Applied Laboratory for Advanced Materials & Structures
ALAMS
Resilient and sustainable structures
The Applied Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Structures (ALAMS) is a research group in the School of Engineering at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus, led by Dr. M. Shahria Alam. Its research focuses on resilient and sustainable civil infrastructure, including shape memory alloys and smart materials in earthquake engineering; seismic resilience, rehabilitation, and retrofit of structures and bridges; low-carbon and sustainable construction materials; and performance-based, life-cycle, and machine-learning-based design.
Recent Highlights
Horst Leipholz Medal
Dr. Alam received the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering’s Horst Leipholz Medal — one of the society’s highest honours — recognizing outstanding contributions to engineering mechanics research and practice in Canada.
Fellow, Engineering Institute of Canada
Dr. Alam was elected a Fellow of the EIC, adding to his elected Fellowships of the ASCE and CSCE in 2024.
Killam Faculty Research Prize
Dr. Alam received UBC’s Killam Faculty Research Prize — awarded to just ten UBC researchers each year for outstanding research making a significant impact — recognizing his work on durable, resilient, and more sustainable construction materials.
Research Areas
Smart Materials & Shape Memory Alloys
Shape memory alloys and smart materials in earthquake engineering.
Seismic Resilience & Rehabilitation
Seismic resilience, rehabilitation, and retrofit of structures and bridges.
Green & Low-Carbon Construction
Low-carbon and sustainable construction materials.
Performance-Based & Data-Driven Design
Performance-based, life-cycle, and machine-learning-based design.
Research supported by NSERC, Mitacs, NRC, and Public and Private Industry Partners.
Featured Publications
- Hybrid machine learning-enabled multivariate bridge-specific seismic vulnerability and resilience assessment of UHPC bridges
- Self-centering steel structures for seismic resilience: a critical review of the latest trends and future needs
- High-performance mortars incorporating copper–molybdenum mine tailings: mechanical and durability characteristics