Staff profile

Dr Omar Hamza


Associate Professor in Civil Engineering

Omar Hamza standing in front of a powerpoint presentation titled 'Digitalisation in managing railway geotechnical assets'.

Subject

Civil Engineering and Construction Management

College

College of Science and Engineering

Department

School of Built and Natural Environment

Research centre

Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering (IISE)

ORCiD ID

0000-0002-5048-0423

Campus

Markeaton Street, Derby Campus

Email

o.hamza@derby.ac.uk

About

I am a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Higher Education Academy (HEA) with a combination of academic and industrial experience. As an Associate Professor at the University of Derby and previously a research fellow at other universities, I have worked on several national and international research projects and taught UG and PG students.

My expertise in Civil Engineering intersects with various branches of applied sciences, with a recent focus on sustainable engineering, geohazard and bio-enhanced cementitious materials. Beyond academia, I have provided invaluable consultancy and design expertise across various engineering sectors, including highway, railway, buildings, water and offshore.

Depending on your area of interest, I am available for industrial and academic collaboration as well as PhD supervision in my field, as seen in my research interests below.

Teaching responsibilities

I teach several core modules in Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) civil engineering programmes, including:

Professional interests

In addition to my academic achievements, I worked with some of the largest multi-disciplinary companies in the UK, including AMEY and ATKINS, as a geotechnical design team leader, providing infrastructure asset management consultation in key engineering sectors, including Transportation & tunnelling, Mining, Buildings, Water, and Offshore Foundation.

Research interests

I have been awarded and worked on several British and European research funds during my current position at the University of Derby and previously at Nottingham and Dundee Universities. My research is focused on geohazard risk assessment, ground exploration techniques, long-term stability of abandoned coal mines, geothermal energy, Asset management of geotechnical infrastructures, sustainable slope stabilisation through vegetation, and the development of bio-self-healing concrete for low-carbon underground construction. 

My current R&D interest evolves around "Sustainable Development" concerning Climate Change Adoption & Mitigation, including:

Membership of professional bodies

Chartered Engineer and Fellow member of the British Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Higher Education Academy (HEA).

As a professionally qualified member, I have been a National Professional Reviewer with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) since 2016, voluntarily supporting the ICE by assessing candidates who want to become chartered engineers. 

Qualifications

Recent conferences

Experience in industry

I worked with two of the largest multi-disciplinary companies (AMEY and ATKINS), which are actively enabling the key infrastructure owners in the UK, including NH, NR, EA, Local Government and Utilities, to manage their assets in a sustainable way, where I had been effectively contributing to this process within my respective engineering speciality.

I worked as a design Team Leader/ Checker/ and project designer of key infrastructure schemes covering various project phases, including inception, preliminary/ detailed design, construction, maintenance/ redevelopment and decommissioning. I have sound knowledge of Eurocode and other related design standards and specifications that form part of the asset management process (mainly for HA, NWR, EA) and CDM regulations.

International experience

I was an international representative of the ICE and have previously worked at King Saud University - Faculty of Engineering.

Additional interests and activities

Recent publications

Journal Publications

Book-chapters

Article in a professional magazine