PhD Student Waleed Khan reaches graduation
The Structural Performance & Fluid-Structure Interaction (SP-I) Laboratory is proud to announce that Muhammad Waleed Khan has successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation, "Roadmap for the use of high strength steel in structural masonry," on7/21/2026, completing his doctoral studies in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Houston's Cullen College of Engineering, under the supervision of Dr. Dimitrios Kalliontzis.
Waleed joined the SP-I Lab in September 2021 and quickly became a driving force behind the lab's campaign to modernize U.S. masonry construction through the adoption of high-strength steel reinforcing bars (HSRBs). His dissertation research combined large-scale experimental testing with nonlinear finite-element modeling to establish the flexural, shear, and lap-splice behavior of Grade 80 (550 MPa) deformed bars in partially and fully grouted masonry walls. He further explored the use of fiber-reinforced grout to enhance bond performance between high-strength reinforcement and masonry.
The impact of this work extends well beyond the laboratory. Waleed's experimental findings directly supported the SP-I Lab's successful proposal ballots to The Masonry Society, leading to new provisions in the TMS 402/602 Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures that permit the use of high-strength reinforcing bars in masonry design, a milestone for the modernization of the U.S. masonry industry.
Waleed's doctoral research produced peer-reviewed publications in Structures, the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, and Construction and Building Materials, along with conference papers presented at the 14th North American Masonry Conference and the 15th Canadian Masonry Symposium. Beyond his research, Waleed served as a mentor to junior students in the lab and represented the SP-I Lab at outreach events, including leading student groups at UH Masonry Days.
Following graduation, Dr. Khan will join his alma mater, National University of Sciences & Technology, as an Assistant Professor where he will continue advancing the state of practice in structural engineering and masonry.
The entire SP-I Lab congratulates Dr. Khan on this achievement and thanks him for his dedication, rigor, and collegiality over the past five years. His work leaves a lasting mark on the lab and on masonry design practice in the United States.
