From April 12 to 15, 2025, Associate Professor Mohamed Elchalakani from the University of Western Australia was invited to visit the School of Civil Engineering at Chongqing University and delivered two lectures as part of the “G-Seminar” Global Frontier Disciplinary Lecture Series. The presentation focused on the innovative applications of non-metallic composite materials in bridge and building structures, with in-depth discussions on cutting-edge research in glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) materials. The event was chaired by Professor Yang Bo, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange at Chongqing University.

In the first lecture, titled “Structural Performance of Multi-Planar Truss Bridges with Pultruded GFRP Circular Tubes Using Different Non-Metallic Connection Methods”, Dr. Elchalakani focused on engineering challenges in marine corrosive environments and systematically elaborated on the innovative applications of GFRP materials in truss bridges. By comparing traditional metal connection methods, his proposed all-non-metallic connection solution demonstrated significant advantages in corrosion resistance, lightweight design, and sustainability through experimental validation, offering new insights for coastal infrastructure construction.

The second lecture, Experimental Study on “the Mechanical Performance of GFRP-Reinforced Geopolymer Concrete Columns”, focused on green building material combinations. Through a series of comparative tests, Dr. Elchalakani demonstrated that closely spaced GFRP stirrups can effectively enhance concrete confinement efficiency, with longitudinal compressive contributions increasing column strength by 10.8%. The study also highlighted the conservative design flaws in current international standards due to the neglect of GFRP’s compressive properties and proposed optimized solutions for coastal buildings that balance durability and low-carbon performance.

During the interactive session, faculty and students engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as the engineering applications of GFRP materials and the performance optimization of geopolymer concrete.

As an important component of Chongqing University’s “G-Seminar” academic series, this lecture highlighted the frontiers of sustainable development in civil engineering and injected new momentum into research on the innovative applications of composite materials.