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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Date


78 results

Experimental and analytical investigation on flexural behaviour of RC beams strengthened with NSM CFRP prestressed concrete prisms

Journal Article
Deng, Y., Li, Z., Zhang, H., Corigliano, A., Lam, A. C., Hansapinyo, C., & Yang, Z. (2021)
Experimental and analytical investigation on flexural behaviour of RC beams strengthened with NSM CFRP prestressed concrete prisms. Composite Structures, 257, Article 113385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.113385
This investigation aims to study the flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with near-surface mounted (NSM) carbon fibre reinforced polymer prestres...

Photogrammetry method to evaluate shear modulus of laminated glass beams in torsion tests

Presentation / Conference
Uheida, K. (2019, November)
Photogrammetry method to evaluate shear modulus of laminated glass beams in torsion tests. Presented at SRPe Annual Conference 2019, Glasgow
An exhibition and demonstration at the annual Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering Conference on the use of photogrammetry and machine vision techniques to evaluate th...

Using photogrammetry method to evaluate the shear module of the laminated glass beam in torsion tests

Presentation / Conference
Uheida, K., Zhang, J., & Deng, Y. (2019, September)
Using photogrammetry method to evaluate the shear module of the laminated glass beam in torsion tests. Paper presented at Civil-Comp 2019: The Sixteenth International Conference on Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing, Riva del Garda, Italy
The laminated structural glass beam is a modern, transparent and innovative structural element, widely used in supporting floor and roof plates, glass walls and many other app...

Determination of shear modulus of wood joists from torsion tests and relationship with modulus of elasticity

Conference Proceeding
Khokhar, A., & Zhang, J. (2018)
Determination of shear modulus of wood joists from torsion tests and relationship with modulus of elasticity
This paper presents the work that was undertaken to use torsion tests to evaluate the shear modulus of wood joists. The relationship of the shear modulus with modulus of elast...

Study on the Impact of Size and Position of the Shear Field in Determining the Shear Modulus of Glulam Beam Using Photogrammetry Approach

Journal Article
Gharavi, N., & Zhang, H. (2018)
Study on the Impact of Size and Position of the Shear Field in Determining the Shear Modulus of Glulam Beam Using Photogrammetry Approach. International Journal of Civil, Environmental, Structural, Construction and Architectural Engineering, 12(3), 194-198. https://doi.org/10.1999/1307-6892/10008636
The shear modulus of a timber beam can be determined using torsion test or shear field test method. The shear field test method is based on shear distortion measurement of the...

The use of artificial compressibility to improve partitioned semi-implicit FSI coupling within the classical Chorin–Témam projection framework

Journal Article
He, T., Wang, T., & Zhang, H. (2018)
The use of artificial compressibility to improve partitioned semi-implicit FSI coupling within the classical Chorin–Témam projection framework. Computers and Fluids, 166, 64-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2018.01.022
Over the last decade the classical Chorin–Témam projection method has been utilized to address fluid- structure interaction in a semi-implicit manner. In previous studies the ...

A smoothed finite element approach for computational fluid dynamics: applications to incompressible flows and fluid–structure interaction

Journal Article
He, T., Zhang, H., & Zhang, K. (2018)
A smoothed finite element approach for computational fluid dynamics: applications to incompressible flows and fluid–structure interaction. Computational Mechanics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00466-018-1549-x
In this paper the cell-based smoothed finite element method (CS-FEM) is introduced into two mainstream aspects of computational fluid dynamics: incompressible flows and fluid–...

End effect on determining shear modulus of timber beams in torsion tests

Journal Article
Gharavi, N., Zhang, H., Xie, Y., & He, T. (2018)
End effect on determining shear modulus of timber beams in torsion tests. Construction and Building Materials, 164, 442-450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.12.191
The end effect plays an important role in determining where the rotation measuring gauges should be located in a torsion test. A thorough review on the impact of end effect in...

Evaluation of the End Effect Impact on the Torsion Test for Determining the Shear Modulus of a Timber Beam through a Photogrammetry Approach

Journal Article
Gharavi, N., Zhang, H., & Xie, Y. (2017)
Evaluation of the End Effect Impact on the Torsion Test for Determining the Shear Modulus of a Timber Beam through a Photogrammetry Approach. Proceedings of the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 11(3), 666-669
The timber beam end effect in the torsion test is evaluated using binocular stereo vision system. It is recommended by BS EN 408:2010+A1:2012 to exclude a distance of two to t...

Using topology optimization technique to determine the optimized layout of steel reinforcing bars in concrete structures

Conference Proceeding
Li, M., Zhang, H., & Wong, S. H. F. (2016)
Using topology optimization technique to determine the optimized layout of steel reinforcing bars in concrete structures. In J. Herskovits (Ed.), Proceedings of 5th International Conference on Engineering Optimization, (789-798
This study presents an optimization procedure based on the modified Bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) approach to optimize both location and orientati...

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