Speaker’s Bio
Dr. Hany El Naggar, Ph.D., P.Eng., is a Professor of GeoStructural/Geotechnical Engineering at Dalhousie University with more than 25 years of experience in civil construction, geotechnical and structural engineering and research in Canada and overseas. He has participated in several geotechnical and structural investigations and is experienced in the analysis and design of foundations and soil-structure interaction of buried infrastructure. Dr. El Naggar and his research team have investigated the SSI effects around buried infrastructure and explored innovative uses of tire derived aggregate (TDA) as a buffer zone to create stress arching and reduce demand on rigid pipes and culverts. They also proposed an earth pressure reduction system using a geogrid-reinforced platform bridging system to reduce stresses on buried utilities and studied the effects of high-rise buildings on pre-existing tunnels. Likewise, they conducted several slope stability assessments for high embankments and dams and developed a new sand-coated glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) pile with an enhanced friction performance. Dr. El Naggar's research findings have been reported in more than 200 technical publications covering both experimental and numerical work in the fields of SSI, resilient buried infrastructure, and concrete pipes. Dr. El Naggar’s pioneering work on the seismic performance of corrugated steel plate culverts led to important revisions in the seismic provisions of the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC, 2019), ensuring safer and more resilient infrastructure across Canada and the world. Dr. El Naggar’s influence extends further with his contributions to the 5th edition of the Canadian Foundation Engineering Manual (CFEM, 2023), where he introduced a new pile design procedure. This innovation greatly improved the consistency of pile capacity calculations among different designers, reducing discrepancies and fostering more reliable designs. Likewise, his research on the modelling of buried concrete structures, particularly rigid pipes, has been recognized as a best-practice example in CHBDC (2019). Dr. El Naggar's contributions have received international recognition, culminating in the prestigious 2024 G. Geoffrey Meyerhof Award from the Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS), honouring his outstanding contributions to soil mechanics and foundation engineering.