The Sustainable Construction Materials and Structural Systems (SCMASS) group at the University of Sharjah, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is a focused group composed of accomplished faculty members with research interests in the area of sustainable and novel construction materials and structural systems. The group is committed to undertaking impactful research for the benefit of the local and international community.

The group members are actively involved in funded research projects and Master and PhD supervision. The group has partnered with several national and international organization to conduct sponsored research.

The group research activities cover various areas of Civil and Structural Engineering and has a holistic approach towards the use of integrated experimental testing, analytical methods and numerical simulation. SCMASS envisions two major research tracks consisting of a series of projects involving industry partners, faculty members, research fellows, and graduate students. These research tracks involve different integral research components such as durability of construction materials, advanced cement-based composites, low-carbon cementitious binders, advanced polymer-based materials, structural applications using emerging advanced composite materials, rehabilitation of structures, seismic assessment of metal, concrete and composite structures, innovative structural systems and components for seismic applications. The research is carried out using rigorous and advanced analytical and experimental techniques in line with the projects' requirements. The two research lines are as follows:
 

 1. Sustainable Construction Materials:

This research line intends to develop and promote sustainable, durable, and high-performance construction materials that meet the new and emerging needs for sustainable structural systems. The research line will focus on the development and characterization of advanced construction materials like high-performance fiber reinforced concrete (HPFRC), fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP), low-carbon cementitious binders, engineered cementitious composites (ECC), and integration of such materials for structural applications, including upgrading and retrofitting of existing structures. Furthermore, this line will include research to improve recycled and reclaimed materials in the construction industry.

 2. Sound and Sustainable Structural Systems:

This research line intends to promote sustainable and long-lasting structures under severe loads and environmental conditions. Of particular interest are research activities focusing on seismic-resilient systems, blast- and impact-resistant structures, and novel energy dissipation and isolation materials and devices. This research line involves designing, testing, evaluating, and analyzing structural systems/components, including buildings and bridges that incorporate new and emerging composite and high-performance materials under static, dynamic, impact, blast, and cyclic loading.

The research group has several lab facilities at its disposal including the Materials and Structural Engineering lab and the Advance Materials Lab​.