Mosallam and Students Win Best Paper Award

Pictured, from left, are Conference General Chair Brahim El Bhiri, Ms. Aboutajdine, daughter of the late Driss Aboutajdine, Ayman Mosallam and Conference Co-Chair Anis Moumen.

Oct. 13, 2025 - Ayman Mosallam, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and two former doctoral students, Louai Wafa and Ashraf Abed-Elkhalek Mostafa, were recognized with the Driss Aboutajdine Best Paper Award from the International Council of Advanced Technologies for Humanity at the ICATH 25 conference held this past summer in Morocco. Titled "Evaluation of Innovative & Sustainable Fire-Protection Systems for Reinforced Concrete Structures,” the paper addressed a critical safety issue related to fire-resistant materials. 

Many older buildings are strengthened using fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps – like high-tech fabric jackets – to make concrete columns safer during earthquakes But according to Mosallam, there’s a serious catch. “These FRP materials can weaken or even catch fire at temperatures as low as 250-300°C (around 500°F), which are easily reached in building fires or fast-moving wildfires like those in Los Angeles. If the FRP fails, the entire column can lose its added strength, putting the whole structure at risk of collapse.”

The researchers tried several eco-friendly fire-resistant coatings and insulating materials that are effective and sustainable to see which ones could best shield the FRP during a fire. They found that with the right protective system, these strengthened columns can hold up much longer under intense heat. 

“That extra resilience could mean the difference between a building surviving a wildfire or not,” said Mosallam. “And as climate change fuels more frequent and intense fires, solutions like this aren’t just smart engineering – they’re a matter of community safety and peace of mind." 

Wafa is currently an assistant professor at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, and Mostafa is an associate professor at Ahram Canadian University in Egypt.

The Aboutajdine Best Paper Award is presented annually during the ICATH to recognize and celebrate outstanding research work that embodies excellence, innovation and impact. The award honors the enduring influence of Professor Driss Aboutajdine on the research community.

– Lori Brandt

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