First of its kind in UAE

Sharjah, Tuesday, May 15, 2012: The Department of Civil Engineering at American University of Sharjah has recently completed the construction of a strong testing frame, which is the first of its kind in the country. The frame will be used for testing structures subjected to high lateral loads from strong wind or earthquakes.

Added to the department's Structures Laboratory, the frame was designed by Dr. Khaled ElMandooh Galal, who is a visiting Associate Professor at AUS during his sabbatical leave from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. The frame is an updated version of a similar testing frame that he recently designed for use at Concordia.

 "The frame's testing possibilities are numerous", said Dr. Galal. "The United Arab Emirates is consistently experiencing a series of vigorous structural developments in its urban communities, which is accompanied by the need to test and verify the suitability and capacity of several innovative structural systems," said Dr. Galal. "It is important for academia to respond to the fast-paced development in the construction industry in UAE," he added.

"The frame, once it is completed with the installation of its digitally controlled dynamic hydraulic actuators, will become the hub for the construction community and authorities seeking reliable testing for major projects subjected to high vertical and lateral loads. This will also reflect on training of highly qualified undergraduate and graduate civil engineering students at AUS," continued Dr. Galal.

Emphasizing the strategic importance of this frame, Dr. Jamal El-Din Abdallah, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, said, "This testing facility will bring the Structures Laboratory at AUS to be recognized as a world-class testing facility, and will be the first of its kind in the UAE. The frame will also act as an in-house demonstration facility for AUS students in their undergraduate and graduates courses in the area of steel structures and high-strength materials."

As for the design of the frame, Dr. Galal said, "The strong testing frame is different from other existing frames in that it is designed to resist high forces that will be applied to the tested elements, reaching up to 200 tons of vertical force and 50 tons of lateral force, without deflecting a few millimeters. The frame will enable the testing of various structural elements and assemblages, such as bridges, slabs, columns, walls, frames, beam-column connections and footings. The tested structural elements could be made of reinforced concrete, steel, masonry or new composite materials."

About AUS
American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The university was envisaged by His Highness as a leading educational institution in the Gulf region. Located in University City, Sharjah, AUS is a not-for-profit, independent, institution of higher education formed on the American model.

It offers 25 majors and 52 minors at the undergraduate level, and 14 master's degrees through the College of Architecture, Art and Design; the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Engineering; and the School of Business and Management. These programs are designed to meet the challenges of a competitive and dynamic business and industrial environment.

As a provider of quality higher education in the Gulf, AUS is licensed and its programs are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the United Arab Emirates. AUS is also accredited in the United States of America by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Tel +1 215 662 5606) and by the Department of Education of the State of Delaware. All six of the bachelor degree programs in the AUS College of Engineering are accredited by ABET, http://www.abet.org. The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration as well as the Master of Business Administration and Executive Master of Business Administration degrees offered by the School of Business and Management are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), www.aacsb.edu. The Bachelor of Architecture program of the College of Architecture, Art and Design is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) of the United States, www.naab.org.

For more information, please contact:
Miriam Kiwan
Director of Strategic Communications and Media
+971 6 515 1040
mkiwan@aus.edu

Nazzal Yousef
Director of Media Relations
+971 6 515 2157
nyousuf@aus.edu 

© Press Release 2012