Dr. Fawad Ahmed Najam

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

fawad.najam@ubc.ca

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Dr. Fawad A. Najam is a research fellow in the School of Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC Okanagan). His work focusses on the performance-based evaluation of built facilities under extreme loads e.g., severe earthquakes and winds. He studies seismic hazard and vulnerability assessment, nonlinear modelling and seismic analysis of structures, dynamic behaviour of complex systems, and other related aspects of seismic risk. He received a PhD degree in Structural Engineering from Asian Institute of Technology (AIT, Thailand) with the research focused on evaluation of nonlinear seismic demands of high‐rise reinforced concrete buildings using simplified analysis procedures. Before joining UBC, he was serving as an assistant professor of structural engineering at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) (Islamabad, Pakistan).
Dr. Najam holds an experience of over 10 years in the structural modelling, analysis and design of buildings, bridges and other structures. While working at various appointments including structural engineering consultant and research associate at various institutes in Pakistan and Thailand, he has actively participated in various private and public sector research and consultancy projects resulting in improved academia-industry linkages. He has conducted professional trainings for over 1000 professionals in several countries in research areas related to structural analysis, design, dynamic analysis, and nonlinear analysis etc. He has also remained involved in the development of several software and computational tools for structural engineering applications.
Dr. Najam is also the member of primary taskforce and core group formulated by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) for the updation of the Building Code of Pakistan (BCP 2021). He has participated in the development of updated national seismic hazard maps, guidelines for structural design loads, and recommendations for the retrofit of existing buildings in Pakistan. Before this responsibility, he was also the member of the PEC committee and working group for developing the standards and specifications for low-cost prefabricated units.


Research Interests

  • Dynamics of high-rise structural systems
  • Nonlinear modelling of structural components
  • Performance-based seismic assessment of buildings
  • Earthquake engineering, site effects, and ground motion development
  • Seismic hazard and risk analysis, disaster resilience and vulnerability assessment
  • Seismic damage assessment and loss estimation
  • Finite element programming, and software development for structural engineering applications

Current Research Project

  • Title: Innovative Solutions and Technologies for Construction of Sustainable, Resilient, and Cost-effective Buildings in Canada.

  • Project Summary: The future trends of increasing population and urbanization pose severe challenges to governments, industries, and the general public in terms of sustainable, resilient, and cost-effective infrastructure. The issues related to environmental impacts, energy efficiency, resiliency to natural disasters and climate change, and high carbon footprint also contribute to the challenges currently faced by the construction industry and practice. To meet these challenges, the engineering practice needs to shift from conventional structural systems and materials to innovative, high-performance, and sustainable alternatives. There is a need to develop robust, sustainable, and resilient structural components and systems that can exhibit superior performance and limited damage under natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes and storms) while being practical and cost-effective to build. To achieve this overall goal, several innovative solutions will be researched and developed under this project for both low- and high-rise buildings while considering the practicality and construction optimization. In the context of reinforced concrete (RC) high-rise buildings, we will investigate the development of innovative coupling beams and damped outrigger systems to reduce structural and nonstructural damage in core walls. For low-rise buildings, we will develop novel base-isolation systems which will result in a cost-effective building that is resilient to natural disasters (e.g., wind and earthquakes). Through this partnership, UBC and its industrial partners will co-develop innovative devices (e.g., dampers, coupling beams, base isolation mechanisms, etc.) and introduce them in the Canadian industry. The developed solutions will be integrated into the existing practice to target a new market in broader domains of design, manufacturing, and installation of innovative devices in reinforced concrete (RC) buildings in Canada. The use of these innovative solutions will result in reduced cross-sectional sizes in RC buildings, leading to economic benefits and reduced construction materials. Moreover, the use of innovative materials will facilitate sustainable construction with low environmental impacts. The proposed solutions will also provide an opportunity for faster construction without using additional resources and technology. They will also facilitate the architects to devise new shapes and forms of buildings with higher aesthetic value. While contributing toward the long-term goal of achieving earthquake resilience, the outcomes of this research program will also result in an advancing the construction and design practice in Canada.

Education

• Doctor of Engineering in Structural Engineering (2011-2017):

  • School of Engineering and Technology (SET), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. Thesis Title: Evaluation of nonlinear seismic demands of high-rise RC shear wall buildings using simplified analysis procedures.

• Master of Engineering in Structural Engineering (2009-2011):

  • Department of Structural Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan. Thesis Title: Development of strength vs. water-to-cement ratio relationships for concretes made with various types of cements and proposing a mix design method for Pakistan.

• Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (2005-2011):

  • Department of Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, UET Taxila, Pakistan. Thesis Title: Computer-aided structural design and analysis of OPF college building located at Gujrat, Pakistan.

Publications

• Books and Book Chapters:

  • Anwar N., and Najam F. A. “Structural Cross-sections: Analysis and Design”, 1st Edition. ISBN: 9780128044438, Publisher: Elsevier, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2016 (Details: www.amazon.com/Structural-Cross-Sections-Analysis-Design/dp/0128044438)
  • Najam F. A. “Nonlinear Static Analysis Procedures for Seismic Performance Evaluation of Existing Buildings – Evolution and Issues”, Sustainable Civil Infrastructures: Innovative Infrastructure Geotechnology: Facing the Challenges in Structural Engineering, ISBN 978-3-319-61913-2, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-61914-9, July 2017.
  • Suhail S. A., Najam F. A., Nawaz A. “Modeling and Analysis of Soil-Pile Interaction for Dynamic Loading- A Review”, Sustainable Civil Infrastructures: Innovative Infrastructure Geotechnology: Soil Dynamics and Soil-Structure Interaction, ISBN 978-3-319-63542-2, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-63543-9, July, 2017.

• Technical Reports, Codes and Standards:

  • Standardization of Building Codes, Standards and Specifications for Low-Cost (Affordable) Units (SBCP-2021). Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA), Pakistan Council of Architects & Town Planners (PCATP). Online Available at: https://naphda.gov.pk/sbcss.aspx
  • Recommendations and Focus Areas for the Improvement of Building Code of Pakistan (BCP-2007 with Seismic Provisions). Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). Online Available at: http://fawadnajam.com/bcp/
  • Building Code of Pakistan (BCP-2021). Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC). Online Available at: https://pec.org.pk/thinktank/building-code-of-pakistan-thinktank/
  • Nonlinear Modeling and Analysis of RC Buildings using ETABS (v 2016 and onwards). National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). Online Available at: http://fawadnajam.com/nl-etabs/

• Journal Articles:

  • Kiani, U. B. N., Najam, F. A., & Rana, I. A. (2022). The impact of risk perception on earthquake preparedness: An empirical study from Rawalakot, Pakistan. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 76, 102989. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102989. [Impact Factor: 4.842]
  • Rahman, A., Najam, F. A., Zaman, S., Rasheed, A., Rana, I. A. (2021). An Updated Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis of Pakistan. Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering, Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s10518-021-01054-8. [Impact Factor: 2.602]
  • Rahman, A., Rasheed, A., Najam, F. A., Zaman, S., Rana, I. A., Aslam, F., Khan, S. (2021). An Updated Earthquake Catalogue and Source Model for Seismic Hazard Analysis of Pakistan. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Springer Berlin Heidelberg. DOI: 10.1007/s13369-021-05439-4. [Impact Factor: 1.711]
  • Ali, A., Rana, I. A., Ali, A., & Najam, F. A. (2022). Flood risk perception and communication: the role of hazard proximity. Journal of environmental management, 316, 115309. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115309. [Impact Factor: 8.91]
  • Rana, I. A., Sikander, L., Khalid, Z., Nawaz, A., Najam, F. A., Khan, S. U., & Aslam, A. (2022). A localized index-based approach to assess heatwave vulnerability and climate change adaptation strategies: A case study of formal and informal settlements of Lahore, Pakistan. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 96, 106820. DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2022.106820. [Impact Factor: 6.122]
  • Shahid, M., Rana, I. A., Jamshed, A., Najam, F. A., Ali, A., & Aslam, A. (2022). Quantifying the role of social capital for enhancing urban resilience against climate crisis: Empirical evidence from formal and informal settlements of Pakistan. Cities, 130, 103851. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2022.103851. [Impact Factor: 6.077]
  • Mehmood, T, Qureshi, M. I., Najam, F. A., Maqsoom, A., Nawaz, A., Salahuddin, H., Tufail, R. F. (2020). New Nonlinear Modal Decomposition Method for Seismic Analysis of Tall RC Core Wall Buildings. Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil Engineering, E-ISSN 2364-1983, Springer Nature. DOI: 10.1007/s40996-020-00376-y. [Impact Factor: 0.8]
  • Khan, A. A., Rana, I. A., Najam, F. A. (2020). Assessing school safety against natural and human-made hazards: A case study of Gilgit city, Pakistan. Journal of Geography and Social Sciences, 2020, 2 (2), 133-147. University of Balochistan, Quetta, 87300, Pakistan.
  • Najam, F. A., Warnitchai, P., Qureshi, M. I., Mehmood, T. (2019). Simplified Seismic Demand Estimation for Existing Tall Buildings in Thailand. Structures and Buildings, ISSN 0965-0911, E-ISSN 1751-7702, Volume 172 Issue 6, pp. 391-406, DOI: 10.1680/jstbu.16.00088. [Impact Factor: 0.877]
  • Anwar, N., Uthayakumar, A. and Najam, F. A. (2019). Significance of Soil-Structure Interaction in Seismic Response of Buildings. NED University Journal of Research, Special Issue on First South Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering (SACEE’19), Vol. 1. DOI: 10.35453/NEDJR-STMECH-2019-0004.
  • Najam, F. A., Qureshi, M. I., Warnitchai, P., Mehmood, T. (2018). Prediction of Nonlinear Seismic Demands of High-rise Rocking Wall Structures using a Simplified Modal Pushover Analysis Procedure. The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings, ISSN 1541-7808, Volume 27, Issue 15, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. DOI: 10.1002/tal.1506. [Impact Factor: 2.204]
  • Najam, F. A., Warnitchai, P., Qureshi, M. I., Mehmood, T. (2018). A Modified Response Spectrum Analysis Procedure to Determine Nonlinear Seismic Demands of High-rise Buildings with Shear Walls. The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings, ISSN 1541-7808, Volume 27, Issue 1, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. DOI: 10.1002/tal.1409. [Impact Factor: 2.204]
  • Thilakarathna, S. N., Anwar, N., Norachan, P. and Najam, F. A. (2018). The Effect of Wind Loads on the Seismic Performance of Tall Buildings. Athens Journal of Technology and Engineering – Volume 5, Issue 3, Pages 251-276, DOI: 10.30958/ajte.5-3-3.
  • Najam, F. A., Khushnood, R. A., Rizwan, S. A. (2016). Paradigms for Employing Interactive Computing Tools and GUIs in Structural Engineering Problems. International Journal of Engineering and Technology. PP 23-31, ISSN: 1793-823, DOI: 10.7763/IJET.2016.V6.853.
  • Rizwan, S. A., Qureshi, M. A., Najam, F. A. (2013). In-Situ Health Assessment of a Poorly Executed Pre-stressed In-Service Concrete Bridge and Suggesting a Rehabilitation Strategy – A Case Study”, Procedia Engineering, Vol. 54, PP 636-647, ISSN 1877-7058, DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2013.03.058.

Conference Attendance and Presentations:

  • Rahman A., Najam F. A., “Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of Pakistan”, Paper No. C001368, Proceedings of 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (17WCEE), September 2021, Sendai, Japan.
  • Najam F. A., Joshi S., Pandey S., Vasanthapragash N., Warnitchai P. “A response modification analysis (RMA) procedure to determine nonlinear seismic demands of high-rise RC shear wall buildings”, Paper No. C004048, Proceedings of 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (17WCEE), September 2021, Sendai, Japan.
  • Suwal N., Warnitchai P., Najam F. A. “Seismic base isolation of high-rise RC shear wall buildings using lead core rubber bearings”, Paper No. C002008, Proceedings of 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (17WCEE), September 2021, Sendai, Japan.
  • Warnitchai P., Chalise S., Najam F. A. “A modified response spectrum analysis procedure to determine nonlinear seismic demands of low- to mid-rise RC frame buildings with masonry infill walls”, Paper No. C004137, Proceedings of 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (17WCEE), September 2021, Sendai, Japan.
  • Suwal N., Warnitchai P. and Najam F. A. “Seismic Base Isolation of High-rise RC Shear Wall Building using Lead Core Rubber Bearings” Paper 19, NZSEE 2020 Annual Conference, New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, April 2020, Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Anwar N., and Najam F. A. “How Latest Technological Advancements are Transforming the Structural Engineering Profession?”, 10th International Civil Engineering Conference (ICEC-2019) on Technological Transformation of Civil Engineering, February 2019, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Najam F. A., Warnitchai P., Qureshi M. I. and Mehmood T. “A Simplified Modal Pushover Analysis Procedure based on Displacement Modification Approach”, 7th Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 22-25 November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Pandey S., Vasanthapragash N., Warnitchai P. and Najam F. A. “Development of Modal Hysteretic Model for the Seismic Response Analysis of Tall Buildings with RC Shear Walls”, 7th Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 22-25 November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Rajbhandari A. M., Anwar N., Castilo J. and Najam F. A. ”A Machine Learning-based Approach to the Preliminary Design of High-rise Buildings”, Thirteenth International Conference on Computational Structures Technology, September 2018, Barcelona, Spain.
  • Toe N. N. S., Anwar N., Aung T. H. and Najam F. A. “Seismic Loss Estimation of Nonstructural Components Based on Actual Parameters in High-Rise RC Shear Wall Buildings”, Australasian Structural Engineering Conference, September 2018, Adelaide, Australia.
  • Anwar N., Uthayakumar A. and Najam F. A. “Significance of Soil-Structure Interaction in Seismic Response of Buildings”, 7th Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 22-25 November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand
  • Anwar N., and Najam F. A. “Composite Concrete Steel Constructions in Tall Buildings”, 1st International Conference on Concrete and Steel Technology Engineering and Design (CASTED), May 24-26, 2018, Manila, Philippines.
  • Hassan W., Anwar N., Norachan P. and Najam F. A. “The Seismic Performance Evaluation of RC High-rise Buildings Designed to Various Building Codes”, IABSE Conference – Engineering the Developing World, April 25-27 2018, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Anwar N., Muhammad A. I. and Najam F. A. “Construction Monitoring and Reporting using Drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)”, The Tenth International Conference on Construction in the 21st Century (CITC-10), July 2nd-4th, 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  • San H. S., Anwar N. and Najam F. A. “Optimum Span Length for Steel Composite Girder Expressway Bridges”, The Tenth International Conference on Construction in the 21st Century (CITC-10), July 2nd-4th, 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  • Rajbhandari A. M., Anwar N. and Najam F. A. “The use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for the Preliminary Design of High-rise Buildings”, Eccomas Proceedia, 6th ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering (COMPDYN 2017), 15-17 June 2017, Pages 3949-3962, Rhodes Island, Greece.
  • Najam F. A. and Warnitchai P. “A Modified Response Spectrum Analysis Procedure to Determine Nonlinear Seismic Demands of High-Rise Buildings with Shear Walls”, 16th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (16WCEE), Santiago Chile, January 9th-13th 2017, Paper No. 1468.
  • Warnitchai P., Mehmood T., Suwansaya P., Najam F. A. “Seismic Performance Evaluation of Tall Buildings using Modal Decomposition Approach”, 6th Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering (6ACEE), September 22-24, 2016, Cebu City, Philippines.
  • Najam F. A. and Warnitchai P. “The Evaluation of Nonlinear Seismic Demands of RC Shear Wall Buildings using a Modified Response Spectrum Analysis Procedure”, Proceedings of the International Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics (ICESD), 12-14 June 2017, Reykjavik, Iceland.
  • Zain M., Anwar N., Najam F. A. and Mehmood T. “A Simplified Methodology for Seismic Fragility Assessment of Reinforced Concrete High-rise Buildings”, Proceedings of the International Conference on Earthquake engineering and Structural Dynamics (ICESD), 12-14 June 2017, Reykjavik, Iceland.
  • Zar Oo C. T., Anwar N., Aung T. H., Najam F. A. “The use of Linear Time History Analysis (LTHA) instead of Response Spectrum Analysis (RSA) for the Seismic Design of High-rise RC Shear Wall Buildings”, The 15th East Asia-Pacific Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction (EASEC-15), 11-13 October 2017, Xian, China.
  • Najam F. A. and Warnitchai P. “A Modified Response Spectrum Analysis (MRSA) Procedure to Evaluate the Nonlinear Seismic Demands of Tall Buildings”, The 15th East Asia-Pacific Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction (EASEC-15), 11-13 October 2017, Xian, China.
  • Nirman S., Anwar N., Norachan P., Najam F. A. “Effect of Wind Loads on the Seismic Performance of Tall Buildings”, 2nd Annual International Conference on Structural Engineering and Mechanics, 9-22 June 2017, Athens, Greece.
  • Rajbhandari A. M., Anwar N. and Najam F. A. “The use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for the Preliminary Design of High-rise Buildings”, 6th ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering (COMPDYN 2017), 15-17 June 2017, Rhodes Island, Greece.
  • Anwar N. and Najam F. A. “Progression of Structural Design Approaches: Working Stress Design to Consequence-Based Engineering”, International Conference on Structural Engineering, ISCE – 2015, Society of Structural Engineers, Pages 13-25, Society of Structural Engineers, Sri Lanka, ISBN: 978-955-9347-17-8.
  • Anwar N., Aung T. H. and Najam F. A. “Smart Systems for Structural Response Control – An Overview”, 5th ASEP Convention on Concrete Engineering Practice and Technology (a. concept 16), May 19-20, 2016, Manila, Philippines.
  • Anwar N., Najam F. A., Aung T. H. and Norachan P. “From Performance to Resilience A Recent Account of Seismic Design Philosophy”, 5th ASEP Convention on Concrete Engineering Practice and Technology (a. concept 16), May 19-20, 2016, Manila, Philippines.
  • Najam F. A., Rizwan S. A. and Khushnood R. A. “Developing knowledge-based computational tools using MATLAB Novel applications in Concrete Materials Technology”, The second International Conference on Advances in Chemically-activated Materials (CAM 2014-China), E-ISBN: 978-2-35158-142-1, Pages 175-183, RILEM Publications, ISBN: 978-2-35158-141, Bagneux, France, 2014
  • Najam F. A., Rizwan S. A. “Development and Automation of an Empirical Mix Proportioning Method for concretes with Indigenous Aggregates and Cements of Pakistan”, International conference on Advanced Concrete Technology & its Applications (ACTA-2012), Islamabad, Pakistan, 6-7 November 2012.
  • Rao A. K, Giuseppe A. F, Sajjad A. and Najam F. A. “A Comparative Study on Highway Bridge Barriers Reinforced with Steel And GFRP Bars”. 72nd Annual Session of Pakistan Engineering Congress, Paper No. 742, Pages 197-224, 2013.
  • Khushnood R. A, Najam F. A. and Sabir Z. A. “Retrofitting of Existing Columns of Buildings and Bridges Using Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Sheets”. The 8th Central European Congress on Concrete Engineering and Durability of Concrete Structures, Plitvice Lakes, Croatia, October 4th 6th 2012.

Invited Talks/Seminars

  • Najam F. A. “Issues and Challenges in Earthquake Risk Reduction in Pakistan”, PSCE Technical Lecture – 32 (Online), 10th July 2021, Pakistan Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE), Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Najam F. A. “The Scope of Performance-based Seismic Design of Structures in Pakistan”, PSCE Technical Lecture – 25 (Online), 14th November 2020, Pakistan Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE), Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Najam F. A. “An Introduction to Performance-based Design in Pakistan”, CPD Seminar, 11th December 2018, Swedish College of Engineering and Technology (SCET), Wah Cantt, Pakistan.
  • Najam F. A. “Are We Prepared Enough to Handle the Next “Big One”, International Seminar and Hands-on Training Workshop on Seismic Performance and Health Assessment of Structures, 18th September 2018, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Najam, F. A. “The Scope of Performance-based Design in Pakistan”, International Seminar and Workshop on Performance-based Seismic Design of Tall Buildings, 20th April 2018, NED University of Engineering and Technology (NEDUET), Karachi, Pakistan.
  • Najam, F. A. and Warnitchai, P. “A Modified RSA Procedure to Determine Nonlinear Seismic Demands of Buildings”, International Seminar on “Design of Tall Buildings: Trends and Advancements for Structural Performance”, 7-11 November 2016, Sofitel, Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Najam, F. A. and Warnitchai, P. “Estimating the Nonlinear Seismic Demands of High-rise RC Shear Wall Buildings using the MRSA Procedure”, International Seminar and Workshop on “Design of Tall Buildings” 24-25 April 2017, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Najam, F. A. Panel discussions on road and transport infrastructure in Jakarta, Indonesia.   International Student Conference 2015 on “Sustainable Urban and Human Settlements: Creating a Smart City for All” 16-25 January, 2015. Bandung, Indonesia. 
  • Najam, F. A. and Warnitchai, P. “A Modified Response Spectrum Analysis Procedure” Research Exhibition by the AIT Student Union at Conference Centre, November 2016, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.
  • Najam, F. A. and Warnitchai, P. “How safe are our buildings?” Research Exhibition by the AIT Student Union at Conference Centre, August 2015, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.

Public Education, Magazine Articles and Media-related Activities

  • I have a YouTube channel named “Understanding Structures with Fawad Najam” and frequently develop online learning content for my students and practicing engineers related to structural modeling, analysis and design.
  • I maintain an educational website named “www.structurespro.info” for public education in the areas of structural modeling, analysis, and design. This website also serves as a platform to disseminate my educational resources, online classes, and other related content.
  • I maintain a personal blog/website named “www.fawadnajam.com” for disseminating my routine lectures, handouts, class demonstrations, quizzes, assignments and other academic content.
  • Najam F. A. “The Science of Earthquakes”, MIT Technology Review (Pakistan), October 8, 2017,  http://www.technologyreview.pk/the-science-of-earthquakes/
  • Najam F. A. “12 Years After the October Earthquake, Is Pakistan Prepared to Handle Another ‘Big One’?”, MIT Technology Review (Pakistan), October 8, 2017,
  • http://www.technologyreview.pk/12-years-october-earthquake-pakistan-prepared-handle-another-big-one/
  • Najam F. A. “When will the next Big One Come?” Express News (in Urdu Language), October 18, 2017, https://www.express.pk/story/968021/
  • Anwar N. and Najam F. A. “A Well-kept Secret in Structural Design: Importance of Ductility in Structural Performance Analysis”, Technology – Asian Outlook on Engineering and Technology (M43-1215) published by AIT Solutions, AIT, ISSN 2286-9158, October 2017, Thailand.
  • Anwar N., Najam F. A. “Consequence-based Engineering Approach towards Earthquake Disaster Mitigation”, Technology – Asian Outlook on Engineering and Technology (M43-1215) published by AIT Solutions, AIT, ISSN 2286-9158, December 2015, Thailand.
  • Anwar N., Aung T. H., Najam F. A. “Smart Systems for Smart Structures”, Technology – Asian Outlook on Engineering and Technology (M44-1014-0215) published by AIT Solutions, AIT, December 2016, Thailand.
  • Anwar N., Aung T. H., Najam F. A. “From Prescription to Resilience: Innovations in Seismic Design Philosophy”, Technology – Asian Outlook on Engineering and Technology (M44-1014-0215) published by AIT Solutions, AIT, December 2016, Thailand.

Professional Activities and Affiliations

  • Professional Engineer (PE), Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), License No. Civil/29188, 2020
  • HEC Approved PhD Supervisor, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, 2019
  • Associate and Member, Pakistan Society of Civil Engineers, (PSCE) Pakistan, 2021
  • Member, American Society of Civil Engineers, (ASCE) USA, (M/472537), 2005 
  • Member, Institution of Civil Engineers, (ICE) UK, (M/63744520), 2005
  • Member, American Concrete Institute, (ACI) USA, (M/01177805), 2009
  • Member, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) Taskforce for the updation of Building Code of Pakistan, 2021

Honors & Awards

  • Recipient of the “Best School Teacher Award” (out of 55 PhD faculty members) for the year 2021 in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE) at National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan. Also nominated for the best university teacher award (BUTA) for the year 2020-2021.
  • Represented Pakistan in 46th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2005) in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
  • Won Higher Education Commission (HEC) Scholarship for PhD studies at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. 4.00/4.00 CGPA.
  • Won NUST Indigenous Scholarship for Masters Degree Program at National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Selected in top 6 students from all over Pakistan after competing in a series of Camps held in School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS), Government College University (GCU), Lahore, Pakistan
  • Got top position in Design Phase of Humanitarian Shelter Design Contest (HSSDC) organized by American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), in 2008
  • Won Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) Merit Scholarship twice for Matriculation (2001-2003) and FSc. (2003-2005)
  • Won University Merit Scholarship thrice in BSc. Civil Engineering (2005-2009)
  • Selected first in top 15 Students from all over Pakistan in Aptitude tests of STEM Careers Project held by Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)
  • Selected to Attend the 1st meeting of Nobel Laureates with Pakistani Students/Young Scholars in Islamabad (March 27-31, 2006)

Courses and Certificates

In last five years, I have taught following courses at undergraduate [BS] and graduate [MS] level at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.

  1. Fall 2021, 2020, 2019 – CE 809 – Structural Dynamics [MS]
  2. Fall 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 – CE 412 – Design of Concrete Structures [BS]
  3. Spring 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018 – CE 897 – Performance-based Seismic Design of Buildings [MS]
  4. Summer 2022, Spring 2020, 2019, 2018 – CE 416 – Earthquake Engineering [BS]
  5. Summer 2018 – CE 206 – Structural Analysis [BS]
  6. Summer 2018 – CAD using CSI ETABS 2016 [BS]
  7. Fall 2017 – CE 101 – Engineering Mechanics [BS]

I have also taught the following courses in the “Professional Masters in the Structural Design of Tall Buildings (PMTB)” at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand. It is a graduate degree program offered by AIT in a hybrid learning mode (i.e., a mix of online lectures and face-to-face learning).

  1. Fall 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 – CE 75.02 – Structural Dynamics for Tall Buildings [PMTB]
  2. Fall 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 – CE 75.03 – Earthquake Engineering for Tall Buildings [PMTB]
  3. Spring 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 – CE 75.04 – Wind Engineering for Tall Buildings [PMTB]

Professional and Industrial Experiences

List of research grants & sponsored projects

  • Development of Practical Guidelines for the Design and Performance Evaluation of High-rise RC Walls with Damped Outriggers
  • Innovative solutions and technologies for construction of sustainable, resilient, and cost-effective reinforced concrete buildings in Canada
  • Development of Innovative Steel-reinforced Coupling Beams (SRCBs): Experimental Evaluation, Numerical Modeling, and Practical Design Recommendations.
  • Research-based Habitat Planning for a Resilient Ishkoman Valley through Modelling and Assessment of Remote Sensing and In-valley Hazards     
  • Seismic Performance Evaluation of low-rise Buildings made with Interlocking Compressed Earth Blocks.
  • Nonlinear Modeling and Analysis of EMAAR Panorama (48-storey, Mixed Occupancy Building)
  • Structural Analysis and Design Review of Kaur Complex (13-storey, Mixed Occupancy RC Building) Located in Peshwar, Pakistan.
  • Structural Analysis and Design Review of a 3-Bed Apartment Building (G+9) Located in Section B – Askari 11, Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Non-destructive Testing of Damaged Foundation of Siemens Steam Turbine (G-13 for 415 MW CCPP TPS) Located at Guddu Power Station, District Kashmore, Pakistan.
  • Structural Evaluation and Retrofit Design of an Overhead Water Tank (50,000 gallons) at Falcon Complex, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
  • Site-specific Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) of Apartments Site under Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme, Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Performance-based Seismic Evaluation of Existing Low- to Mid-rise Buildings in Pakistan.
  • Site-specific Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) and its Design Implications at Pakistan Gulpur Hydropower Project, District Kotli, AJK.
  • Material- and Component Level Evaluation and Testing of Baltit Fort, Hunza, Pakistan.
  • Finite Element Analysis of 3-D Masonry Structures for Crack Prediction using Continuum and Discrete Models.
  • Assessing Physical and Infrastructural Vulnerability to Urban Flooding: A Case Study of Pakistan.
  • Gap Analysis of NDMA’s Institutional Capacity in Disaster Preparedness and Response.
  • Structural Performance Based Evaluation of Shangri-La at The Fort, Philippines.
  • Testing and Evaluation of CSI ETABS 2013.
  • Testing and Evaluation of CSI PLANT.
  • Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment for Metro Manila, Philippines.
  • Strategy and Master Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction of Schools in Nepal: Capacity Development for School Sector Program Implementation.
  • Seismic Assessment and Mitigation of Seismic Risk in Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Structural Analysis and Design of Flyover Bridge at Okokomaiko, Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Review of Draft Myanmar National Building Codes (MNBC).
  • In-situ Health Assessment and Load Test of a Pre-stressed Concrete Bridge in District Sialkot, Pakistan.

Services to community

Academic and Administrative Services

  • Head of the “Curriculum Review Committee” at NUST Institute of Civil Engineering (NICE), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). January 2022 – September 2022.
  • Member of the “Curriculum development team” for Professional Masters in the Structural Design of Tall Buildings (PMTB) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Coordinator for the “Outcome-based Education (OBE) at NICE/NUST, Pakistan (September 2021 – September 2022).
  • Mentor for newly inducted faculty at NICE/NUST, Pakistan (August 2021 – September 2022).
  • Member Faculty Board of Studies (FBS) at NICE/NUST, Pakistan (September 2021 – September 2022).
  • Coordinator for “Final Year Projects” at the Department of Structural Engineering at NICE/NUST, Pakistan (April 2019 – September 2022).
  • Internal member of the “Program Advisory Council” for undergraduate degree program at NICE/NUST, Pakistan (January 2022 – present).
  • University’s Duty Officer for COVID-19 SOPs at NICE/NUST, Pakistan (August 2020 – September 2022).

Community Services

  • Mentor of undergraduate students (a group of 10 students) at NICE/NUST to address their extra-curricular issues and provide necessary counseling. 2018 – 2022.
  • Regular Guest Lecturer on Community Services Module offered to undergraduate students of NICE/NUST. 2021 – 2022.
  • Cultural Coordinator of the Pakistan Student Association (PSA) at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. 2012 – 2013.
  • Member UET Blood Donor Society. University of Engineering and Technology (UET, Taxila). 2005 – 2009.

Personal Interests

  1. Developing online training content for my YouTube Channel (Understanding Structures with Fawad Najam)
  2. Writing Blogs, Magazine Articles and Social Media Activities (www.fawadnajam.com)
  3. Maintaining an educational website (www.structurespro.info)
  4. Photography, Videography, Cinematography and related Art Fields
  5. Tourism and Participation in Literary Activities, Competitions, Cultural Festivals etc.
  6. Working with different Blood Donor Societies, A Devoted Regular Donor.