In its commitment to provide engineering students and industry practioners the latest knowledge in technology advancements, American University of Sharjah (AUS) opened the 2012 Symposium for Buildings, Bridges and Geotechnical Engineering today, Thursday, March 29, in the AUS Main Building. The symposium will continue on Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1, 2012.

The symposium will feature technical sessions related to structural engineering and geotechnical engineering, providing both theoretical and practical approaches. The use of finite element methods will also be introduced in conjunction with critical aspects to be integrated in the design of tall buildings, segmental bridges and foundation design for such structures.

Attendees will learn about advances in engineering tall buildings, segmental bridges and foundation design reflecting construction sequence. A new approach to foundation design reflecting soil-structure interaction will be emphasized. In addition to learning specific engineering methods for individual disciplines, structural engineers will learn the practice of geotechnical engineers and vice versa for geotechnical engineers through formal interactions.

Several renowned international speakers from the Unites States and Canada with varied academic and industry experience will share their knowledge on buildings, bridges and geotechnical matters in engineering.  
"We are very excited to host this event and strongly believe that it will greatly enhance the knowledge base of engineering students and practitioners in the industry," said Rami Mahfouz, Outreach Manager for the Engineering Outreach Program at AUS.  

MIDAS Information Technology Company, a software development company that specializes in civil, structural and mechanical engineering software development as well as analysis and design support, will showcase for the first time in the UAE the capabilities of its software in addressing design and build issues that engineers may come across during the project lifecycle. MIDAS is a platinum sponsor for the event.

"Having such collaborations with leading companies such as Midas will not only provide the tools to prepare our students for successful careers but also open various venues of collaboration with engineering firms and engineers," said Dr. Yousef Al-Assaf, Dean of the College of Engineering. "AUS would like to play a major role in supporting engineers in the UAE and this symposium is one of the activities to achieve that goal."

"By all of us collaborating together- that is MIDAS, Society of Engineers in the UAE and American University of Sharjah-we are assisting engineers in enhancing their skills and competence. Mastering the most up-to-date tools and software gives the participants a competitive edge in the current economic setup," said Dr. Mohammad AlHamaydeh, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at AUS.