t] Mohamed Al-Hussein, Ph.D., P.Eng, F.ASCE, whose research focuses on the development of industrialized construction methods to transfer construction activities to offsite facilities, where tasks can be automated and tightly scheduled within a climate-controlled environment, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Al-Hussein’s ongoing work in this area includes the prototyping of semiautomated framing machines for wood and light-gauge steel wall panels. This will ultimately create new career opportunities for engineers and technologists, drive the commercialization of exportable automation technologies, and provide a foundation for the market growth of industrialized construction.
Al-Hussein also applies lean and visualization techniques to model work methods and improve productivity. This has included evaluating the degree of ergonomic hazard posed by construction activities and proposing risk mitigation measures (e.g., a research initiative he recently led resulted in a 30% reduction in workers’ compensation premium costs – over $100,000/year – for one of his industry partners). In the area of operational planning, Al-Hussein was part of a team managing daily operations of 75 cranes during the fabrication of bridge components for Canada’s Confederation Bridge.
He also contributed to a complex project in New York – a 22,000-square-foot Long Island residence comprising 108 massive self-supporting precast concrete panels encompassing four pavilions. In another project, he made history in overseeing the planning of the rapid assembly of a five-unit dormitory facility at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The five 3-story units were assembled in just 10 on-site working days. Other recent technological innovations include a now-patented spreader bar and the novel design of a double-jib tower crane for which he performed the analysis and design.
In terms of leadership, Al-Hussein was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Alberta’s Nasseri School of Building Science and Engineering, which was established through a $10 million endowment from one of his industry partners, and he served as founding director. He is also the founder of the Modular and Offsite Construction (MOC) Summit, a globally distinguished conference that provides an active platform for idea exchange and communication for industry leaders and researchers in modular construction.
Al-Hussein has also been prolific in mentoring a new generation of leaders in academia and industry, having supervised to completion 41 Ph.D. students, 80 MSc students, 55 M.Eng students, and 23 postdoctoral fellows. Of his past doctoral and postdoctoral trainees, 21 have gone on to secure faculty positions at leading universities in the United States, Canada, and beyond, another two have gone on to faculty positions at leading polytechnics, and three are senior researchers at the National Research Council of Canada.
In terms of academic impact, Al-Hussein’s research has been published in over 400 papers, and his publications have garnered over 10,000 citations and an h-index of 54.
Other recent recognitions of his contributions include election to the National Academy of Construction (2024), the International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction’s Tucker-Hasegawa Award (2023), and the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering’s Walter Shanly Award (2015).
