in January 2018, Dr. Foruzanmehr joined the University of Ottawa, where he teaches civil engineering materials-related courses and conducts research in the Department of Civil Engineering. His research focuses on development of sustainable building materials using local natural resources, to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions from the building materials manufacturing industry, which currently account for 6% of the country’s emissions.
Dr. Foruzanmehr’s work highlights the use of lignocellulosic materials, including wood and natural fibres. His research has boosted the performance of lignocellulosic materials in polymer and cementitious composites, improving their durability, mechanical properties and compatibility with matrix materials. This supports the development of environmentally-friendly materials for construction applications.
A key area of Dr. Foruzanmehr’s work is the development of lime-activated pozzolanic binders using locally-resourced waste materials. These innovative binders provide a sustainable alternative to conventional cement, reducing the environmental footprint while promoting the use of readily-available waste streams.
Building on this work, Dr. Foruzanmehr’s research also focuses on developing high-performance lignocellulosic-incorporated polymer and cementitious composites. These composites are tailored for 3D printing applications, for fabrication of building envelope components, specifically, enabling efficient and sustainable construction solutions.
Dr. Foruzanmehr is committed to empowering communities in Canada to become more self-sufficient and sustainable by decreasing their reliance on building materials that often need to be transported at significant cost. He believes that economic independence is central to sustainable development. His research program aims to equip remote communities with the knowledge and tools to locally produce the materials needed to construct and maintain homes, fostering social and economic independence.