Ahmad Jrade

Dr. Ahmad Jrade is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Ottawa, serving as the Graduate Program Coordinator and Director of the Ottawa Centre for Innovative Construction Engineering (OCICE). He holds a Ph.D. from Concordia University, an M.A.Sc. from Concordia, and a B.A.Sc. from Beirut Arab University. His research focuses on integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM), Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), Virtual Reality (VR), and Circular Economy principles to enhance sustainable construction practices, particularly in universal design and infrastructure projects. He has extensive experience in construction cost optimization, sustainable building design, and accessibility engineering. Before joining the University of Ottawa, he was an Assistant Professor at Western Michigan University, coordinating their Construction Engineering program.

His work emphasizes BIM integration with sustainability metrics, energy analysis tools, and universal design standards to improve decision-making at the conceptual design stage. He has pioneered models for waste management in construction/deconstruction, bridge design optimization, and age-in-place housing solutions. His contributions include developing cloud-based BIM-VR systems, GIS-BIM site planning tools (ArcSPAT), and frameworks for evaluating accessibility in infrastructure projects. Dr. Jrade also leads research in corrosion effects on reinforced concrete structures and disaster-resistant construction methods.

Key areas of innovation include Construction 4.0 technologies, circular economy applications in construction, and bridging the gap between BIM and environmental assessments. His interdisciplinary approach addresses both technical and societal challenges in creating sustainable, accessible, and cost-effective built environments.