Alaaeldin (Alaa) Elsisi, Ph.D., P.E.
Assistant Professor
(618) 650-2804 EB 3026, aelsisi@siue.edu
Biography
Dr. Elsisi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE). His research focuses on
structural engineering with emphasis on blast-resistant structures, steel and reinforced concrete structures, advanced composite materials and strengthening, and computational methods. The work integrates experimental testing, analytical modeling, and numerical simulation to improve the safety and performance of structures under extreme loading and long-term service demands.
Dr. Elsisi teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in structural analysis and design, including CE 342 Structural Engineering I, CE 449 Advanced Steel Design, CE 548 Finite Elements, and CE 545 Structure Dynamics. He actively mentors students through research projects and student competition teams and collaborates with academic and industry partners on solutions that support resilient infrastructure.
Education
- Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Missouri, 2017
- M.E., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, 2017
- M.S., Structural Engineering, Zagazig University, Egypt, 2010
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Zagazig University, Egypt, 2005
Research Interests
- Structural resilience under extreme events (seismic, blast, impact, progressive collapse)
- Steel and reinforced concrete behavior (buckling, joining, creep, damage progression)
- Composite Materials
- Laminated glass/window systems and façade performance
- Computational and Numerical Methods
Teaching
- CE 240– Statics
- CE 342– Structural Engineering I
- CE 443 – Design of Masonry
- CE 545– Structural Dynamics
- CE 548– Finite Elements
Selected Publications
- El-Sisi A, Elbelbisi A, Elemam H, Elkilani A, Newberry M, Salim H. Effect of glass type and thickness on the static and blast response of LG panels. Journal of Building Engineering 2024;86:108870. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.108870.
- El-Sisi A, Saucier A, Salim HA. Parametric Study of Non-Load-Bearing Sandwich Wall Panels for Blast Mitigation. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities 2022;36. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)cf.1943-5509.0001682.
- El-Sisi AE, Saucier A, Salim HA, Hoemann JM. Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of Reinforced Concrete Walls Retrofit Systems for Blast Mitigation. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities 2019;33. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0001265.
- El-Sisi A, Elbelbisi A, Elkilani A, Salim H, Loehr E. Flexural behavior of cold-formed STEEL sheet pile systems. Structures 2025;79:109503. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2025.109503.
- El-Sisi A, Elbelbisi A, Elkilani A, Salim H. The Progressive Damage Modeling of Composite–Steel Lapped Joints. Journal of Composites Science 2025;9. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9070350.
- El-Sisi A, Salim H, Gomaa S, El-Feky M. Progressive failure analysis of woven and non-woven CFRP composite/steel bolted joints. Polym Compos 2025;46:1469–85. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.29051
Awards
- 2024 Outstanding Researcher of the School of Engineering, SIUE.
- 2026 Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award, SIUE
