Amirhossein Madadi, Director of Construction Materials Lab
Thompson & Lichtner is excited to announce that our own Amirhossein Madadi, Director of the Construction Materials Testing Laboratory, has recently published a research article in Scientific Reports entitled “Structural Analysis of Ferrocement Composite Panels with Expanded Perlite-Based Mortar.”
Ferrocement is a thin-walled construction material made of cement mortar reinforced with layers of wire mesh. Known for its high tensile strength, crack resistance, and durability, ferrocement becomes even more versatile when combined with lightweight aggregates such as expanded perlite-based mortar. This combination offers reduced structural weight, improved thermal insulation, enhanced fire and freeze-thaw resistance, and lower material costs—making it increasingly valuable in modern construction.
“Lightweight is a highly desirable property in construction materials,” says Madadi. “With growing demand for affordable, energy-efficient, and sustainable housing—and limited research on the structural behavior and crack development in ferrocement composite panels—this study aimed to address that gap by incorporating various levels of expanded perlite aggregate and different reinforcement configurations.”
This research contributes valuable insights into ferrocement behavior and offers practical guidelines for designing lightweight, sustainable, and high-performance structural components. The study is also among the first to use digital image correlation techniques to characterize cracking and strain patterns in ferrocement panels, and to apply the Taguchi method for systematic optimization of design parameters.
Read the full article here.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-97114-z
Amirhossein Madadi joined Thompson & Lichtner in 2023 as Director of the Construction Materials Testing Laboratory. He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Civil Engineering and is completing his Ph.D. at UMass Lowell, where he has also served as an instructor in the Engineering Materials Laboratory. Previously, he conducted advanced concrete research at the Modern Concrete Technology Laboratory at Hakim Sabzevari University, where he was honored with the Outstanding Researcher Award. A member of the American Concrete Institute, Madadi has served as lab researcher, teaching assistant, and project manager. His published works include numerous technical articles and the book Economic Analysis for Engineering and Project Management.
Scientific Reports is a prestigious peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal published by Nature Portfolio, covering all areas of the natural sciences.
Congratulations, Amir! Wonderful accomplishment! We are proud to have you on our T&L Team!