Dr Alireza Zabihi
Dr Alireza Zabihi is a structural engineer with academic and industrial experience. He has a research background in earthquake engineering, structural dynamics and the design of structural anchors and fasteners. He is the recipient of Gold and Silver Medals from MIE2013 and MRC-IIE2014 for the innovation of Rubber Wall Damper and MR Damper, respectively. Alireza is currently a structural test engineer and a sessional teaching staff at Swinburne University of Technology. In 2019, he was awarded the Sessional Teaching Excellence Award for his work in providing teaching and learning support to students.
Alireza completed his PhD on seismic retrofitting of limited-ductile reinforced concrete frame buildings. The thesis investigated the feasibility of using the single diagonal haunch with post-installed anchors for improving the seismic performance of vulnerable beam-column joints. Alireza found that this less-invasive and more architecturally-favourable solution can result in reducing the effect of seismic actions on buildings and consequently diminishing casualties.
His thesis is available here.
Student project
Recent earthquake events worldwide have shown the poor performance of limited-ductile reinforced concrete frame buildings, whilst exterior beam-column joint is usually the weakest link in this kind of buildings. This research aims to offer a less-invasive and more architecturally favourable retrofitting technique to enhance the seismic behaviour of the beam-column joint and accordingly whole structure.
