Milad Akbari is a PhD Researcher in the Bridges to the Future lab at the University of Southampton, working on surrogate modelling of ageing bridge networks subject to extreme dynamic loading. His research applies computational structural mechanics, finite element modelling and structural optimisation to develop efficient, data-driven models for assessing the resilience of ageing bridge infrastructure networks. His interest in this area builds on an early research background in computational mechanics: as a Research Assistant in the Department of Civil Engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology (2017–2019), he developed MATLAB-based computational tools and ran finite element simulations in MATLAB and SAP2000 to optimise double-layer grid structures with supporting cable systems, work that led to a peer-reviewed publication in Periodica Polytechnica: Civil Engineering.
Alongside his research, Milad has several years of professional experience as a practising structural engineer. He currently works as a Structural Engineer at Artin Consulting Engineering in California, USA, where he analyses and designs steel and reinforced-concrete building systems in high-seismic regions, leads the design and technical review of structural steel connections, and develops computational design tools to support structural calculations. He has previously worked as a Structural Engineer at Absolute CAD Designs in Birmingham, UK, and at JJ Ryan Consulting Engineering in Tehran, Iran, designing steel framing systems to UK and Australian standards respectively. He holds an MSc in Construction Management from the University of Birmingham, where his dissertation compared Matterport and point-cloud scanning methods for generating accurate internal BIM models of historic UK buildings, and an MSc in Structural Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology, where he ranked 3rd among 16 graduates. He is a Licensed Structural Engineer with the Iran Construction Engineering Organization and a Graduate Member of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).
