Alireza Behnejad

Dr S. Alireza Behnejad

Senior Teaching Fellow
MArch, MSc, PhD, FHEA
+44 (0)1483 683002
33 AA 03
9:00-18:00

Academic and research departments

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Biography

Areas of specialism

Design and Construction of Spatial Structures; Formex Configuration Processing; Structural Performance of Bamboo; Engineering Education; Regularity of Structural Forms; Conceptual Design; Tensile Membrane Structures

University roles and responsibilities

  • Director of the Spatial Structures Research Centre
  • Member of the University Ethics Committee
  • Head of the Organising Committee for the Spatial Structures 2020 Conference
  • Examinations Officer for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • HE6 (Year 3) Year Coordinator for Civil Engineering
  • Manager of the Civil Engineering Annual Lectures

    Affiliations and memberships

    International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS)
    Member of the Executive Council

    Founding Chair of Working Group on Teaching (WG20)
    International Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Symmetry (Symmetry Society)
    Secretary

    Member of the International Advisory Board
    UK Higher Education Academy (HEA)
    Fellow

    News

    17 MAR 2021

    Civil engineering undergraduate Ramsha becomes international author

    04 FEB 2021

    Surrey graduates win international structures award

    07 DEC 2020

    Spatial Structures Research Centre celebrates cutting-edge design

    In the media

    Challenging Students to Design, Assemble and Dismantle
    IStructE Blog
    Design, Assemble and Dismantle (DAD Project)
    Engineering More Resilient Bamboo Homes in the Philippines

    Research

    Research interests

    Research projects

    Research collaborations

    A group of Surrey Undergraduate students during the DAD Project- construction day
    A DAD membrane workshop I ran in 2019 in Shiraz, Iran
    A DAD membrane workshop I ran in 2019 in Emei, China
    A group of Surrey Undergraduate students during the DAD Project- construction day
    A DAD membrane workshop I ran in 2019 in Chengdu, China
    A group of Surrey Undergraduate students during the DAD Project- construction day
    A DAD membrane workshop I ran in 2019 in Mashhad, Iran
    A group of Surrey Undergraduate students during the DAD Project- construction day

    Supervision

    Postgraduate research supervision

    My teaching

    Courses I teach on

    Undergraduate

    Postgraduate taught

    My publications

    Highlights

    Benefits of Full-scale Physical Models in Civil Engineering Education

    Sphere Packing for Regularisation of Lattice Domes

    Publications

    SEYED ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, Martha Godina (2021)Spatial Structures; Movers and Shakers, Volume 2, Issue 2, In: Spatial Structures; Movers and Shakers2(2)
    The Spatial Structures; Movers and Shakers e-magazine is part of a series of activities in preparation for the Spatial Structures 2020/21 conference, which will be held at the University of Surrey. In the spirit of the key theme of ‘Inspiring the next generation,’ this e-magazine aims to reach out and encourage young people to enter the field of spatial structures, as well as to motivate everyone involved in this field. To do this, we celebrate the life, work and achievements of world-leading individuals and organisations in the field of spatial structures. We commend their outstanding contributions to research and education, as well as those in design, fabrication and construction. Each article chronicles one person’s story, and is also based on a written or virtual interview – available through the YouTube channel, ‘SpatialStructures2021’ – that consists of a series of Q&As and a section entitled ‘Your space, your structure’, where they present some of their projects and inspirations. This e-magazine is published by the Spatial Structures Research Centre at the University of Surrey. We hope you enjoy this new publication.
    SEYED ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, Martha Godina Spatial Structures; Movers and Shakers, Volume 2, Issue 12(1) Spatial Structures Research Centre
    SEYED ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, Martha Godina Spatial Structures; Movers and Shakers, Volume 1, Issue 21(2) Spatial Structures Research Centre
    SEYED ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, Martha Godina (2020)Spatial Structures; Movers and Shakers, Volume 1, Issue 11(1) Spatial Structures Research Centre
    The Spatial Structures; Movers and Shakers e-magazine is part of a series of activities in preparation for the Spatial Structures 2020/21 conference, which will be held at the University of Surrey. In the spirit of the key theme of ‘Inspiring the next generation,’ this e-magazine aims to reach out and encourage young people to enter the field of spatial structures, as well as to motivate everyone involved in this field. To do this, we celebrate the life, work and achievements of world-leading individuals and organisations in the field of spatial structures. We commend their outstanding contributions to research and education, as well as those in design, fabrication and construction. Each article chronicles one person’s story, and is also based on a written or virtual interview – available through the YouTube channel, ‘SpatialStructures2021’ – that consists of a series of Q&As and a section entitled ‘Your space, your structure’, where they present some of their projects and inspirations. This e-magazine is published by the Spatial Structures Research Centre at the University of Surrey. We hope you enjoy this new publication.
    Gerard PARKE, S. ALIREZA BEHNEJAD (2013)Z S Makowski: A Pioneer, In: Beyond the Limits of Man. Proceedings of the IASS 2013 Symposium, 23-27 September 2013, Wroclaw, Poland.
    SA Behnejad (2016)Benefits of Full-scale Physical Models in Civil Engineering Education, In: American Society for Engineering Education Conference Proceedings
    Engineering students, usually, show a greater interest in topics which are demonstrated physically rather than those that are explained using the so called ‘chalk and talk’ methods, that is, by oral presentations and blackboard/whiteboard/OHP. Also, students are motivated by hands-on experience and by linking concepts and physical models to real engineering problems. A hands-on project has been designed by the Author for civil engineering students to improve their practical considerations in designing structures. The project is about Design, Assembly and Dismantling (DAD) of a full-scale lattice structure. A specific teaching kit including prefabricated full-scale tubular steel members, as well as required connectors has been designed and manufactured for the DAD Project and the participants design a structure using (all or part of) the provided structural components. The project is modified to suite the participants at different levels, i.e. postgraduate or undergraduate levels. Also, a simpler version has been offered as a part of the ‘University Promotional Programmes’ for secondary school students. This paper provides further information about the background of the DAD Project and discusses the Project in more detail. Also, relevant literature is reviewed and a methodology is proposed to assess the potential benefits of using full-scale physical models as a part of a master degree module offered in the academic year 2015-16. Finally, the outcomes of the research, as well as further recommendations are provided.
    S. ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, MARYAM ZAHEDI (2010)Symmetry in Traditional Persian Poetry, In: The Journal of the International Society for Interdisciplinary Study of Symmetry (ISIS-Symmetry)pp. 16-19
    A great many Persian poems have been composed by many famous or obscure poets throughout the centuries which Persians have learned, memorized and recited throughout their lives. Regardless of their meaning, there are other aspects that make learning these poems simple and pleasant. It seems that the rhythm in traditional Persian poems is an important factor that makes it possible for non-Persian speaking people to enjoy Persian poems. As Marco polo, writes in his itinerary: ‘Persians are people who speak in poetry and walk on beautiful carpets’. Since Poem has a rhythm beyond the usual rhythm of the language, Which is due to the positions of syllables and how they sound, in this study with the help of graphs relating to syllables, we try to analyze the rhythm in different structural types of traditional Persian poems like elegy, lyric, couplet, etc. To this end, using dedicated software developed to analyze the music of poem through transcription of poems; samples of traditional Persian poems are analyzed.
    S. ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, G A R PARKE, Hoshyar NOOSHIN (2015)Teaching Spatial Structures: Who to Teach, What to Teach and How to Teach, In: Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium 2015
    DOI: DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.1291.1841
    The Space Structures Research Centre of the University of Surrey, UK, has been active in offering courses on spatial structures since its establishment in 1963. The courses vary from a day workshop on ‘Design, Assemble and Dismantle a Full-scale Prefabricated Lattice Spatial Structure’ for secondary school students to a core module of the master degree course in structural engineering entitled ‘Space Structures’. Specifically, details about this Space Structures module are discussed in the paper. However, brief explanations about some other courses organised by the Centre are also included.
    S Alireza BEHNEJAD, Gerard PARKE, Hoshyar NOOSHIN (2013)Member Length Regularity of Lattice Domes, In: Symmetry: Art and Science(1-4)pp. 54-57
    The objective of this paper is to investigate the member length regularity of lattice domes. Also, a recently developed configuration for lattice domes generated by Surface Sphere Packing technique is compared to five other lattice dome configurations.
    S ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, G A R PARKE, HOAHYAR NOOSHIN (2013)Sphere Packing for Regularisation of Lattice Domes, In: Beyond the Limits of Man. Proceedings of the IASS 2013 Symposium, 23-27 September 2013, Wroclaw, Poland.
    S. ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, G A R PARKE (2014)Half a Century with the Space Structures Research Centre of the University of Surrey, In: International Journal of Space Structures29(4)pp. 205-214 MULTI-SCIENCE PUBLISHING CO. LTD.
    DOI: 10.1260/0266-3511.29.4.205
    The Space Structures Research Centre was founded by Professor Zygmunt Stanislaw Makowski in 1963. The Centre is a part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. Many different activities have been organised by the Centre since its establishment in areas such as research, publication, teaching, organisation of conferences, as well as, consulting work. This paper outlines the activities of the Centre in the past 50 years and gives an overview of the role of the Centre in the development of spatial structures in the world.
    SA Behnejad, GAR Parke (2015)Z S Makowski: A Pioneer of Space Structures, In: International Journal of Space Structures30(3 - 4)pp. 191-201 Multi-Science Publishing Co Ltd.
    The objective of this paper is to present information about the life, personality and the contributions of Professor Zygmunt Stanislaw Makowski (1922-2005) as a pioneer in the field of Spatial Structures. He was the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Surrey, in the United Kingdom, for 22 years (from 1962 to 1984). Professor Makowski also created the Space Structures Research Centre of the University of Surrey in May 1963, and the work of this Centre, over the years, has won a great deal of international recognition.
    SA Behnejad, GAR Parke (2014)Half a century with the space structures research centre of the University of Surrey, In: International Journal of Space Structures29(4)pp. 205-214 Sage Publications
    DOI: 10.1260/0266-3511.29.4.205
    The Space Structures Research Centre was founded by Professor Zygmunt Stanislaw Makowski in 1963. The Centre is a part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. Many different activities have been organised by the Centre since its establishment in areas such as research, publication, teaching, organisation of conferences, as well as, consulting work. This paper outlines the activities of the Centre in the past 50 years and gives an overview of the role of the Centre in the development of spatial structures in the world.
    S. ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, G A R PARKE (2014)Half a Century with the Space Structures Research Centre of the University of Surrey, In: Proceedings of the IASS 2014 Symposium
    The Space Structures Research Centre was founded by Professor Zygmunt Stanislaw Makowski in 1963. The Centre is a part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. Many different activities have been organised by the Centre since its establishment in areas such as research, publication, teaching, organisation of conferences, as well as, consulting work. This paper outlines the activities of the Centre in the past 50 years and gives an overview of the role of the Centre in the development of spatial structures in the world.
    John F. Abel, R. Sundaram, Olga Popovic Larsen, Alireza Behnejad (2020)Memories of Professor Mamoru Kawaguchi, In: International Journal of Space Structures35(1-2)pp. 7-11 SAGE Publications
    DOI: 10.1177/0956059920909944
    G A R PARKE, S. ALIREZA BEHNEJAD (2014)Zygmunt Stanisław Makowski: A pioneer of space structures, In: Architectus40(4)pp. 33-40 Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Wrocławskiej (Wrocław University of Technology Publishing House)
    DOI: doi:10.5277/ARCHITECTUS
    The objective of this paper is to present information about the life, personality and the contributions of Professor Zygmunt Stanislaw Makowski as a pioneer in the field of Space Structures. He was the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Surrey, in the United Kingdom, for 22 years. Professor Makowski also created the Space Structures Research Centre of the University of Surrey in 1963, and the work of this Centre, over the years, has won a great deal of international recognition.
    S. ALIREZA BEHNEJAD, ARMIN MOTTAGHI RAD, HOSSEIN JAMILI (2012)Traditional Components of Iranian Vernacular Architecture in Contemporary Projects, In: The Journal of the International Society for Interdisciplinary Study of Symmetry (ISIS-Symmetry)(1-2)pp. 24-29
    Iran has a rich history in architecture from at least 5000 BCE. The paper tries to investigate the dominant components of Iranian vernacular architecture in different aspects. This gives a flavour of such architecture by presenting the examples from various periods (Achaemenid, Sasanian and Islamic period) and cities (mostly in central Iran). Specifically, the dominant components related to building materials, structural forms, mechanical elements and architectural ornaments will be introduced. Then, a few contemporary buildings, which applied some of these components, will be informed. Due to the research limitations, the components of nomadic architecture will not be covered in the paper.