About

Mohammed Gabr is a Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction at North Carolina State University, specializing in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. His research interests include the assessment and development of sustainable and innovative soil improvement techniques, such as the use of geosynthetics and chemical and biological amendments, as well as the development of performance limit states and damage assessment of earth structures under extreme storms. He also focuses on resilient foundation systems supporting marine renewable energy infrastructures. Dr. Gabr has contributed significantly to the field through his work on soil reinforcement, scour, levee stability, foundation support systems, soil flushing, and waste characterization, often developing novel methods for analysis and design, and collaborating with various institutions and industries. His research includes practical applications like the in-situ erosion evaluation device (ISEEP) for rapid scour assessment and innovative foundation elements for marine renewable energy devices. With over 30 years of academic experience, supported by more than $14 million in grants and contracts, he has mentored numerous graduate students and served in leadership roles within professional organizations, including editorial positions for prominent journals. Dr. Gabr's work has earned him multiple awards, including the Edmund Friedman Professional Recognition award by ASCE, and he is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a Diplomate of the Geo-Institute Academy of Geo-Professionals.

Research topics

• Geotechnical engineering
• Geology
• Materials science
• Mathematics
• Civil engineering
• Metallurgy
• Statistics
• Engineering
• Composite material
• Geomorphology
• Geography

Selected publications

• Influence of Base Reinforcement on Stress Reduction in Soft Soils

  2026-03-05

  article1st authorCorresponding

  This paper investigates the effectiveness of shallow base reinforcement approaches, including Aggregate Base Course (ABC) layer with geosynthetics (geotextiles and geogrids) and lime-stabilized soil layer, in reducing stress transferred from embankments supporting pavement sections on soft soils. A combined approach of laboratory cyclic plate load tests on large-scale samples, subsequent numerical modeling using FLAC software, and field testing with stress measurements was employed. The findings revealed that geosynthetic reinforcement at the ABC layer-soft soil interface improved stress attenuation compared to unreinforced sections, particularly during post-rut repair scenarios. Back-calculated elastic modulus ratios (E1/E2) between the granular base and soft soil layers indicated a strong correlation between a stiffer base layer (higher E1) and improved stress distribution, with lime stabilization exhibiting the most pronounced stiffening effect (E1/E2 = 13). Field testing corroborated the laboratory observations, demonstrating a reduction in stress near the interface for reinforced sections. However, the observed E1/E2 ratios in the field were lower compared to the laboratory tests. Results indicated that the classical assumption of a two-layer linear elastic system led to an underestimation of stress increase in the soft soil. This underestimation is likely due to the neglect of modulus dependency on stress level and strain accumulation with an increasing number of traffic cycles.

  PublisherDOI

• Hydraulic Conductivity of Trench Backfills as a Mitigation Strategy for Chloride-Induced Corrosion in Coastal Iron Pipelines

  2026-03-05

  articleCorresponding

  Chloride-induced corrosion poses a durability risk to underground metallic pipelines, particularly in coastal regions with elevated groundwater salinity. This study employs 3D numerical modeling to simulate chloride transport under varying trench backfill conditions at a site in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The analysis compares the effects of three scenarios as the pipe trench backfill: a high hydraulic conductivity backfill (k = 3 × 10⁻² cm/s), a low hydraulic conductivity backfill (k = 3 × 10⁻⁴ cm/s), and a flowable fill backfill (k = 1 × 10⁻⁸ cm/s) on chloride migration toward a cast-iron pipe buried 1.8 m below the ground surface. Results demonstrate that the chloride threshold concentration of 30 mg/L, associated with the onset of accelerated corrosion, is reached within 190 days in the high-conductivity scenario, but delayed to 790 days with the low-conductivity backfill. In contrast, the threshold is not reached when a flowable fill is used as the pipe trench backfill. These findings highlight the effectiveness of low-conductivity materials as a passive corrosion mitigation strategy, with implications for maintenance and replacement expenses.

  PublisherDOI

• PO-03-220 SINE WAVE, SQUARE WAVE, OR EXPONENTIAL DECAY? HOW PULSE WAVEFORM SHAPE AFFECTS LESION CHARACTERISTICS IN PULSED FIELD ABLATION

  Heart Rhythm · 2025-04-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• PO-06-207 PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS, PROCEDURAL PARAMETERS, AND EARLY OUTCOMES OF A NEWLY ESTABLISHED EXTRA-VASCULAR IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATOR PROGRAM: A SINGLE-CENTER EXPERIENCE

  Heart Rhythm · 2025-04-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Field data-based prediction of local scour depth around bridge piers using interpretable machine learning

  Transportation Geotechnics · 2025-04-18 · 6 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Local pier scour is one of the leading causes of bridge failure worldwide. It occurs when flowing water generates shear stresses at the water–sediment interface, leading to the erosion of soil particles or mass around the pier foundation. In this study, an efficient and accurate machine learning approach is developed for predicting local scour depth around bridge piers . Initially, the field data from the US geological survey database were preprocessed and divided into training, validation, and test sets. The hyperparameters of the models were then adjusted using Bayesian optimization and 5-fold cross-validation. Among the three machine learning models considered in this study, the eXtreme gradient boosting (XGB) model achieved the highest accuracy, which was significantly higher than those realized by four local scour estimation equations utilized in the study. To improve the interpretability of machine learning as a black-box model, SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was used to interpret the predictions of the XGB model. Interpretable ML analysis indicated that y / b n was the most influential factor, aligning with the focus on assessing the scour magnitude. In addition, the machine learning interpretation also indicates that the patterns captured by the XGB model are consistent with the theoretical understanding of factors affecting the local scour, thereby validating that the proposed model achieves reasonable predictions. Finally, the gap between laboratory and field data is explained, and a method to address such a gap is proposed considering accuracy and conservatism levels in the assessed scour atudes.

  PublisherDOI

• PO-03-155 COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT ABLATION LESION SIZE (2 MM VS. 3 MM) ON PROCEDURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND LONG-TERM CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN CATHETER ABLATION OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

  Heart Rhythm · 2025-04-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• PO-03-210 THERMAL PRECONDITIONING OF TARGETED TISSUE ENHANCES PULSED FIELD ABLATION LESIONS

  Heart Rhythm · 2025-04-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• PO-02-131 LIMITED ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SEPTAL MYOCARDIAL INVOLVEMENT ON PET IMAGING AND CONDUCTION DISTURBANCE IN CARDIAC SARCOIDOSIS

  Heart Rhythm · 2025-04-01

  articleOpen access

  Conduction disturbances are a common manifestation of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). The association between the presence of septal scar or inflammation based on imaging and the presence of conduction disease is not well characterized.

  PublisherDOI

• Multiline Anchoring of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines Utilizing Micropile Groups in Rocky Seabeds

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• PO-03-222 THE IMPACT OF CONTACT FORCE AND CATHETER TIP ORIENTATION ON UNIPOLAR PULSED FIELD ABLATION LESION CHARACTERISTICS

  Heart Rhythm · 2025-04-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Roy H. Borden

  North Carolina State University

  54 shared

• Brina M. Montoya

  North Carolina State University

  29 shared

• Isabella Alviz

  28 shared

• Jorge Romero

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  22 shared

• John D. Quaranta

  18 shared

• William H. Sauer

  Harvard University

  18 shared

• Carlos D. Matos

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  18 shared

• Andrés F. Miranda‐Arboleda

  17 shared

Labs

• Gabr LabPI

Education

• Ph.D., Civil Engineering

  University of Texas at Austin

  2002

• M.S., Civil Engineering

  University of Texas at Austin

  1998

• B.S., Civil Engineering

  University of Texas at Austin

  1996

Awards & honors

• Edmund Friedman Professional Recognition award by the Americ…
• 1993 West Virginia Young Engineer of the Year by ASCE
• Outstanding College Researcher award from the College of Eng…
• Outstanding College Teacher award from the College of Engine…
• J.C. Burnichal Teaching award (1994-95)