Professor Stephen Foster
Dean

Professor Stephen Foster

Engineering
Faculty Unit

Professor and Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Research interest

Level 1: I research the behaviour of structural systems (buildings and bridges) constructed of reinforced and prestressed concrete.

Level 2: I’m particularly interested in bringing new and advanced materials technologies to the engineering of structures. My interests are in the use of high and ultra-high performance concretes, fibre-reinforced concretes and geopolymer concretes and in use of carbon fibre technologies for strengthening and repair of structures and structural systems.

Level 3: I develop physical-mechanical models for use in advanced computational and numerical tools such as FEM and for their use in the study of behaviour of concrete structures that are subjected to extreme events such as overload, fire, impact and blast loading.

Interest in engineering

Why did you get into engineering?

I actually knew I wanted to be an engineer from a very young age. I had a family history; a father who was an engineer, an uncle who was an engineer, and they were positive role models. I was always interested in mathematics and sciences and the built environment; so civil engineering and the delivery of infrastructure always interested me.

What are your research goals?

At the moment I’m looking at modelling for climate change: the behaviour of structures under extreme load states, whether fire, earthquake, or significant wind (e.g. hurricane loading events) that’s where our challenges lie. I’m also focussed on optimisation and design, using materials as efficiently as possible to develop efficient and safe structures.

What do people not understand about you do?

People often don’t understand the link between the role of science in identifying the problem and engineering in delivery of the solution to the problem.

Advice for prospective civil engineers

If you like achieving results for society; delivery of safe water supply, transport and/or structural systems, of dealing with the big issues of sustainability and the development and advancement of society through the solving of problems, then civil engineering is for you.

Lectures/Courses taught

Reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete structures

Structural mechanics and behaviour

Computations and numerical methods

Students

Number currently in lab: 2 PhD students

Number PhD students graduated: 25

Student Projects:

Steel fibre reinforced concrete structures

Fatigue in concrete and steel fibre concrete

Numerical modelling for climate change, including durability

Low carbon and alkali activated binder concrete in structural systems

Use of steel furnace slag in geopolymer and alkali activated binder concretes

On the application of high strength steel in concrete structures

Professional Organisations and Consulting positions

Fellow, Institution of Engineers Australia

Fellow, International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib)

Honorary Member, Concrete Institute of Australia

Honorary Life Member, International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib)

Member, Standards Australia Committee BD2 “Concrete Structures”

Member Standards Committee BD90.5 "Bridge Design - Concrete"

Chairman, Standards Australia Subcommittee BD2/1 “Strength and Analysis”

Chairman, Standards Australia Subcommittee BD2/6 “Fibre Reinforced Concrete”

Chairman, Standards Australia Subcommittee BD2/9 “Geopolymer and Alkali-Activated Binder Concrete”

Member of Presidium, International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib). (2011 - )

Elected Deputy President, International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib). (2021-22)

Member, American Concrete Institute

Member representing BD2, ISO TC 71 “Concrete, Reinforced Concrete, Prestressed Concrete” President

fib Australia National Member Group (2012 - )

Member, Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC) Task Force S6, Fibre Reinforced Concrete.

Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Structural Concrete

Co-Editor and Chief, Computers and Concrete

Awards

Joint-winner, 2006, Faculty of Engineering prize for teaching excellence for the development of ENGG1000 “Design and Innovation”.

Awarded honorary membership Concrete Institute of Australia, 2015, “In recognition of outstanding contribution to the development and use of concrete in Australia”.

Current Grants

2022-2024: ARC Discovery Grant DP220100841, “Connections for Hybrid Steel-Timber-Concrete Structures”, (with H. Valipour), $318,000.

2020-2023: ARC Linkage Grant LP200100531, “Concrete Mixes for Durability: A Hybrid Mathematical Optimisation Approach”, (with A. Nezhad, D. Rey, D. Hocking, A. Hajimohammadi, and F. Moghaddam), $384,100.

2020-2022: ARC Discovery Grant DP200103764, “Mixed Mode Torsion-Shear-Bending Failure in SFRC Elements, $380,000

Education

PhD, The University of New South Wales, 1993.

MEngSc., The University of New South Wales, 1987.

B.E. (Civil) (Hons), New South Wales Institute of Technology, 1983.

 

Phone
(+61 2) 9385 5059
Location
CSE Building (K17) Level 6, Kensington Campus
  • Journal articles | 2022
    Mahmood AH; Afroz S; Kashani A; Kim T; Foster SJ, 2022, 'The efficiency of recycled glass powder in mitigating the alkali-silica reaction induced by recycled glass aggregate in cementitious mortars', Materials and Structures/Materiaux et Constructions, vol. 55, http://dx.doi.org/10.1617/s11527-022-01989-7
    Journal articles | 2021
    Agarwal A; Foster SJ; Stewart MG, 2021, 'Model error and reliability of reinforced concrete beams in shear designed according to the Modified Compression Field Theory', Structural Concrete, vol. 22, pp. 3711 - 3726, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/suco.202100319
    Journal articles | 2021
    Fu J; Bligh MW; Shikhov I; Jones AM; Holt C; Keyte LM; Moghaddam F; Arns CH; Foster SJ; Waite TD, 2021, 'A microstructural investigation of a Na2SO4 activated cement-slag blend', Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 150, pp. 106609 - 106609, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2021.106609
    Journal articles | 2021
    Khalajestani MK; Parvez A; Foster SJ; Valipour H; McGregor G, 2021, 'Concentrically and eccentrically loaded high-strength concrete columns with high-strength reinforcement: An experimental study', Engineering Structures, vol. 248, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.113251
    Journal articles | 2021
    Mahmood AH; Babaee M; Foster SJ; Castel A, 2021, 'Continuous Monitoring of the Early-Age Properties of Activated GGBFS with Alkaline Solutions of Different Concentrations', Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, vol. 33, http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0003997
    Journal articles | 2021
    Mahmood AH; Foster SJ; Castel A, 2021, 'Effects of mixing duration on engineering properties of geopolymer concrete', Construction and Building Materials, vol. 303, pp. 124449 - 124449, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.124449
    Journal articles | 2021
    Mahmood SMF; Foster SJ; Valipour H, 2021, 'Moment redistribution and post-peak behaviour of lightly reinforced-SFRC continuous slabs', Engineering Structures, vol. 232, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.111834
    Journal articles | 2020
    Fu J; Jones AM; Bligh MW; Holt C; Keyte LM; Moghaddam F; Foster SJ; Waite TD, 2020, 'Mechanisms of enhancement in early hydration by sodium sulfate in a slag-cement blend – Insights from pore solution chemistry', Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 135, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2020.106110
    Journal articles | 2020
    Miletić M; Kumar LM; Arns JY; Agarwal A; Foster SJ; Arns C; Perić D, 2020, 'Gradient-based fibre detection method on 3D micro-CT tomographic image for defining fibre orientation bias in ultra-high-performance concrete', Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 129, pp. 105962 - 105962, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2019.105962
    Journal articles | 2018
    Huang Y; Hamed E; Chang ZT; Foster SJ, 2018, 'Time-dependent buckling testing of eccentrically loaded slender high-strength concrete panels', ACI Structural Journal, vol. 115, pp. 41 - 51, http://dx.doi.org/10.14359/51700913
    Journal articles | 2018
    Mahmood SMF; Agarwal A; Foster SJ; Valipour H, 2018, 'Flexural performance of steel fibre reinforced concrete beams designed for moment redistribution', Engineering Structures, vol. 177, pp. 695 - 706, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.10.007
    Journal articles | 2017
    Amin A; Foster SJ; Gilbert RI; Kaufmann W, 2017, 'Material characterisation of macro synthetic fibre reinforced concrete', Cement and Concrete Composites, vol. 84, pp. 124 - 133, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2017.08.018
    Journal articles | 2016
    Castel A; Foster SJ; Ng T; Sanjayan JG; Gilbert RI, 2016, 'Creep and drying shrinkage of a blended slag and low calcium fly ash geopolymer Concrete', Materials and Structures/Materiaux et Constructions, vol. 49, pp. 1619 - 1628, http://dx.doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0599-1
    Journal articles | 2016
    De Burgh JM; Foster SJ; Valipour HR, 2016, 'Prediction of water vapour sorption isotherms and microstructure of hardened Portland cement pastes', Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 81, pp. 134 - 150, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2015.11.009
    Journal articles | 2016
    Moradi M; Valipour H; Foster S, 2016, 'Reserve of Strength in Inverted U-Shaped RC Culverts: Effect of Backfill on Ultimate Load Capacity and Fatigue Life', Journal of Bridge Engineering, vol. 21, http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000800
    Journal articles | 2016
    Noushini A; Aslani F; Castel A; Gilbert R; Uy B; Foster S, 2016, 'Compressive stress-strain model for low-calcium fly ash-based geopolymer and heat-cured Portland cement concrete', Cement and Concrete Composites, vol. 73, pp. 136 - 146, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2016.07.004
    Journal articles | 2016
    Sanchayan S; Foster SJ, 2016, 'High temperature behaviour of hybrid steel–PVA fibre reinforced reactive powder concrete', Materials and Structures/Materiaux et Constructions, vol. 49, pp. 769 - 782, http://dx.doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0537-2
    Journal articles | 2015
    Amin A; Foster SJ; Muttoni A, 2015, 'Derivation of the σ-w relationship for SFRC from prism bending tests', Structural Concrete, vol. 16, pp. 93 - 105, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/suco.201400018
    Journal articles | 2015
    Castel A; Foster SJ, 2015, 'Bond strength between blended slag and Class F fly ash geopolymer concrete with steel reinforcement', Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 72, pp. 48 - 53, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2015.02.016
    Journal articles | 2015
    Huynh L; Foster S; Valipour H; Randall R, 2015, 'High strength and reactive powder concrete columns subjected to impact: Experimental investigation', Construction and Building Materials, vol. 78, pp. 153 - 171, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.01.026
    Journal articles | 2015
    Sanchayan S; Foster SJ, 2015, 'High temperature behaviour of hybrid steel–PVA fibre reinforced reactive powder concrete', Materials and Structures, http://dx.doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0537-2
    Journal articles | 2015
    Valipour H; Vessali N; Foster SJ; Samali B, 2015, 'Influence of concrete compressive strength on the arching behaviour of reinforced concrete beam assemblages', Advances in Structural Engineering, vol. 18, pp. 1199 - 1214, http://dx.doi.org/10.1260/1369-4332.18.8.1199
    Journal articles | 2015
    Voo YL; Foster SJ; Voo CC, 2015, 'Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete Segmental Bridge Technology: Toward Sustainable Bridge Construction', Journal of Bridge Engineering, vol. 20, http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000704
    Journal articles | 2014
    Agarwal A; Foster SJ; Hamed E; Ng TS, 2014, 'Influence of Freeze-Thaw Cycling on the Bond Strength of Steel-FRP Lap Joints', Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 60, pp. 178 - 185, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2013.12.024
    Journal articles | 2014
    Valipour H; Khorsandnia N; Crews K; Foster S, 2014, 'A simple strategy for constitutive modelling of timber', Construction and Building Materials, vol. 53, pp. 138 - 148, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2013.11.100
    Journal articles | 2013
    Balazs GL; Philippe B; Borosnyoi A; Burdet O; Burns C; Ceroni F; Chiorino MA; Debernardi P; Ecifeldt L; El-Badry M; Fehling E; Foster SJ, 2013, 'Design for SLS according to fib Model Code 2010', Structural concrete : journal of the FIB, vol. 14, pp. 99 - 120, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/suco.2012200060
    Journal articles | 2013
    Farhangvesali N; Valipour HR; Samali B; Foster SJ, 2013, 'Development of arching action in longitudinally-restrained reinforced concrete beams', Construction and Building Materials, vol. 47, pp. 7 - 19, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2013.04.050
    Journal articles | 2013
    Muttoni A; Ruiz MF; Bentz E; Foster S; Sigrist V, 2013, 'Background to fib Model Code 2010 shear provisions - Part II: Punching shear', Structural Concrete, vol. 14, pp. 204 - 214, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/suco.201200064
    Journal articles | 2012
    Maya ; Fernández R; Muttoni A; Foster SJ, 2012, 'Punching Shear Strength of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Slabs', Engineering Structures, vol. 40, pp. 83 - 94, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2012.02.009
    Journal articles | 2010
    Voo YL; Foster SJ, 2010, 'Characteristics of ultra-high performance ‘ductile’ concrete and its impact on sustainable', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, vol. 3, pp. 168 - 187, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19373260.2010.492588
    Journal articles | 1998
    Foster SJ; Liu J; Sheikh SA, 1998, 'Cover Spalling in HSC Columns Loaded in concentric compression', Journal of Structural Engineering - ASCE, vol. 124, pp. 1431 - 1437, http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1998)124:12(1431)
  • Conference Papers | 2019
    Faisal Mahmood SM; Foster SJ; Valipour H, 2019, 'Nonlinear FE analysis of steel fibre reinforced concrete continuous beams', in FIB 2018 - Proceedings for the 2018 fib Congress: Better, Smarter, Stronger, pp. 708 - 715
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Mahmood SMF; Foster SJ; Valipour H, 2018, 'Nonlinear FE analysis of steel fibre reinforced concrete continuous beams', in fib Symposium, pp. 708 - 715
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Bradford MA; Hassanieh A; Valipour HR; Foster SJ, 2017, 'Sustainable Steel-timber Joints for Framed Structures', in Procedia Engineering, pp. 2 - 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2017.02.011
    Conference Papers | 2013
    Amin A; Foster SJ; Muttoni A, 2013, 'Evaluation of the tensile strength of sfrc as derived from inverse analysis of notched bending tests', in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Fracture Mechanics of Concrete and Concrete Structures, FraMCoS 2013, Toledo; Spain, pp. 1049 - 1057, presented at 8th International Conference on Fracture Mechanics of Concrete and Concrete Structures, FraMCoS 2013, Toledo; Spain, 11 March 2013 - 14 March 2013
    Conference Papers | 2008
    Voo YL; Foster SJ, 2008, 'Shear strength of steel fiber reinforced ultra-high performance concrete beams without stirrups', in Fibre Reinforced Materials, Singapore, pp. 177 - 184, presented at 5th International Specialty Conference on Fibre Reinforced Materials, Singapore, 28 August 2008 - 29 August 2008, http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000234