravand, Mahmoud R; Shid, Golshid & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Probabilistic Assessment of RC Piers Considering Vertical Seismic Excitation Based on Damage Indices. In Jędrzejewska, Agnieszka; Kanavaris, Fragkoulis & Azenha, Miguel (Ed.), International RILEM Conference on Synergising Expertise towards Sustainability and Robustness of Cement-based Materials and Concrete Structures. Springer. ISSN 9783031331862. p. 828–839. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-33211-1_75. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Bridges play a vital role in highway transportation systems and damage to bridges may cause impaired emergency response and economic loss and interrupt the functionality of the systems. Damage to bridge during the last earthquakes shows that considering the effects of the vertical component of earthquakes in seismic damage assessment of reinforced concrete (RC) piers is of great importance. This paper aims to assess the probability of damage to RC columns under the simultaneous effect of three earthquake components. For this purpose, two damage indices including strain and curvature ductility have been used and the fragility curves of RC columns have been developed with Probabilistic Seismic Demand Models (PSDM) under a series of ground motion records. Moreover, the variation of axial force, bending moment, and shear force have been investigated. The results show that considering the vertical excitation may increase the probability of different damage states of RC columns, particularly in higher damage states.

• Farahzadi, Leila & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Application of machine learning initiatives and intelligent perspectives for CO2 emissions reduction in construction. Journal of Cleaner Production. ISSN 0959-6526. 384(135504). doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135504. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The construction sector is one of the main contributors to carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and causes of global warming. CO2 mitigation solutions are vital. New technologies can facilitate and improve these efforts. Thus, the paper reviews how new technologies of artificial intelligence and machine learning have contributed to CO2 emissions reduction in construction and what techniques have been applied in the literature to provide significant information that will be beneficial for the construction sector design and management. The paper provides the results of a content review, including their contributions and gaps. A total of 78 papers were identified to develop the dataset. The method was a combination of systematic reviews, including co-occurrence analytical map development of the main keywords, co-authorship network analyses, publication source analyses, and content analysis, including theme identification and review of the selected papers, which were divided into five conceptual clusters based on their scopes: (1) sustainable materials and components design/production, (2) on-site vehicles and equipment, (3) energy and life cycle assessment, (4) optimization, decision-making and solution-based platforms, and (5) real-world monitoring. The content of each cluster of papers was also reviewed, and the potential gaps were identified and discussed. A set of directions for future research investigations were presented that can be a valuable source for researchers in their future research. This paper contributes to the current knowledge base by presenting insights into intelligent techniques in the construction industry to mitigate CO2 emissions.

• Ahmadi, Masoud; Hakimi, Babak; Mazaheri, Ahmadreza & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Potential Use of Water Treatment Sludge as Partial Replacement for Clay in Eco-Friendly Fired Clay Bricks. Sustainability. 15(12). doi: 10.3390/su15129389. Full text in Research Archive
• Shabani, Amirhosein; Zucconi, Maria; Kazemian, Delaram & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Seismic fragility analysis of low-rise unreinforced masonry buildings subjected to near- and far-field ground motions. Results in Engineering (RINENG). 18. doi: 10.1016/j.rineng.2023.101221. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Unreinforced masonry (URM) is considered one of the most cost-effective structural typologies for low-rise buildings in seismic regions. Near-field (NF) ground motions are sometimes characterized by high-velocity pulses that are typically more destructive than far-field (FF) seismic events. Therefore, a seismic fragility analysis of low-rise URM building typologies subjected to NF and FF seismic events was performed. Four URM walls were chosen, and nonlinear models of the walls were developed based on the double-modified, multiple vertical line element model (DM-MVLEM). The zero-moment coefficient was used to determine the effective uncracked section length of a pier. This parameter must be calculated for each pier of a perforated URM wall to derive the maximum shear strength of the piers used in a nonlinear model development process. A simplified analytical method was proposed to obtain the zero-moment coefficient factor of piers by performing linear static analysis on nine perforated walls and regression analyses of the results. Subsequently, nonlinear pushover analysis was performed to derive the capacity curves, and the damage limit states were defined for each model according to the Eurocode 8 standard. Subsequently, incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) was performed for each case study by applying FF and NF ground motions. Finally, fragility curves were developed based on the IDA results for each damage limit state. The susceptibilities of one- and two-story URM walls subjected to FF and NF seismic events were investigated by examining the derived fragility curves.

• Shekarchi, Mohammad; Ahmadi, Babak; Azarhomayun, Fazel; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Natural zeolite as a supplementary cementitious material – A holistic review of main properties and applications. Construction and Building Materials. ISSN 0950-0618. 409. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.133766. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Pozzolanic materials or industrial wastes can be used to partially replace cement, minimizing the carbon footprint of concrete structures. Zeolite, silica fume, fly ash, and metakaolin are some of the most frequently used supplementary materials that reduce the concrete’s permeability and, therefore, play a significant role in improving its durability and strength. Among the available alternatives, the application of natural zeolite as a pozzolanic material, in concrete has increased in recent years. In particular, a range of studies have focused on including natural zeolite to produce mortar and concrete with a reduced cement content, and thus, environmental impact. Through a consistent and comprehensive blended evaluation method, this research aims to evaluate past studies that utilized natural zeolite for various concrete applications. A total of close to 2,000 papers were screened, and more than 60 of them were selected for relevance. Bibliometric mapping was used for keyword occurrences and zeolite-related details. This study provides a state-of-the-art review of research on natural zeolite through a critical analysis of various research studies carried out in the past. The ultimate goal is to provide an in-depth understanding of the effects of zeolite on the performance of concrete mixtures, in terms of workability, strength, and durability. Furthermore, the current challenges and future prospects of using natural zeolite have been outlined, paving the way to expand the use of this category of supplementary materials.

• Shabani, Amirhosein & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Hyperomet: An OpenSees interface for nonlinear analysis of unreinforced masonry buildings. SoftwareX. 20(20). doi: 10.1016/j.softx.2022.101230. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Seismic vulnerability assessment of historical unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings is crucial for the authorities due to the high susceptibility of historical URM buildings to earthquakes. Open system for earthquake engineering simulation (OpenSees) is a well-known, powerful, and versatile seismic analysis platform. In a lack of a free graphical user interface (GUI) for seismic analysis of URM buildings, Hyperomet was designed to bridge the gap between nonlinear analysis of URM buildings and OpenSees platform. The Hyperomet GUI includes an accurate enough macroelement representing the nonlinear behavior of URM components. The structures can be modeled based on the double-modified multiple vertical line element model (DM-MVLEM) and the Unified method (UM) using the GUI. Calculators for deriving the mechanical properties are provided to minimize the modeling time. Furthermore, the ability to perform various analysis types including incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) is facilitated.

• Azarhomayun, Fazel; Haji, Mohammad; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shekarchi, Mohammad (2022). Effect of calcium stearate and aluminum powder on free and restrained drying shrinkage, crack characteristic and mechanical properties of concrete. Cement & Concrete Composites. ISSN 0958-9465. 125, p. 104276–104276. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2021.104276. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Shrinkage is the volume change of concrete without influence of external forces. Drying shrinkage, which occurs after the concrete hardening, is one of the most important causes of the cracking in concrete members. In addition to adverse effects on the appearance of concrete, cracks may reduce the strength and durability by increasing the permeability of concrete and facilitate the entry of aggressive agents into it. Free and restrained drying shrinkage are the most important types of shrinkage. The present study investigated the effect of two admixtures—including damp proofing and expansive materials— on compressive strength, tensile strength, electrical resistivity, modulus of elasticity, unrestrained and restrained shrinkage and water absorption of concrete specimens. In addition, the effect of admixtures on crack properties was investigated. The cracks properties, which occurred in unrestrained shrinkage test, such as average and maximum crack width and total cracks area, were computed by image processing. The results showed that the use of damp proofing additive, (i.e. calcium stearate) reduced maximum free drying shrinkage by 42.4%, maximum restrained drying shrinkage by 22.8%, maximum crack width by 51% and final crack area by 21%. Moreover, the use of expansive additive (i.e. aluminum powder) almost eliminated the free shrinkage, but on average, it increased the restrained drying shrinkage by 18% and reduced the maximum crack width and the final crack area by 2.67 and 27%, respectively.

• Farahzadi, Leila & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Intelligent Initiative to Reduce CO2 Emissions in Construction, 8th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering (ECCOMAS Congress 2022). European Community on Computional Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS). ISSN 9788412322286. doi: 10.23967/eccomas.2022.150. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Global warming is one of the most important environmental issues that threatens the living on this globe so far. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from the construction industry is one of the major sources of emissions that leads to global warming. Therefore, CO2 emission reduction potentials are of additional attention nowadays. New technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital tools can assist this effort. Development in such technologies has made decision-making more optimized and automatic. To fulfil this aim, it is essential to have comprehensive knowledge on how emission reduction can be accomplished and what are the best decision-makings based on the new technologies of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. This paper provides a thorough picture of how artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques can contribute to CO2 emission reduction in construction. The concepts of CO2 reduction in the related derived literature are categorized into six clusters: 1) sustainable material design and production, 2) automation, digitalization and prefabrication, 3) real-world monitoring, 4) off-road vehicles and equipment, and 5) energy and life cycle assessment, and 6) decision-making and solution-based platforms. As most of the research studies in this area are related to the first cluster, i.e., sustainable material design and production, this paper has focused more on this area, and the other categories are preserved for future studies. Then, limitations and further research directions in this area are provided, which can be a valuable source for researchers in their future research.

• Dabiri, Hamed; Kioumarsi, Mahdi; Kheyroddin, Ali; Kandiri, Amirreza & Sartipi, Farid (2022). Compressive strength of concrete with recycled aggregate; a machine learning-based evaluation. Cleaner Materials. 3. doi: 10.1016/j.clema.2022.100044. Full text in Research Archive
• Shabani, Amirhosein & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Optimal sensor placement techniques for modal identification of historical masonry structures. Procedia Structural Integrity. 42(42), p. 147–154. doi: 10.1016/j.prostr.2022.12.018. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Since destructive tests are not allowed for historical structures, numerical model updating using accelerometers has gained a lot of attraction in the last decade. Furthermore, another application of structural health monitoring is damage detection for near-realtime monitoring of cultural heritage assets of infrastructures such as masonry bridges. However, high cost is the main problem that discourages the use of large-scale structural health monitoring systems, and a modal pretest analysis is required to plan and optimize the modal tests procedure. For this purpose, various optimal sensor placement (OSP) techniques have been developed to derive the operational modal analysis results with a minimum number of sensors, leading to a lower cost. In this study, various OSP techniques have been applied to optimize sensor placement in two selected case studies. The first case study is a two-span masonry arch bridge in Rhodes, Greece and the second is a stone masonry tower located in Tønsberg, Norway. Baseline finite element models were developed before performing the ambient vibration tests and model updating process. The optimum sensor locations were detected using various techniques, and a comparative study was conducted on the results. Furthermore, the effect of considering soilstructure interaction on the OSP results was investigated.

• Kheyroddin, Ali; Arabsarhangi, Reza; Shabani, Amirhosein & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Optimal placement of coupling elements of RC shear walls using endurance time method. Procedia Structural Integrity. 42(42), p. 210–217. doi: 10.1016/j.prostr.2022.12.026. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Shear wall is one of the common lateral bracing systems in reinforced concrete structures. A coupling beam can be used due to architectural limitations for connecting two or multiple separate walls. Coupling beams are the most vulnerable elements of coupled shear wall systems. Therefore, beams could be designed to act as replaceable fuses in the system. This paper investigates the application of viscoelastic coupling dampers (VCD) and replaceable steel coupling beams in a high-rise building in a high seismicity region. A parametric study has been performed to determine the most effective number and location of the dampers to acquire enhanced seismic performance of the structure. The endurance time analysis method has been utilized to compare the seismic performance of a conventional steel coupled wall building to alternative designs incorporating VCD. The results show that the structure with positioning the coupling beams of P2 in which 25% of coupling beams are VCD has had 21% less inter-story drift ratios compared to P1, where all coupling beams are replaceable steel coupling beams (RSCBs). VDCs allow the natural period of the structure to enhance. By replacing the RCSB with less stiff VCDs, the lateral stiffness of the structure is reduced and the natural period is shifted beyond the predominant periods of regular earthquakes. The added damping provided by using the VCDs dissipates seismic energy and efficiently controls excessive drifts.

• Shabani, Amirhosein; Ademi, Agon & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Structural Model Updating of a Historical Stone Masonry Tower in Tønsberg, Norway. In Vayas, Ioannis & Mazzolani, Federico M. (Ed.), Protection of Historical Constructions. Springer. ISSN 9783030907877. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-90788-4_45. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi; Plevris, Vagelis & Shabani, Amirhosein (2022). Vulnerability assessment of cultural heritage structures, 8th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering (ECCOMAS Congress 2022). European Community on Computional Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS). ISSN 9788412322286. doi: 10.23967/eccomas.2022.294. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Cultural heritage (CH) assets are the legacy of a society that are inherited from the past generations and can give us lessons for contemporary construction. Not only the formally recognized CH assets but also the non-CH structures and infrastructure, and the interconnection between them are crucial to be considered in a vulnerability assessment tool for the sustainable reconstruction of historic areas. Since most CH assets were not designed based on robust design codes to resist natural hazards such as earthquakes, vulnerability assessment and preservation are pivotal tasks for the authorities. For this aim, Hyperion, an H2020 project (Grant agreement No 821054), was formed in order to take advantage of existing tools and services together with novel technologies to deliver an integrated vulnerability assessment platform for improving the resiliency of historic areas. Geometric documentation is the first and most important step toward the generation of digital twins of CH assets that can be facilitated using 3D laser scanners or drone imaging. Afterward, the finite element method is an accurate approach for developing the simulation-based digital twins of cultural heritage assets. For calibration of the models, the result of the operational modal analysis from the ambient vibration testing using accelerometers can be utilized. Structural analysis for the prediction of the structural behavior or near real-time analysis can be carried out on the calibrated models. However, the full finite element analysis needs a lot of computational effort, and to tackle this limitation, equivalent frame methods can be utilized.

• Shabani, Amirhosein & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Pros and cons of various equivalent frame models for nonlinear analysis of URM buildings, 8th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering (ECCOMAS Congress 2022). European Community on Computional Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS). ISSN 9788412322286. doi: 10.23967/eccomas.2022.226. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Brick masonry is considered as one of the old construction materials, and several cultural heritage assets are made of unreinforced masonry (URM), which is susceptible to earthquakes due to its brittle behavior. The equivalent frame method (EFM) is a nonlinear modeling method widely utilized for the seismic analysis of URM buildings with lower computational efforts than finite and discrete element methods. In this study, three macroelements, including the unified method (UM), composite spring method (CSM), and double modified multiple vertical line element model (DM-MVLEM), were utilized to model three case studies. The first case study is a full-scale two-story URM wall that was tested by applying the cyclic prescribed displacements, and two other case studies were developed by changing the configuration of openings. The second case study is with short piers, and weak spandrels exist in the third model. The efficiency of the methods in terms of the accuracy of the pushover results, prediction of damage patterns, and duration of the incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) are discussed. Finally, seismic fragility curves are provided to compare the IDA results.

• Shabani, Amirhosein & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). A novel macroelement for seismic analysis of unreinforced masonry buildings based on MVLEM in OpenSees. Journal of Building Engineering. ISSN 2352-7102. 49. doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104019. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings are susceptible to extraordinary actions such as earthquakes compared to steel or reinforced concrete buildings. Various methods have been developed for the computational analysis of URM buildings in the last few decades. The equivalent frame method (EFM) is one of the numerical modeling approaches widely used for the nonlinear analyses of URM buildings. Different macroelements in the context of the EFM have been proposed. However, there is still a need for an efficient modeling approach in the computational effort that can predict the real behavior of URM structural components with sufficient agreement and available in opensource structural analyses software packages. For this purpose, a new macro-element based on the multiple vertical line element method (MVLEM) element has been developed in this study. The MVLEM is available in the OpenSees software platform comprising vertical uniaxial macro-fibers and a shear spring as an efficient macroelement for nonlinear analysis of flexure-dominated reinforced concrete walls. The novel macroelement, double modified MVLEM (DM-MVELM) element has been proposed consisting of two modified MVLEM elements tied with a nonlinear shear spring at the middle with a trilinear backbone behavior. DM-MVLEM can capture the axial-flexural interaction with lower computational effort than finite element models and fiber beam-column elements. The DM-MVLEM has been validated against the test results at the structural components level and a full-scale perforated URM wall. Unified method (UM) and composite spring method (CSM) are two existing EFMs that are presented in this study. A study is performed by comparing the seismic behavior of the perforated URM walls modeled using the UM, CSM, and DM-MVLEM modeling strategies. Results show that the DM-MVLEM can predict the damage patterns, and nonlinear behavior of spandrels can be simulated that was usually modeled with linear behavior in EFMs.

• Shabani, Amirhosein; Feyzabadi, Mohyeddin & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Model updating of a masonry tower based on operational modal analysis: The role of soil-structure Interaction. Case Studies in Construction Materials. 16(16). doi: 10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e00957. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Vibration-based finite element model (FEM) updating of cultural heritage assets is gaining so much attraction these days since destructive tests are usually not allowed to be performed. In this study, a framework for developing three-dimensional (3D) FEMs is proposed using 3D laser scanners and applied on Slottsfjell tower, a stone masonry tower in Tønsberg, Norway. Operational modal analysis (OMA) was done based on the ambient vibration testing (AVT) data to define the frequency values and corresponding mode shapes of the tower. Mechanical properties of the tønsbergite stone were utilized to derive the base values of the material properties of the homogenized masonry for performing sensitivity analysis and FEM updating. To investigate the effect of the soil-structure interaction (SSI) on the FEM updating results, three FEMs are developed. The fixed-base model is the FEM without considering the SSI effects, and two other FEMs are developed using the substructure and direct methods for simulating the SSI effects. Sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the effective parameters on the dynamic characteristics of the models. FEM updating was conducted on the three FEMs, and results are compared to each other to show the role of the SSI on the FEM updating results. The resonance effect can cause damages to buildings located even in low seismicity zones. For this aim, the risk of resonance effect has been evaluated for the tower. Finally, linear dynamic analysis was performed on the three calibrated models, and the results were compared to each other.

• Shabani, Amirhosein; Skamantzari, Margarita; Tapinaki, Sevasti; Georgopoulos, Andreas; Plevris, Vagelis & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). 3D simulation models for developing digital twins of heritage structures: challenges and strategies. Procedia Structural Integrity. 37, p. 314–320. doi: 10.1016/j.prostr.2022.01.090. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Structural vulnerability assessment of heritage structures is a pivotal part of a risk mitigation strategy for preserving these valuable assets for the nations. For this purpose, developing digital twins has gained much attention lately to provide an accurate digital model for performing finite element (FE) analyses. Three-dimensional (3D) geometric documentation is the first step in developing the digital twin, and various equipment and methodologies have been developed to facilitate the procedure. Both aerial and terrestrial close-range photogrammetry can be combined with 3D laser scanning and geodetic methods for the accurate 3D geometric documentation. The data processing procedure in these cases mostly focuses on developing detailed, accurate 3D models that can be used for the FE modeling. The final 3D surface or volumes are produced mainly by combining the 3D point clouds obtained from the laser scanner and the photogrammetric methods. 3D FE models can be developed based on the geometries derived from the 3D models using FE software packages. As an alternative, developed 3D volumes provided in the previous step can be directly imported to some FE software packages. In this study, the challenges and strategies of each step are investigated by providing examples of surveyed heritage structures.

• Vahidpour, Mahdi; Kheyroddin, Ali & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Experimental Investigation on Flexural Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened with 3D-Fiberglass, CFRP and GFRP. International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials. ISSN 1976-0485. 16(16), p. 1–20. doi: 10.1186/s40069-022-00508-w. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The main objective of this study is to investigate the structural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beam specimens strengthened with 3D-fiberglass as compared with fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) sheets. For this purpose, six RC beams were fabricated, strengthened, and tested under a four-point bending machine. One of the beams served as the control beam (REF), while the others were strengthened with carbon FRP (RCFRP), glass FRP (RGFRP), 3D-fiberglass and epoxy resin (R3DTR), 3D-fiberglass and epoxy resin extended to the sides (R3DTRB), and 3D-fiberglass and concrete repair (R3DTG). Failure mode, crack development, flexural capacity, ductility, the effectiveness of wrapping configurations, and the performance of epoxy resin in comparison with concrete repairer were studied between various beams. The results attest to the better performance and effectiveness of 3D-fiberglass over FRP in terms of flexural capacity, crack pattern, and ductility. The R3DTR and RGFRP specimens, compared to the control specimen, had the highest and lowest flexural capacity growth, with 19% and 8.4%, respectively. In addition, the failure modes observed in this study were in good agreement with the failure modes present in ACI.440.2R-17. Moreover, finite element (FE) models were proposed to predict the residual capacity of the specimens strengthened with FRP, using Abaqus software.

• Kheyroddin, Ali; Arshadi, Hamed; Gudarzi, Mehran & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Parametrical Study on the Seismic Performance of Post-installed Anchors Using Injectable Epoxy Mortars. In Arjun, Sil; N., Kontoni Denise-Penelope & Kumar, Pancharathi Rathish (Ed.), Recent Trends in Civil Engineering. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. Springer. ISSN 9789811940552. p. 441–454. doi: 10.1007/978-981-19-4055-2_35. Full text in Research Archive
• Panah, Reihane Shafie & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). Application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the Health Monitoring and Maintenance Process: A Systematic Review. Sensors. 21(3). doi: 10.3390/s21030837. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Improvements in the science of health monitoring and maintenance have facilitated the observation of damage and defects in existing structures and infrastructures, such as bridges and railways. The need to extend sensing technology through the use of wireless sensors as well as the lack of description tools for understanding, visualizing, and documenting sensor outputs has encouraged researchers to use powerful tools such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) systems. BIM has become important because of conducting tools widely used in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry to present and manage information on structural systems and situations. Since combining health monitoring and maintenance results with BIM models is a new field of study, and most projects utilize various aspects of it, we have conducted a review of important work related to this subject published from 2010 to November of 2020. After reviewing 278 journal articles, research trends, approaches, methods, gaps, and future agenda related to BIM in monitoring and maintenance were highlighted. This paper, through a bibliometric and content analysis, concludes that besides main improvements, some limitations now exist which affect the modeling and maintenance process. These limitations are related to extending the IFC schema, optimizing sensor data, interoperability among various BIM platforms, optimization of various sensing technologies for fault detection and management of huge amounts of data, besides consideration of environmental effects on monitoring hazards and underground objects. Finally, this paper aims to help to solve the mentioned limitation through a comprehensive review of existing research.

• Kandiri, Amirreza; Sartipi, Farid & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). Predicting Compressive Strength of Concrete Containing Recycled Aggregate Using Modified ANN with Different Optimization Algorithms. Applied Sciences. 11(2), p. 485–485. doi: 10.3390/app11020485. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Using recycled aggregate in concrete is one of the best ways to reduce construction pollu- tion and prevent the exploitation of natural resources to provide the needed aggregate. However, recycled aggregates affect the mechanical properties of concrete, but the existing information on the subject is less than what the industry needs. Compressive strength, on the other hand, is the most important mechanical property of concrete. Therefore, having predictive models to provide the re- quired information can be helpful to convince the industry to increase the use of recycled aggregate in concrete. In this research, three different optimization algorithms including genetic algorithm (GA), salp swarm algorithm (SSA), and grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA) are employed to be hybridized with artificial neural network (ANN) separately to predict the compressive strength of concrete containing recycled aggregate, and a M5P tree model is used to test the effi- ciency of the ANNs. The results of this study show the superior efficiency of the modified ANN with SSA when compared to other models. However, the statistical indicators of the hybrid ANNs with SSA, GA, and GOA are so close to each other.

• Shabani, Amirhosein; Hosamo, Haidar; Plevris, Vagelis & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). A Preliminary Structural Survey of Heritage Timber Log Houses in Tønsberg, Norway. In Roca, P. & Molins, Climent (Ed.), 12th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL CONSTRUCTIONS (SAHC 2021). International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE). ISSN 9788412322200. p. 873–884. doi: 10.23967/sahc.2021.012. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The formulation of a multi-hazard loss model for a given structure is not only of interest for predicting the economic impact of future damage but it can also be of importance for risk mitigation. A methodology that can assess the vulnerability of the built environment is a significant component of a loss model. The multi-risk vulnerability of heritage buildings necessitates greater knowledge about the history of their construction, including aspects relating to preserving them as assets. Timber as an organic material is more susceptible to decay and the structural assessment of timber buildings is essential for their preservation. A preliminary survey as a basis for multi-risk vulnerability assessment of such buildings is essential. In this step of the process, the history of the building is investigated, as well as any intervention to it during its lifetime. A damage inspection of structural elements conducted by experts is an essential part of the second step. After this, the configuration of the building, including height, plan view and connection details should be documented. After the preliminary survey of the building, detailed methods are employed to gather further information about the structure’s behaviour under different risk scenarios. In this paper, heritage timber buildings in Tønsberg, Norway have been selected as case studies for multi-risk vulnerability assessments. The preliminary survey has been conducted by a team of experts and useful data have been recorded and explained. 3D laser scanners have been used in the survey in place of traditional 2D methods to obtain a more detailed and accurate 3D representation of the buildings.

• Shabani, Amirhosein; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Zucconi, Maria (2021). State of the art of simplified analytical methods for seismic vulnerability assessment of unreinforced masonry buildings. Engineering structures. ISSN 0141-0296. 239. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.112280. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Cities in the developing world are facing outstanding economic and human losses caused by natural hazards such as earthquakes, and the amount of losses is affected by the quality of preventive measures and emergency management. For this reason, seismic vulnerability assessment is considered a crucial part of a strategy for seismic risk mitigation and for improving the resiliency of cities. Due to the high number of building archetypes for the seismic vulnerability assessment at a large scale, fast, simplified methods have been proposed that can facilitate the assessment procedure with low computational effort. Simplified methods can be categorized into three groups: analytical, empirical, and hybrid methods. In this study, simplified analytical methods for the seismic vulnerability assessment of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings were reviewed, starting with their classification into three main groups: collapse mechanism-based, capacity spectrum-based, and fully displacement-based methods. Finally, attention was given to the corresponding software packages that were developed to facilitate the assessment procedure.

• Kioumarsi, Mahdi; Benenato, Armando; Ferracuti, Barbara & Imperatore, Stefania (2021). Residual Flexural Capacity of Corroded Prestressed Reinforced Concrete Beams. Metals. 11(3), p. 442–442. doi: 10.3390/met11030442. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Infrastructures and industrial buildings are commonly exposed to aggressive environments and damaged by corrosion. In prestressed reinforced concrete structures, the potential risks of corrosion could be severe since reinforcements are already subjected to high amounts of stress and, consequently, their load-bearing capacity could abruptly decrease. In recent years, some experimental studies have been conducted to explore the flexural behavior of corroded pretensioned reinforced concrete (PRC) beams, investigating several aspects of residual structural performance. Although many studies have been done in this area, there is no concise paper reviewing the state-of-the-art research. Accordingly, the main objective of this paper is to provide a review of the available experimental tests for residual capacity assessment of corroded PRC beams. Based on the state-of-the-art review, a degradation law for the flexural strength of corroded PRC beams is suggested.

• Shabani, Amirhosein; Alinejad, Ali; Teymouri, Mohammad; Costa, André Nascimento; Shabani, Mahgol & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). Seismic Vulnerability Assessment and Strengthening of Heritage Timber Buildings: A Review. Buildings. doi: 10.3390/buildings11120661. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recent studies highlight the potential impact of earthquakes on cultural heritage sites and monuments, which in turn yield significant adverse impacts on economies, politics, and societies. Several aspects such as building materials, structural responses, and restoration strategies must be considered in the conservation of heritage structures. Timber is an old organic construction material. Most of the historic timber structures were not designed to withstand seismic forces; therefore, the seismic vulnerability assessment of heritage timber structures in areas with high seismic hazard is essential for their conservation. For this purpose, different strategies for the numerical modeling of heritage timber buildings have been developed and validated against tests results. After performing seismic analysis using detailed analytical methods and predicting the susceptible structural components, strengthening techniques should be utilized to mitigate the risk level. To this aim, various methods using wooden components, composite material, steel components, SMA etc., have been utilized and tested and are reviewed in this study. There are still some gaps, such as full-scale numerical modeling of strengthened buildings and investigating the soil–structure interaction effects on the seismic behavior of buildings that should be investigated.

• Hajforoush, M.; Kheyroddin, A.; Rezaifar, O. & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). The effects of uniform magnetic field on the mechanical and microstructural properties of concrete incorporating steel fibers. Scientia Iranica. International Journal of Science and Technology. ISSN 1026-3098. 28(5 A), p. 2557–2567. doi: 10.24200/sci.2021.56888.4963. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The present study investigated the effects of applying a Uniform Magnetic Field (UMF) of flux density 500 mili Tesla (mT) to fresh and hardened concrete specimens with steel fibers at volume ratios of 1 and 1.5% on the mechanical and microstructural properties. To this end, compressive and splitting tensile strength tests were carried out on the specimens with Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) on Day 28. Furthermore, the microstructure of SFRC subject to the UMF was assessed using images taken by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). An electromagnetics instrument, capable of generating a density of 500mT, was used to produce UMD. Finally, a model equation was proposed to predict the splitting tensile strength of SFRC which was subject to the UMF as a function of its compressive strength. Application of UMF to SFRC specimens incorporating 1.5% steel fibers revealed an increase in both compressive and splitting tensile strengths up to about 18.5% and 9.5%, respectively. The SEM analysis indicated that UMF enhanced the cement hydration process and it was responsible for the higher mechanical strength development of SFRC than the control specimen.

• Kheyroddin, Ali; Arshadi, Hamed; Ahadi, Mohammad Reza; Taban, Gelayol & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). The impact resistance of Fiber-Reinforced concrete with polypropylene fibers and GFRP wrapping. Materials Today: Proceedings. 45(6), p. 5433–5438. doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.02.116. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Developments in polymer technology have introduced new choices such as using fibers and fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) to improve the impact behavior of concrete structures. In this research, 52 concrete samples (half of which wrapped with glass fiber-reinforced polymers-GFRP) with different compressive strengths (20, 30, and 40 MPa) and polypropylene fibers were constructed. These samples were subjected to weight dropping (46.7 kg and 66.8 kg). The number of weight droppings related to 30% weight loss was recorded. Results indicated that the impact resistance of the concrete samples, corresponding to the number of weight droppings, increased using higher-strength concrete, higher polypropylene ratios, or GFRP wrapping, separately and in application with each other. However, the effects of GFRP wrapping on the improvement of the impact resistance much higher than those of the polypropylene fibers or concrete strength.

• Mahboubi, Shima & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). Damage assessment of RC bridges considering joint impact of corrosion and seismic loads: A systematic literature review. Construction and Building Materials. ISSN 0950-0618. 295. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123662. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper systematically reviewed 84 journal articles published from 2010 to 2020 and structured the reviewed literature using the following categories: year-wise number of research articles, journals, country, and citations. Through a bibliometric and content review analysis, the present review found that the existing studies have mostly focused on corrosion effects, and less attention was paid to quantifying seismic damage of corroded RC bridges. It is required to develop a damage assessment methodology for corroded RC bridges based on a reliable damage index, which can consider the cumulative effects of repeated loading cycles during earthquakes combining the impact of corrosion.

• Ahmadi, Masoud; Kheyroddin, Ali & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). Prediction models for bond strength of steel reinforcement with consideration of corrosion. Materials Today: Proceedings. 45(6), p. 5829–5834. doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.03.263. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Corrosion phenomena is one of the main deterioration causes, which remarkably affects the behavior of structural reinforced concrete (RC) members in seismic regions. Researches on reducing rehabilitation cost, performance assessment, and accurate modelling of corrosion-affected RC structures are progressively becoming popular in recent years. Corrosion diminishes bond capacity between reinforcement and surrounding concrete, which induces reduction in strength and ductility of members. The aim of this investigation is to provide a prediction approach based on a large number of results from published researches related to corroded reinforcement in concrete members using artificial neural networks (ANN). The minimizing mean square error criterion and increasing regression value of predicted results are considered for evaluation of training performance of ANN models. The validity of proposed model is checked using collected experimental database. Results show that estimated model has acceptable agreement with experimented data.

• Khosrowjerdi, Saeid; Sarkardeh, Hamed & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). Effect of Wind Load on Different Heritage Dome Buildings. The European Physical Journal Plus. 136. doi: 10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-02133-0. Full text in Research Archive
• Benenato, Armando; Ferracuti, Barbara; Imperatore, Stefania; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Spagnuolo, Simone (2020). Behaviour of prestressed concrete beams damaged by corrosion. In Belletti, Beatrice & Coronelli, Dario (Ed.), Capacity Assessment of Corroded Reinforced Concrete Structures, Proceedings of the fib CACRCS DAYS 2020. International Federation for Structural Concrete. ISSN 9782940643103. p. 221–228. Full text in Research Archive
• Benenato, Armando; Ferracuti, Barbara; Imperatore, Stefania & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2020). Experimental tests on bond performance between corroded plain steel bars and concrete. In Belletti, Beatrice & Coronelli, Dario (Ed.), Capacity Assessment of Corroded Reinforced Concrete Structures, Proceedings of the fib CACRCS DAYS 2020. International Federation for Structural Concrete. ISSN 9782940643103. p. 139–146. Full text in Research Archive
• Benenato, Armando; Ferracuti, Barbara; Imperatore, Stefania & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2020). Bond strength of RC elements with consideration of corrosion: An experimental survey. AIP Conference Proceedings. ISSN 0094-243X. 2293(1). doi: 10.1063/5.0026732. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The researches on the bond behavior of corroded reinforcements are finalized to the assessment of the structural serviceability loss, providing appropriate tools for the evaluation of the structural integrity, i.e. relation between the corrosion rate and the cracks width detected during visual inspection on existing structures. Unfortunately, several contradictions can be found in the literature and a comprehensive interpretation of the influence of both the concrete cover depths and the reinforcement typology on the corrosion process is still missing. The present work describes the research activities planned in the convention "Effect of corrosion on the steel-to-concrete interaction" and finalized to understand the bond-slip decay in presence of corrosion. REFERENCES

• Moradi, Mohammad Javad; Roshani, Mohammad Mahdi; Shabani, Amirhosein & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2020). Prediction of the Load-Bearing Behavior of SPSW with Rectangular Opening by RBF Network. Applied Sciences. doi: 10.3390/app10031185. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As a lateral load-bearing system, the steel plate shear wall (SPSW) is utilized in different structural systems that are susceptible to seismic risk and because of functional reasons SPSWs may need openings. In this research, the effects of rectangular openings on the lateral load-bearing behavior of the steel shear walls by the finite element method (FEM) is investigated. The results of the FEM are used for the prediction of SPSW behavior using the artificial neural network (ANN). The radial basis function (RBF) network is used to model the effects of the rectangular opening in the SPSW with different plate thicknesses. The results showed that the opening leads to reduced load-bearing capacity, stiffness and absorbed energy, which can be precisely predicted by employing RBF network model. Besides, the suitable relative area of the opening is determined.

• Kioumarsi, Mahdi; Azarhomayun, Fazel; Haji, Mohammad & Shekarchi, Mohammad (2020). Effect of Shrinkage Reducing Admixture on Drying Shrinkage of Concrete with Different w/c Ratios. Materials. 13(24), p. 1–16. doi: 10.3390/ma13245721. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The reduction of the moisture content of concrete during the drying process reduces the concrete’s volume and causes it to shrink. In general, concrete shrinkage is a phenomenon that causes concrete volume to dwindle and can lead to durability problems. There are different types of this phenomenon, among them chemical shrinkage, autogenous shrinkage, drying shrinkage including free shrinkage and restrained shrinkage, and thermal contraction. Shrinkage-reducing admixtures are commercially available in different forms. The present study investigates the effect of liquid propylene glycol ether on mechanical properties and free shrinkage induced by drying at different water-cement (w/c) ratios. Furthermore, the effect of shrinkage-reducing admixtures on the properties of hardened concrete such as compressive and tensile strength, electrical resistivity, modulus of elasticity, free drying shrinkage, water absorption, and depth of water penetration was investigated. The results indicated that shrinkage reducing agents performed better in a low w/c ratio and resulted in up to 50% shrinkage reduction, which was due to the surface reduction of capillary pores. The prediction of free shrinkage due to drying was also performed using an artificial neural network.

• Bypour, Maryam; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Zucconi, Maria (2020). Effect of stiffeners on behavior of steel plate shear wall with rectangular openings. AIP Conference Proceedings. ISSN 0094-243X. 2293(1). doi: 10.1063/5.0026859. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Steel Plate Shear Walls (SPSWs) with and without stiffeners, due to excellent seismic performance, are considered as a lateral load resisting system. Stiffeners have widely been used in SPSW to improve the buckling behavior of shear panels in steel frames. To attain architectural purpose, adding of rectangular openings in SPSWs is inevitable; therefore, it is essential to investigate on the behavior of SPSWs with rectangular opening. This paper describes the effect of adding stiffeners on the maximum shear load capacity of SPSW with rectangular opening. Specimens with and without stiffeners are modeled and analyzed using Finite Element (FE) method. In the investigated specimens, the variables parameters are thickness, yield strength and opening area of SPSW. Results demonstrated that stiffeners, which are located on surrounding the opening, have more effect one the load capacity than stiffeners on the plate.

• Zucconi, Maria; Marcello, Sabene; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Ferracuti, Barbara (2020). Pre-code RC bare frame: Seismic retrofit with alternative strategies. AIP Conference Proceedings. ISSN 0094-243X. 2293(1). doi: 10.1063/5.0026629. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the last fifty years, a significant number of earthquakes that caused great economic losses and casualties have been recorded. In particular, in the last ten years, many seismic events occurred, and their medium magnitude caused great damage to the existing reinforced concrete buildings. In this context, the optimization of retrofitting strategies has become a crucial issue to evaluate the improvement of the probable seismic performance of the buildings in term of seismic risk reduction and repair costs. This paper deals with the seismic vulnerability of an existing reinforced concrete building not designed with the capacity design criterion. Different retrofitting strategies have been considered in order to evaluate more effective solutions in terms of seismic risk mitigation. The non-linear pushover analysis has been performed to evaluate the performance improvement of the building and compare the seismic behavior of the un-retrofitted and retrofitted building. Moreover, the seismic risk classes, pre and post-structural interventions, have been evaluated following the simplified methodology introduced with the Italian Ministerial Decree No 58/2017 about "Guidelines for seismic risk buildings classification".

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• Beushausen, Hans; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (2026). Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Net-Zero Built Environment. Springer. ISBN 9783032276988. 1254 p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-27698-8. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (2025). The 1st International Conference on Net-Zero Built Environment: Innovations in Materials, Structures, and Management Practices. Springer. ISBN 9783031696268. 1947 p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-69626-8. Full text in Research Archive

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• Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (2025). Preface. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. ISSN 2366-2557. 237, p. v–vi. doi: https:/link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-69626-8. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Plevris, Vagelis (2024). Advanced Concrete and Construction Materials for Sustainable Structures. Sustainability. 16(4). doi: 10.3390/su16041427. Full text in Research Archive
• Farahzadi, Leila; Askarifarsangi, Amin & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Sustainable Construction Practices in Repair and Strengthening of Concrete Bridges. Full text in Research Archive
• Khodabandeh, Peyman; Azarhomayun, Fazel; Shekarchi, Mohammad & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Predicting dry shrinkage using machine learning method. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Modeling drying shrinkage presents significant challenges due to the complexity and multitude of contributing parameters. This study provides detailed insights into the input requirements and predictive capabilities of established models by leveraging various datasets from the NU-ITI database. Initially, the performance of a shrinkage model was evaluated. The data for a machine learning random forest model included eight variables, interpreted through SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), which elucidates the most influential inputs. However, the partial dependency graphs yielded minimal information on their relative impacts. This research demonstrates that enhancements in the random forest model's predictive accuracy improved shrinkage predictions by 25%. This advancement significantly mitigates potential deviations in anticipated strains and stresses. The findings from this comprehensive analysis facilitate the selection and prediction of drying shrinkage, focusing on the most critical factors to ensure the highest accuracy.

• Kheyroddin, Ali; Raygan, Shakiba & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Optimal Reinforcement Strategies for Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Corbels. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study aims to Optimized the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer’s (CFRP) arrangements rather than the amount of secondary steel reinforcements for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) corbels, utilizing finite element (FE) analysis. While previous studies have only examined different types of FRP sheet arrangement in absence or presence of equal amount of secondary steel reinforcements, this research fills a gap by comparing the effect of different configurations with the Externally Bonded Reinforcement (EBR) installation method and increasing the amount of the secondary steel reinforcements. Verification was conducted using a fully horizontally wrapped strengthened RC corbel with the secondary steel reinforcement. Results indicate that by just differing the arrangements of CFRP sheets, an increase can cause up to 33% in bearing capacity, with the same volume of CFRP. However, by increasing the geometrical secondary steel reinforcement ratio (Ρh) from 0.18% of the verified model to 0.33% and 0.52%; the bearing capacity increases 5.52%, and 11.55% respectively.

• Farahzadi, Leila; nia, Saeed Bozorgmehr; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Preliminary Environmental Assessment of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Mixtures. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is well-known for its exceptional strength and durability in modern construction and bridges. Despite its advantages, traditional UHPC mixes with high cement content can negatively affect the environment through CO2 emissions. This study aims to investigate using low-impact supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace (GGBF) Slag, fly ash, and silica fume as replacements for cement in different ratios in UHPC compositions. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of these innovative UHPC compositions. The evaluation considers critical variables, including resource allocation, energy sources, raw material procurement distances, and manufacturing processes. Using SCMs in UHPC formulas helps lessen the impact of global warming and aids in mitigating climate change. These results highlight the importance of using new material combinations to promote sustainability in construction, showing ways to adopt more environmentally friendly building techniques and creating a path towards a more sustainable future in concrete production.

• Qureshi, Mohammad Haseeb; Nawaz, Sarosh Raja; Vakili, Amirhosein; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Assessment of the Structural Potential of Nonconventional Material Alternatives in Shear Walls. Full text in Research Archive
• Lindersson, Emil; Askari, Mohammed; Vakili, Amirhosein; Dahlberg, Justin; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (2024). Structural Response of CLT Bridge Decks to Heavy Vehicle Loads: A Serviceability Evaluation. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Timber is widely recognized as a construction material of choice, owing to its numerous advantages, including its sustainability and abundance in large parts of the world. Although timber is frequently employed by the construction industry for buildings, its usage in modern bridge structures has remained limited. This research investigates the structural performance of cross-laminated timber (CLT) decks for bridge applications. For this purpose, CLT deck made of Douglas Fir North were fabricated to full-scale but with some reduced width dimensions. The deck was then tested under static and fatigue loading conditions. The experiments evaluated various structural response features, including the bending stiffness, interlaminar properties between the panels, and elongation characteristics from the applied vertical forces, representing heavy vehicular loads equivalent to the design loads expected on a typical short-span bridge. The results demonstrate the promising performance of CLT decks, exhibiting excellent structural performance compared to design standards. Overall, this research addresses a knowledge gap by providing valuable information for CLT bridge deck design and optimization, addressing the lack of modeling guides, and offering recommendations to meet standard requirements. Moreover, it emphasizes the environmental benefits of using timber sourced from sustainable sources, which is feasible in areas that have an abundance of such resources.

• Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). 300 forskere på konferanse om nullutslipp i byggebransjen. [Journal]. nettartikkelen. Full text in Research Archive
• Aswathy, Babu & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Effect of High Dosage of Steel Fibres on the Mechanical Properties of Uhpfrc; Application of Response Surface Method. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Storkonferanse om nullutslipp i byggebransjen. [Internet]. https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no/pressemelding/18135616/storkonf. Full text in Research Archive
• Ghirmatsion, Habtom; Omar, Omar Mohamed; Pilehvar, Shima; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Borrajo-Pelaez, Rafael (2024). Mechanical Reinforcement of Building Materials with Microfibers Produced by Electrospinning. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigates the integration of electrospun cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers into cementitious composites to enhance mechanical properties. Through systematic experimentation, optimal parameters for electrospinning CA fibers were determined, resulting in significant increases in compressive strength. Notably, incorporating 0.5% CA fibers led to a 15.5% increase in compressive strength compared to the reference sample. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of CA fiber reinforcement in cement-based materials, highlighting its potential for cost-effective enhancement of mechanical properties.

• Bypour, Maryam; Yekrangnia, Mohammad & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Evaluation of the compressive strength of fly ash- based geopolymer concrete using machine learning. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The advancement of geopolymer concrete technology presents a sustainable solution to address the challenges associated with the significant carbon footprint of the construction industry. This research uses machine learning methods to predict the compressive strength of fly ash-based geopolymer concrete using a wide range of experimental results. Furthermore, the effect of different features, including the components of fly-ash based geopolymer concrete, alkaline activator, and other additives, was investigated utilizing Shapley values technique. The results show that both XGBoost and linear regression models can predict the compressive strength of the studied dataset with acceptable accuracy. In XGBoost approach, values for the train and test data were obtained 0.98 and 0.86, respectively, which leads to more accurate results than linear regression method. Additionally, based on the results, MgO is regarded as the most influential factor in compressive strength compared to other investigated features. Furthermore, the concentration of the alkaline activator, NaOH, positively impacts the target value.

• Wivast, Jennifer; Nyland, Annete; Saeed, Bozorgmehr Nia; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Developing Eco-Friendly Ultra-High Performance Concrete by Utilizing Recycled Alternatives. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This research delves into the integration of economically sustainable materials—Portland limestone cement (PLC) and recycled glass powder (GP)—into ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) formulations. The emphasis is on mitigating UHPC’s reliance on high-cost, high- content of cement, and proprietary additives, which elevate both the expense and environmental impact of infrastructure projects. By evaluating the effects of PLC and GP on the structural performance of UHPC, the study aims to provide affordable, locally sourced, and customizable options. This study investigates the enhancement of UHPC by testing six mortar mixes that contrast the use of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with the more sustainable PLC, enriched with silica fume (SF) and recycled glass powder. The introduction of glass powder notably increased UHPC’s compressive strength, and PLC mixes showed enhanced early strength and reduced shrinkage. This underscores the potential of PLC and recycled glass for making UHPC more sustainable, while highlighting their beneficial roles in enhancing structural properties, marking a stride towards more eco-friendly construction materials.

• Khataei, Behnoosh; Ahmadi, Masoud & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2024). Environmental assessment of fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete containing class-F fly ash. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The rapid growth of cities, particularly in developing regions, is driving a significant increase in concrete demand. However, concrete production is a major environmental concern, releasing high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) due to its dependence on cement. This study investigates the use of class-F fly ash as a partial replacement for cement in self-compacting concrete (SCC) to reduce its environmental impact. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is employed to measure the embodied energy (EE) and global warming potential (GWP) of various fiber-reinforced SCC mixes containing different fly ash replacement ratios. The results emphasize the importance of optimizing the amount of fly ash to achieve a balance between desired mechanical performance and minimized environmental burdens. While the study explores the influence of fiber types, the key finding is that incorporating class-F fly ash demonstrably reduces both GWP and EE in SCC. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of fly ash as a sustainable alternative in SCC production, promoting eco-friendly construction practices without compromising performance.

• Nyland, Annete; Wivast, Jennifer; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Alternative binder materials for sustainable ultra-high performance concrete mixtures. Full text in Research Archive
• Nyland, Annete; Wivast, Jennifer; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Performance characteristics of ultra-high performance concrete made with limestone cement and waste glass. Full text in Research Archive
• Lindersson, Emil; Askari, Mohammed; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Strengthening and repair methodologies for deteriorated reinforced concrete bridges - The Norwegian bridge industry’s perspective. Full text in Research Archive
• Lindersson, Emil; Askari, Mohammed; Shafei, Behrouz & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Practices for restoring reinforced concrete bridges subjected to deterioration: Study of bridges in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Kulturminner og klimaendringer. [TV]. https://tv.nrk.no/se?v=NNFA05112922&t=4206s. Full text in Research Archive
• Farahzadi, Leila; Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (2023). Life Cycle Assessment of Concrete Mixes for Global Warming Mitigation and Carbon Footprint Reduction. Full text in Research Archive
• Farahzadi, Leila & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2023). Preliminary Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Impact Evaluation of RC Bridge Deck: A Case Study in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Prosjektet for å redde kulturminne. [TV]. Nyhetsmorgen på P2 og NRK1 . Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Prosjekt for å redde kulturminner. [Radio]. Radiolangs i NRK P1+ . Full text in Research Archive
• Kheyroddin, Ali; Arabsarhangi, Reza; Shabani, Amirhosein & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Optimal placement of coupling elements of RC shear walls using endurance time method. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Vulnerability Assessment of Roman Bridge: A Case Study. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Using marble waste as a partial aggregate replacement in the development of sustainable self-compacting concrete. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Predicting the elastic modulus of normal and high strength concretes using hybrid ANN PSO. Full text in Research Archive
• Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2022). Internasjonal allianse kan bane vei for nullutslipp fra bygg. [Internet]. https://www.oslomet.no/om/nyheter/internasjonal-allianse-kan. Full text in Research Archive
• Benenato, Armando; Ferracuti, Barbara; Imperatore, Stefania & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). Experimental test on flexural performance of prestressed concrete beams damaged by corrosion. Full text in Research Archive
• Benenato, Armando; Ferracuti, Barbara; Imperatore, Stefania & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). Experimental tests on bond performance between corroded steel reinforcements and concrete. Full text in Research Archive
• Shabani, Amirhosein; Plevris, Vagelis & Kioumarsi, Mahdi (2021). A Comparative Study on the Initial In-plane Stiffness of Masonry Walls with Openings. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Masonry buildings have been used for centuries in various locations around the world, including areas with high seismicity. Studies about the behavior of masonry structural components subjected to lateral loadings and retrofitting techniques for improving their performance have gained much attraction lately. Various simplified methods have been presented in the literature for the seismic vulnerability assessment of masonry buildings. The initial in-plane stiffness of masonry walls is a key parameter which significantly affects the nonlinear backbone curve of the masonry walls as well as their ultimate in-plane strength. Different simplified analytical methods have been proposed for deriving the initial in-plane stiffness of masonry buildings with regular or irregular openings by considering the flexible spandrels that can translate and rotate under lateral load and flexible piers' endings. In the analytical methods, the initial in-plane stiffness of each pier will be computed from the equations by considering the geometry of each component as input. Each structural component is considered as a spring and the stiffness of the whole system is computed based on equations of springs in series or in parallel. The finite element method is considered as a reliable tool for verifying the analytical methods. For this purpose, a homogenization method has been employed for modeling the masonry walls and lateral loads have been applied on the walls with the assumption of linear material to derive the initial in-plane stiffness of the walls. For this purpose, three categories of masonry walls have been considered with one, two, and three openings where the openings' geometries also vary to investigate the effect of opening placements and irregularities on the initial in-plane stiffness of the walls. Afterwards, the stiffnesses computed from the analytical methods are compared with the stiffnesses that have been derived from the finite element analysis to investigate the accuracy of the analytical methods. It is shown that the analytical methods can be utilized for deriving the initial in-plane stiffness of masonry walls with openings, providing fast and accurate solutions in comparison to more detailed and time-consuming finite element implementations.

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