Johnson Zhang
Johnson Zhang

Prof Johnson Zhang

Professor

 0131 455 2482

  j.zhang@napier.ac.uk

  

Biography

Professor Zhang is a Professor in Structural Engineering and Head of International for the School of Engineering and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University. Before joining Edinburgh Napier University in 2004, he worked on his PhD project at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology investigating structural performance and developing novel finite elements for transfer plate structures in tall buildings. Prior to his PhD study, he also practised as a structural engineer in China and became a chartered engineer in China in 1999.

Professor Zhang's research focuses on engineered bamboo-timber composite in construction, laminate glass structures, pre-stressed concrete and steel-reinforced concrete structures in complex loading conditions. Currently, he is devoting himself to developing bamboo-timber composite materials for long span and tall building structures with a patent filed in 2020. and his research is featured as a case study by the Royal Academy of Engineering. He has extensive experiences in photogrammetry technology, software development and multiple sensor systems in civil engineering studies. In one of his research projects with the advantages of tailored photogrammetry system, he has been able to give several convincing recommendations on the torsion test method for timber beams which have been adopted by the European standard: EN 408. (EN 408:2010 currently under review and revision). He is also an experienced computer programmer who developed several analyse and design software packages for trusses and scaffolding structures.

Professor Zhang has led several research and knowledge transfer projects funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, Scottish Founding Council, Innovation UK, British Council, etc. His research has been published widely in both highly ranked civil engineering journals and conference proceedings. He is a member of CEN/TC 124/WG-1 committee for European Standard: EN408 review and revision. He also frequently organised and chaired special sessions, gave keynote speeches and guest lectures in international conferences and other universities.

School

Research Groups

Themes

Research Areas

Esteem

Advisory panels and expert committees or witness

  • Member of CEN/TC 124/WG 1-Test methods committee for European Standard: EN 408 review and revision

 

Conference Organising Activity

  • Invited International Conference Special Session Organiser: "Analysis, Design and Modelling of Structures Using Unconventional Construction Materials", 2020
  • Invited International Conference Special Session Organiser: "Analysis, Modelling and Design of Timber Structures", 2019
  • Invited International Conference Special Session Organiser: "Analysis, Modelling and Design of Timber Structures", 2015
  • Invited International Conference Special Session Organiser: "Analysis, Modelling and Design of Timber Structures", 2013
  • Co-organised International Telford-UKIERI Workshop with The University of Edinburgh, 2013

 

Editorial Activity

  • International Journal of Structural Glass and Advanced Materials Research - Member of Editorial Board (2021-present)
  • Member of Editorial Board - The Fourteenth International Conference on Computational Structures Technology, Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 2020
  • Member of Editorial Board - The Sixteenth International Conference on Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing, Riva del Garda, Italy, 2019
  • Journal of Architectural Research and Development - Member of Editorial Board (2018-2022)
  • American Journal of Civil Engineering - Editorial Panel (2018-2020)
  • Member of Editorial Board - The Fifteenth International Conference on Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing, Prague, Czech Republic, 2015
  • Member of Editorial Board - The Fourteenth International Conference on Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing, Cagliari, Italy, 2013

 

External Examining/Validations

  • External Panel Member for MSc Programme Re-Validation: The University of West London, 2019
  • External Panel Member for MSc Programme Validation: The University of West London, 2014
  • External Examiner for BSc Civil Engineering Programme in University of Abertay Dundee, 2013 - 2017

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • Academic Champion for Royal Academy of Engineering - Visiting Professor in Integrated Civil Engineering Design 2020-2023
  • Royal Academy of Engineering - Industrial Fellowship 2019 - 2020
  • Best Paper award 2017 - 19th International Conference on Wood Science and Engineering, Japan, 2017
  • Queen's Anniversary Prize 2015, Innovation in Timber Engineering and Wood Science.
  • Project shortlisted for Scottish KTP Award 2012 - KTP Action Scaffolding (KTP007069)
  • Project shortlisted for Scottish KTP Award 2012 - KTP Diageo Plc (KTP006209)

 

Invited Speaker

  • Keynote speaker at Civil and Infrastructure World Forum (CivilEnggInfra-2022)
  • Invited Speaker: The Natural Materials Association(NMA) Lunchtime Seminars: Focus on Natural Materials: Bamboo, organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (2021)
  • Keynote Talk at Global Summit on Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering (GSCAEE-2021)
  • Invited Speaker at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 2019

 

Media Activity

  • Research project featured on the website of the Royal Academy of Engineering - Bamboo-Timber composites for construction 2021

 

Research Degree External Examining

  • PhD External Examining 2021 - University of West London, UK
  • PhD External Examining 2019 - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
  • PhD External Examining 2019 - Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India
  • PhD External Examining 2017 - The University of West London

 

Reviewing

  • Materials
  • Book review - Elsevier: Engineered Bamboo: Glubam Structures
  • Computers and Concrete, An International Journal
  • International Journal of Numerical Methods in Engineering
  • International Journal of Wood Products
  • Advances in Concrete Construction
  • Materials
  • International Journal of Wind and Structures
  • Structures
  • International Journal of Structural Engineering and Mechanics
  • Engineering Structures
  • Computers and Structures
  • International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids
  • Ocean Engineering
  • Structures
  • Structures
  • Materials and Structures
  • Proceedings Of The Institution Of Civil Engineers - Structures And Buildings
  • International Journal of Structural Engineering and Mechanics
  • Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law
  • Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Structures and Buildings
  • Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law

 

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78 results

The Effect of Occupants’ Behaviour on the Building Performance Gap: UK Residential Case Studies

Journal Article
Bahadori-Jahromi, A., Salem, R., Mylona, A., Hasan, A. U., & Zhang, H. (2022)
The Effect of Occupants’ Behaviour on the Building Performance Gap: UK Residential Case Studies. Sustainability, 14(3), Article 1362. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031362
Studies have shown that the assumptions used to create dynamic thermal models of buildings do not reflect their actual energy use. Bridging the energy performance gap is vital...

Thermal and Acoustic Properties of Sustainable Structural Lightweight Aggregate Rubberized Concrete

Journal Article
Pongsopha, P., Sukontasukkul, P., Zhang, H., & Limkatanyu, S. (2022)
Thermal and Acoustic Properties of Sustainable Structural Lightweight Aggregate Rubberized Concrete. Results in Engineering, 13, Article 100333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2022.100333
This study investigated the effect crumb rubber recycled from wasted tires on properties of structural lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC). Two types of concrete were teste...

Seismic behavior of non seismically designed eccentric reinforced concrete beam column joints

Journal Article
Liu, Y., Wong, S. H., Zhang, H., Kuang, J. S., Lee, P., & Kwong, W. (2021)
Seismic behavior of non seismically designed eccentric reinforced concrete beam column joints. Earthquakes and Structures, An International Journal, 21(6), 613-625. https://doi.org/10.12989/eas.2021.21.6.613
Non seismically designed eccentric reinforced concrete beam column joints were extensively used in existing reinforced concrete frame buildings, which were found to be vulnera...

An Eigendecomposition-based and Mesh-sensitivity Reduced Constitutive Model for Nonlinear Analysis of Concrete Structures under Non-proportional Cyclic Loading

Journal Article
Yuen, T. Y., Wen, T., Hung, C., Zhang, H., Huy Pham, P. A., & Deng, Y. (2022)
An Eigendecomposition-based and Mesh-sensitivity Reduced Constitutive Model for Nonlinear Analysis of Concrete Structures under Non-proportional Cyclic Loading. Journal of Building Engineering, 47, Article 103875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.103875
Emerging 3D printed concrete techniques has raised numerous possibilities in contemporary architectural creations that are often beyond the scope of prevailing structural desi...

Study on Crack Width and Crack Resistance of Eccentrically Tensioned Steel-Reinforced Concrete Members Prestressed by CFRP Tendons

Journal Article
Deng, Y., Gui, J., Zhang, H., Taliercio, A., Zhang, P., Wong, S. H. F., …Chen, X. (2022)
Study on Crack Width and Crack Resistance of Eccentrically Tensioned Steel-Reinforced Concrete Members Prestressed by CFRP Tendons. Engineering Structures, 252, Article 113651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.113651
In recent decades, steel-reinforced concrete (SRC) members under eccentrical tension have been adopted more frequently in modern buildings due to the constraints of more compl...

Residual Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beams under Sequential Small Impact Loads

Journal Article
Chayanon, H., Limkutanyu, S., Zhang, H., & Imjai, T. (2021)
Residual Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beams under Sequential Small Impact Loads. Buildings, 11(11), Article 518. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11110518
Abstract: Sequential small impact loads may not collapse structures directly but could weaken the strength of structures. This study aimed to investigate the impact of these s...

Verification of the Photogrammetric Approach on the Torsion Test Method for Timber Beams

Journal Article
Mohamed, A., Uheida, K., Quan, Y., & Zhang, H. (2022)
Verification of the Photogrammetric Approach on the Torsion Test Method for Timber Beams. International Wood Products Journal, 13(1), 3-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/20426445.2021.1983690
The photogrammetric approach was proposed in this study to evaluate torsional behaviour of glulam timber beams during the torsion test. The main objectives of the experimental...

Performance study on mounting system for displacement transducer in mechanical tests of timber samples using photogrammetry method

Journal Article
Mohamed, A., Zhang, H., Deng, Y., Lehmann, M., Sigrist, C., Uheida, K., …Caudoux, R. (in press)
Performance study on mounting system for displacement transducer in mechanical tests of timber samples using photogrammetry method. Wood Material Science and Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1080/17480272.2021.1978107
This paper presents a unique study to reveal the effect of the mounting system of the linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) on the mechanical property tests of timbe...

Determining equivalent-sectional shear modulus in torsion tests for laminated glass beams using photogrammetry method

Journal Article
Uheida, K., Deng, Y., Zhang, H., Galuppi, L., Gao, J., Li, X., …Mohamed, A. (2021)
Determining equivalent-sectional shear modulus in torsion tests for laminated glass beams using photogrammetry method. Composite Structures, 276, Article 114572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2021.114572
This paper proposes a concise concept for quantifying the shear/torsional stiffness of the laminated glass beams experimentally by introducing the Equivalent-Sectional Shear M...

Tendon Stress Evaluation of Unbonded Post-Tensioned Concrete Segmental Bridges with Two-variable Response Surfaces

Journal Article
Halder, R., Yuen, T. Y., Chen, W., Zhou, X., Deb, T., Zhang, H., & Wen, T. (2021)
Tendon Stress Evaluation of Unbonded Post-Tensioned Concrete Segmental Bridges with Two-variable Response Surfaces. Engineering Structures, 245, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.112984
This paper comprehensively studied the combined effects of prestress change and aspect ratios on the nonlinear structural performances of externally prestressed precast concre...

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