Rate My Professor Osama Barakat

Osama Barakat is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada. He started his Ph.D. program in Fall 2023 under the supervision of Associate Professor Liam Butler. Barakat holds a Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Jordan. He currently serves as a Teaching Assistant for undergraduate courses such as CIVL 2150 - Civil Engineering Graphics, supporting student learning in engineering graphics and related fundamentals. Prior to his doctoral studies, he was associated with the American University of the Middle East.

Barakat's research centers on sustainable civil engineering materials and structural performance. He specializes in developing eco-friendly concrete using waste materials including ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, blast furnace slag, and jute fibers. His investigations cover enhancements in tensile, electrical, and permeability characteristics through the addition of micro-fibers and nanoparticles in alkali-activated nanocomposites under ambient curing. Barakat applies machine learning techniques for predicting compressive strength in slag and fly ash-based concretes. Additional expertise includes monitoring buckling in slender members under axial compression, reinforced concrete, structural analysis and health monitoring, smart and composite materials, flexural and seismic retrofitting. His publications, totaling at least four peer-reviewed works with 105 citations, include: "Influence of Jute Fiber on Tensile, Electrical, and Permeability Characteristics of Slag Concrete: A Better, Cheaper, and Eco-Friendly Substitute for Conventional Concrete" (2023), "Development of Eco-Friendly Alkali-Activated Nanocomposites Comprising Micro-Fibers at Ambient Curing Conditions" (2022), "Predicting Compressive Strength of Blast Furnace Slag and Fly Ash Based Sustainable Concrete Using Machine Learning Techniques: An Application of Advanced Decision-Making Approaches" (2022), and "Monitoring and Assessment of Buckling in Slender Members with Irregularities under Axial Compression" (Journal of Structural Engineering, 2023, co-authored with Mina Javankhoshraftar, Martin Noël, and Liam Butler).