Bringing together researchers and industry to advance assessment, monitoring, and service life extension of infrastructure.

Organised by Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Kashani as part of the Horizon Europe MSCA-funded REVIVE project, this day-long technical workshop bridges the gap between academic research and practical infrastructure management. The event features presentations from consortium partners, infrastructure owners, and industry representatives, focusing on the latest developments in vulnerable reinforced concrete infrastructure.

Key topics and discussions include:

• Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

• Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, and Digital Twins

• Infrastructure Asset Management and Service Life Prediction

Dr. Mehdi Kashani recently represented the University of Southampton’s National Infrastructure Laboratory at the 13NCEE, organized by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. Partnering with Dr. Evangelia Georgantzia from the University of Bristol’s SoFSI Laboratory, the collaboration showcased the UK's leading experimental structural engineering research on a global stage.

Their joint presentations highlighted how combining experimental, analytical, and computational approaches can directly address the structural challenges of both ageing and future infrastructure systems. The team delivered four critical papers covering resilient and sustainable engineering:

• Demountable and Resilient Structural Systems Inspired by the Human Spine: Toward Sustainable Earthquake Engineering

• Experimental Verification and Probabilistic Assessment of Drift Capacities in Ageing Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers

• Flexural Behaviour of Hollow and Concrete-Filled Aluminium Beams Under Cyclic Loading: An Experimental Study

• Evaluating the Response of Ageing RC Bridge Piers to the 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquake Using Bouc-Wen Hysteretic Models

PhD researcher Saba Ghassemi recently presented her latest experimental findings at the 7th fib (International Federation for Structural Concrete) Congress. Her presentation, titled "Experimental Investigation of Corrosion Effects on the Structural Performance of Reinforced Concrete Slabs," detailed the physical structural behaviour of corroded infrastructure components.

Engaging directly with leading international researchers and industry professionals, the session highlighted critical advancements in structural concrete durability, service life extension, and long-term infrastructure resilience. This experimental work is a core component of her ongoing PhD research, conducted under the supervision of Dr. Mehdi Kashani and Prof. William Powrie.

More detail: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/saba-ghassemi-77b824271_civilengineering-reinforcedconcrete-corrosion-activity-7474173274491502592-6fcq?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAADRpEz4BQfU1SvG2AD0qFOQ1yzI9yXo34qI

PhD researcher Saba Ghassemi was recently honoured with the Young Researcher Conference Award at the prestigious IStructE People and Papers Awards 2026. Hosted by The Institution of Structural Engineers, the event celebrates outstanding excellence and innovation across the structural engineering community.

Saba received the award in the presence of IStructE President Brian Uy and Chief Executive Yasmin Becker. This significant recognition highlights the impact of her ongoing PhD research and the group's broader commitment to advancing civil and structural engineering. Her research is conducted at the University of Southampton’s School of Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Mehdi Kashani and Prof. William Powrie.

More detail: https://www.istructe.org/resources/news/people-and-papers-awards-2026/

The research group is pleased to announce that the REVIVE proposal (Non-destructive Evaluation and Service Life Extension of Vulnerable Reinforced Concrete Infrastructure) has successfully secured €1,027,050.00 in funding under the EU Horizon Europe MSCA Staff Exchanges programme.

Coordinated by Dr. Mehdi Kashani as the consortium lead, this ambitious project unites an outstanding international team of researchers and industry practitioners. REVIVE aims to advance AI-enabled non-destructive evaluation, structural health monitoring, digital twins, and sustainable solutions specifically targeted at ageing bridges and tunnels. The ultimate goal is to deliver tangible impacts on infrastructure safety, resilience, and decarbonisation.

This successful grant acquisition reflects a major collaborative effort across several partner institutions. The project will fundamentally transform how Europe assesses, manages, and extends the service life of vulnerable infrastructure, making it safer, smarter, and more sustainable.

More detail: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101299364

Dr. Mehdi Kashani has been awarded the prestigious John Henry Garrood King Medal 2025 by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The award recognizes the high-impact research detailed in the paper, "A lumped plasticity model for corrosion-damaged reinforced concrete columns," published in the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Bridge Engineering.

This significant recognition highlights the group's ongoing commitment to advancing the engineering community's understanding of structural resilience and durability. The work directly addresses the critical, real-world challenges of managing ageing infrastructure in the face of climate-related impacts. The award-winning research was conducted in close collaboration with co-authors Hamed Roohbakhsh, Afshin Kalantari, and Dr.-Ing. Akanshu Sharma.