Dr Alireza Ahangar Asr

School of Science, Engineering & Environment

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Senior Lecturer

Biography

Dr Alireza Ahangar Asr is the Head of Civil Engineering at the University of Salford, where he leads a dynamic academic team and oversees the strategic development of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. With over 15 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic leadership, Alireza is a passionate educator and an advocate for collaborative, student-centred learning. He holds a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering and a PGCE in Higher Education, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), member of Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET), and the Institution of Civil Engineers (GMICE). His leadership is marked by a commitment to inclusivity, mentorship, and academic excellence, supporting colleagues through professional development and fostering a cohesive team culture. Dr Ahangar Asr has implemented innovative teaching methods, including problem-based flipped learning and research-led instruction, aiming to enhance student engagement and performance. He is involved in programme design and accreditation, quality assurance, and curriculum development. An active researcher, Alireza has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in geotechnical engineering, computational modelling, and soil mechanics. He serves on editorial boards, reviews for international journals, and contributes to academic conferences globally. His research collaborations span institutions in the UK, France, Australia, and the Middle East. He is engaged with industry through enterprise projects, degree apprenticeships, and partnerships with organizations such as MGF and the Temporary Works forum. His work bridges academia and practice, ensuring students gain real-world insights and opportunities.

Areas of Research

Dr. Alireza Ahangar Asr’s research focuses on geotechnical engineering, computational mechanics, and unsaturated soil behavior. His work integrates evolutionary modeling, numerical simulation, and data-driven approaches to solve complex problems in soil mechanics, slope stability, and seepage analysis. He is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly in sustainable geotechnical engineering and infrastructure resilience. His research has led to over 70 refereed publications, contributing to both academic knowledge and practical engineering applications.

Key Research Themes include:

- Computational Geomechanics and and applications in civil engineering
- Evolutionary-based modeling in geotechnics
- Seepage and uplift pressure analysis
- Slope stability and soil-structure interaction
- Unsaturated soil mechanics
- Sustainable infrastructure design

Journal Articles:

•J. Thomas, A., & Ahangar Asr, A. 2024. Investigating Branched Cut-off Wall Effect on Seepage Using Numerical Modelling. European Journal of Computational Mechanics, https://doi.org/10.13052/ejcm2642-2085.3334
•Asr, A. A., Johari, A., and Javadi, A. A. (2023). An evolutionary-based polynomial regression modeling approach to predicting discharge flow rate under sheet piles. Engineering with Computers, 39(6), 4093-4101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00366-023-01872-1 5
•Ahangar Asr, A and Javadi, AA. 2021, Effective stress parameter in unsaturated soils; an
evolutionary-based prediction model, Smart Infrastructure and Construction, DOI (10.1680/jsmic.21.00012)
•Alateya, H., and Ahangar Asr, A. 2019. Numerical investigation into the stability of earth dam slopes considering the effects of cavities, Engineering Computations: International Journal for Computer-Aided Engineering (Impact factor: 1.675), DOI (10.1108/EC-03-2019-0101)
•Sauffisseau, R., and Ahangar Asr, A. 2019. Stratified slopes, numerical and empirical stability analysis, Engineering and Computational Mechanics Journal. DOI (10.1680/jencm.18.00017)
•A. Ahangar Asr, A. Faramarzi and A. A. Javadi 2018. An evolutionary modelling approach to predicting stress-strain behaviour of saturated granular soils, Engineering Computations: International Journal for Computer-Aided Engineering (Impact factor: 1.675), DOI (10.1108/EC-01-
2018-0025).
•Ahangar-Asr, A., and Javadi, A. A. 2016. Air losses in compressed air tunnelling: a prediction model”, Engineering and Computational Mechanics, DOI (10.1680/jencm.15.00023)
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Javadi, A. A. and Khalili, N. 2015. An evolutionary approach to modelling the thermo-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils, International Journal for Numerical and
Analytical Methods in Geomechanics (Impact factor 4.229), 39:539-557. DOI (10.1002/nag.2323)
•Javadi, A. A., Hussain, M., Ahangar-Asr, A., Farmani, R. 2015. A surrogate model for simulation-optimization of aquifer systems subjected to seawater intrusion”, Journal of Hydrology (Impact factor 6.708), 532:542-554.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Javadi, A. A., Johari, A., and Chen, Y.2014. Lateral load bearing capacity modelling of piles in cohesive soils in undrained conditions; an intelligent evolutionary approach, Applied Soft Computing; an international journal (Impact factor 8.263), 24:822-828.
•Cuisinier, O., Javadi, A., Ahangar-Asr, A., and Masrouri, F. 2013. Identification of coupling
parameters between shear strength behaviour of compacted soils and chemical's effects with an evolutionary-based data mining technique”, Computers and Geotechnics Journal (Impact factor 5.218), 48: 107-116.
•Faramarzi, A., Javadi, A. A., and Ahangar-Asr, A. 2013. Numerical Implementation of EPR-based Material Models in Finite Element Analysis”, Computers and Structures Journal, 118: 100-108 (Impact factor 5.372).
•Javadi A.A. (10%), Ahangar-Asr A., Johari A., Faramarzi A., and Toll D.G. 2012. Modelling Stress-Strain and Volume Change Behaviour of Unsaturated Soils using an Evolutionary Based Data Mining Technique, an Incremental Approach, Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence Journal (Impact factor: 7.802), 25(5), 926-933.
•Javadi, A. A., Faramarzi, A., and Ahangar-Asr, A., 2012. Analysis of Behaviour of Soils Under Cyclic Loading Using EPR-based Finite Element Method, Finite Element in Analysis and Design Journal (Impact factor: 2.618), 58: 53-65.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Faramarzi, A., and Javadi, A. A. 2011. Modelling Mechanical Behaviour of Rubber Concrete Using Evolutionary Polynomial Regression. Engineering Computations: International Journal for Computer-Aided Engineering (Impact factor: 1.675), 28(4), 492-507.
•Ahangar-Asr, A. (80%), Faramarzi, A., and Javadi, A. A. 2010. A New Approach for Prediction of the Stability of Soil and Rock Slopes, Engineering Computations: International Journal for Computer-Aided Engineering (Impact factor: 1.675), 27(7), 878-893.
•Toufigh, M. M., Ahangar-Asr, A., and Ouria, A. 2007. Using Non-linear Programming Techniques in Determination of the Most Probable Slip Surface in 3D Slopes, International Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 3:4, 174-179.

Conference Papers:

•Houghton T., Ahangar Asr A. 2025, Numerical Investigation into Effects of Fibre Reinforcement on Soil Shear
Strength, UK Association for Computational Mechanics (UKACM) Conference 2025, 23 -25 April 20253, Queen Mary University of London, UK
•Ahangar Asr A., Johari A., Javadi A. A. 2024, Discharge flow rate under sheet piles, a prediction model, XVIII European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering ECSMGE2024, 26-30 Aug. 2024.
•Thomas, A., and Ahangar Asr, A. 2023, Numerical investigation into the effects of geometrical alterations in cut-off walls on seepage through water-retaining structures, in: UK Association for Computational Mechanics (UKACM) Conference 2023, 19 -21 April 2023, University of Warwick, UK
•Ogunyemi, O and Ahangar Asr, A. 2022, Investigating stand-alone and combined cohesion, internal friction angle and slope angle effects on slope stability of soil slopes using numerical modelling, in: UK Association for Computational Mechanics (UKACM) Conference 2022, 20-22 April 2022, University of Nottingham, UK
•Starkey, TP and Ahangar Asr, A. 2021, Relationship between shallow foundation shape and contact area, and the settlement in granular soils, in: UK Association for Computational Mechanics (UKACM) Conference 2021, 14th-16th April 2021, Loughborough University, UK.
•Leeworthy, T., and Ahangar Asr, A. 2021, A comparative analysis of the stability of homogeneous and non- homogeneous soil slopes subject to various surcharge loading conditions, in: UK Association for Computational Mechanics (UKACM) Conference 2021, 14th-16th April 2021, Loughborough University, UK.
•Angelov, MI and Ahangar Asr, A. 2021, The effect of cut-off wall angle on seepage and uplift pressure under dams, in: UK Association for Computational Mechanics (UKACM) Conference 2021, 14th-16th April 2021, Loughborough University, UK.
•Ogunyemi, O. and Ahangar Asr, A. 2020, Numerical investigation into the effect of various surcharge loadings on propped wall excavations and embankments, in: UK Association for Computational Mechanics (UKACM) Conference 2020, 1st-3rd April 2020 (No physical event due to COVID-19), Loughborough University, UK.
•Leeworthy, T., and Ahangar Asr, A. 2020, Effects of various surcharge loading conditions on the stability of soil slopes, in: UK Association for Computational Mechanics (UKACM) Conference 2020, 1st-3rd April 2020 (No physical event due to COVID-19), Loughborough University, UK.
•Al-Ateya, H. and Ahangar Asr, A. 2019. The joint influence of cavities presence and rapid drawdown condition on discharge rate through earth dams, Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (UKACM), 10-12 April, City University London, UK.
•A. Ahangar Asr, and A. A. Javadi. 2018. An evolutionary-based modelling approach for predicting the effective stress parameter in unsaturated soils, The 7th International Conference on Unsaturated Soils (UNSAT2018), 3-5 August, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong.
•Sauffisseau, R., and Ahangar Asr, A., 2018. Numerical investigation of unloading effects due to excavation of geometrically non-homogeneous stratified rock masses using finite element analysis, Proceedings of the 6th European Conference on Computational Mechanics (ECCM6) & 7th European Conference Computational Fluid Dynamics (ECFD7), 11-15 June, Glasgow, UK.
•Al-Ateya, H. and Ahangar Asr, A. 2018. Numerical analysis of the influence of cavities on seepage through earth dam”, Proceedings of the 6th European Conference on Computational Mechanics (ECCM6) & 7th European Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics (ECFD7), 11-15 June, Glasgow, UK.
•Sauffisseau, R., and Ahangar Asr, A. 2017. Stability analysis of geometrically non homogeneous stratified slope, Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (UKACM), 12-13 April, University of Birmingham, UK.
•Al-Ateya, H., and Ahangar Asr, A. 2017. Numerical investigation into the effect of cavity size and location on stability of earth dams, Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (UKACM), 12-13 April, University of Birmingham, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr, A. and Javadi, A. A. 2016. An Evolutionary Approach to modelling effects of chemicals on soils, Proceedings of the 24th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (UKACM), 31 March -1 April, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr A. and Javadi A. A. 2015. Air losses through the tunnel face in compressed air tunnelling; a case study, Proceedings of the 16th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (XVI ECSMGE), 13-17 September, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr A., and Javadi A. A. 2015. Effects of air permeability and perimeter area on air losses in compressed air tunnelling”, Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME), 8-10 April, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr A., Javadi A. A., and Khalili N. 2014. Modelling the thermo-mechanical triaxial shearing behaviour of unsaturated soils using EPR, Proceedings of the UNSAT 2014 International Conference on Unsaturated Soils: Research & Applications, 2-4 July, Sydney, Australia.
•Ahangar-Asr A., Javadi A. A., Johari A., and Chen Y. 2014. Lateral load bearing capacity model for piles in cohesive soils, Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME), 2-4 April, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr A., Fonseca L., Carvalheira R., Silva I., Penha S., Braga L., Javadi A. A., and Johari A. 2014. Modelling swelling induced lateral pressure transmission control on retaining structures in expansive soils, Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME), 2-4 April, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr A., and Javadi A. A. 2013. Modelling deviator stress-axial strain behaviour of unsaturated soils considering temperature effect, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Computational Mechanics (CM13), 25-27 March, Durham University, Durham, UK.
•A. Ahangar-Asr, A. Faramarzi, and A. A. Javadi. 2013. Modelling stress-strain behaviour of granular soils”, in Proceedings of the 5th Biot Conference on Poromechanics on the 50th Anniversary of Karl Van Terzaghi’s Death, 10-12 July, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Vienna, Austria.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Javadi A. A., Faramarzi, A. 2012. Thermo-mechanical modelling of unsaturated soils using EPR”, Proceedings of the International Workshop: Intelligent Computing in Engineering (eg-ice), July 4-6, 2012, in Herrsching (Munich), Germany.
•Javadi, A.A., Sherif, M.M., Abd-Elhamid, H.F., Ahangar-Asr, A., Faramarzi, A. 2012. Numerical modelling and control of seawater intrusion, Proceedings of the 20th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME), 27-28 March, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Johari, A., Javadi, A.A. 2012. Modelling Soil-water Characteristic Curve Using EPR, Proceedings of the 5th Asia-Pacific Conference on Unsaturated Soils (AP-UNSAT), 29 February & 1-2 March, Pattaya, Thailand.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Faramarzi, A., Javadi, A. A., Mottaghifard, N.,2011, An Evolutionary Approach to Modelling Compaction Characteristics of Soils, Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME), 5-6 April, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr, A. (2011), A New Approach to Modelling the Stability Behaviour of Soil and Rock Slopes in Civil and Structural Engineering, Proceedings of the Young Researchers’ Conference (YRC), 17 March, The Institution of Structural Engineers, London, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Mottaghifard, N., Faramarzi, A., Javadi, A.A. 2011, A Prediction Model for the Stability Factor of Safety in Soil Slopes, Proceedings of the 2nd Post Graduate Conference on Computing: Application and Theory (PCCAT), 8th June, University of Exeter, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Javadi, A.A., Faramarzi, A., Mottaghifard, N. 2011. An evolutionary approach to modelling behaviour of geo-materials, Proceedings of the 7th International PhD-DLA Symposium, 24-
25 October, Pollack Mihaly Faculty of Engineering, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.
•Javadi A. A., Faramarzi, A., Mehravar, M., A.Ahangar-Asr, A. 2011. EPR-based Finite Element Analysis of Soils Under Cyclic Loading, Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME), 5-6 April, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
•Faramarzi, A., Mehravar, M., Veladi, H., Javadi, A. A., A.Ahangar-Asr, Mehravar, Ma. 2011. A Hysteretic Model for Steel Plate Shear Walls, Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME), 5-6 April, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
•Javadi, A.A., Johari, A., Ahangar-Asr, A., Faramarzi, A., and Toll D.G. 2010. Prediction of the Behaviour of Unsaturated Soils Using Evolutionary Polynomial Regression; an Incremental Approach, Chapter in “Unsaturated Soils, Two Volume Set” pp: 837-842, CRC Press, ISBN:9781003026365 (Presented at the 5th International Conference on Unsaturated Soil, Barcelona, Spain, 6-8 September 2010)
•Javadi, A.A., Faramarzi, A., Mehravar, M. and Ahangar-Asr, A. 2010. Optimising Microstructure of Auxetic Materials”, Proceedings of the 8th ASMO UK / ISSMO conference on Engineering Design Optimization Product and Process Improvement, 8-9 July, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Faramarzi, A., and Javadi, A.A. 2010. An evolutionary numerical approach to modelling the mechanical properties of rubber concrete, Proceedings of the International Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering, 30 June-2 July, Nottingham University, Nottingham, UK.
•Javadi, A.A., Faramarzi, A., Ahangar-Asr, A., and Mehravar, M., 2010. Finite element analysis of three-dimensional shallow foundation using artificial intelligence based constitutive model, Proceedings of the International Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering, 30 June-2 July, Nottingham University, Nottingham, UK.
•Javadi A.A., Faramarzi A., Ahangar-Asr A., and Mehravar M. 2010. Intelligent Finite Element Method in Geotechnical Engineering”, Proceedings of the 18th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME-UK), 29-31 March, University of Southampton, UK.
•Javadi, A. A., Johari, A., Ahangar-Asr, A., Faramarzi, A., and Toll, D. G. 2009. A New Approach to Constitutive Modelling of Unsaturated Soils Using Evolutionary Polynomial Regression, Proceedings of the 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Unsaturated Soils, 23-25 November, Newcastle, Australia.
•Ahangar-Asr, A. 2009. Using space structures in conventional multi-story buildings, Proceedings of the Young Researchers’ Conference (YRC), March, The Institution of Structural Engineers, London, UK.
•Javadi, A. A., Faramarzi, A., and Ahangar-Asr, A. 2009. An Intelligent Finite Element Method, Proceedings of the 17th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME), 6-8 April, Nottingham, UK.
•Javadi, A. A., Johari, A., Ahangar-Asr, A., Faramarzi, A., and Toll, D. G. 2009. Using Evolutionary Polynomial Regression in Modelling of Unsaturated Soils, Proceedings of the 17th Annual Conference of the Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering (ACME), 6-8 April, Nottingham, UK.
•Toufigh, M. M., Ahangar-Asr A. 2007. Determination of the most probable slip surface in 3D slopes using non-linear programming techniques”, Proceedings of the XIII Pan American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 16-20 July, Margarita Island, Venezuela.
•Toufigh, M. M., Ahangar-Asr A., 2007, Finding the Most Probable Slip Surface in 3D Slopes using Numerical Methods, Proceedings of the 3rd National Congress on Civil Engineering, 1-3 May, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran.
•Toufigh, M. M., Ahangar-Asr A. 2007. Using BFGS optimization technique to determine the critical slip surface in 3D slopes”, Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress on Civil Engineering in the Promoting of Quality, 7-8 March, Gorgan University, Gorgan, Iran.
•Toufigh, M. M., Ahangar-Asr A. 2006. Using Non-linear Programming Techniques in Determination of the Most Probable Slip Surface in 3D Slopes, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Computational & Mathematical Methods in Science and Engineering (CMSE), Cairo, Egypt.
•Kamali R., Ahangar-Asr A. 2006. A new method proposed to make use of space structures in construction of ordinary buildings”, Proceedings of the 7th International Congress on Civil Engineering, 15-17 May, Tarbiat-Modarres University, Tehran, Iran.

Book Chapters:

•Hussain, M.S., Ahangar-Asr, A., Javadi, A.A. 2015. A new evolutionary approach to geotechnical and geo-environmental modelling, Chapter in, Handbook of Genetic Programming Applications”, Gandomi, Amir H., Alavi, Amir H., Ryan, Conor (Eds.), Springer, ISBN: 978-3-319-20882-4.
•Javadi, A.A., Ahangar-Asr, A., Faramarzi, A., Mottaghifard, N. 2012. An EPR Approach to Modelling of Civil and Geotechnical Engineering Systems, Chapter in “Metaheuristics in Water, Geotechnical and Transport Engineering”, Yang X.S., Talataheri S., Alavi A.H. and Gandomi A.H (Eds), Elsevier, ISBN: 978-0-12-398296-4.
Other Publications
•Ahangar-Asr A., and Javadi A. A. 2013. Volumetric behaviour of unsaturated silt considering temperature parameter, in Proceeding of the International Symposium on Unsaturated Soil Mechanics and Deep Geological Waste Disposal, 7-10 July, Sino-France Centre3, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Johari, A., and Javadi, A. A. 2012. An Evolutionary Approach to Modelling the Soil-Water Characteristic Curve in Unsaturated Soils, Computers and Geosciences (Impact factor: 5.168), 43, 25-33.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Toufigh, M. M., and Salajegheh, A. 2012. Determination of the Most Probable Slip Surface in 3D Slopes Considering the Effect of Earthquake Force Direction”, Computers and Geosciences (Impact factor: 5.168), 45: 119-130.
•Ahangar-Asr, A., Javadi A. A., Faramarzi, A., Mottaghifard N. 2012. Rock Slope Stability Analysis; an Evolutionary Approach, 9th International Congress on Civil Engineering, 8-10 May, Isfahan University of Technology (IUT), Isfahan, Iran.
•Ahangar-Asr , A., Faramarzi, A., Mottaghifard, N. and Javadi, A. A. 2011. Modelling of Permeability and Compaction Characteristics of Soils using Evolutionary Polynomial Regression, Computers & Geosciences (Impact factor: 5.168), 37(11), 1860-1869.
•Javadi, A. A., Mehravar, M., Faramarzi, A., and Ahangar-Asr, A. 2009. An Artificial Intelligence Based Finite Element Method”, ISAST Transactions on Computers and Intelligent Systems, 1(2), 1-7.

Teaching Qualifications and Recognitions

Teaching

Dr. Alireza Ahangar Asr has over 15 years of experience in higher education, pioneering innovative teaching methods such as problem-based flip-teaching and research-led instruction. His approach enhances student engagement, performance, and readiness for professional practice. He has the experience of leading multiple modules across L4, 5 and 6, supervises L6, 7 projects as well as MRes, MPhil and PhD candidates, mentors new staff, and integrates industry-oriented research problems into research projects. Alireza is commitment to pedagogical excellence student success support in his role as lecturer and researcher.

Qualifications and Recognitions

Qualifications

  • PGCE

    2014 - 2015

  • PhD in Engineering (Geotechnical)

    2008 - 2013

  • Civil Engineering - Soil and Foundation Mechanics

    2004 - 2007

  • Civil Engineering - Civil

    1999 - 2004