Geo-Group Geotechnical Engineering | McGill University

Professor Mohamed A. Meguid

Professor and William Scott Research Chair in Civil Engineering, McGill University.

Profile

Mohamed A. Meguid is a Professor of Civil Engineering at McGill University, where he holds the William Scott Research Chair and serves as Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering. His research focuses on geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, with emphasis on soil structure interaction, buried infrastructure, geosynthetic engineering, transportation geotechnics, and numerical modelling of geotechnical systems.

His research group combines numerical modelling, laboratory testing, physical modelling, and field monitoring to study the behaviour of foundations, buried pipelines and conduits, reinforced soil systems, geoenvironmental barriers, and other geotechnical infrastructure. The overall objective is to support safe, resilient, and cost effective design practice.

Professor Meguid is Editor in Chief of Geotechnical and Geological Engineering and has contributed to professional service, technical committees, editorial boards, and external review activities in Canada and internationally.

Research areas

  • Soil structure interaction and buried infrastructure.
  • Geosynthetic engineering and reinforced soil systems.
  • Transportation geotechnics and performance of embankments and pavements.
  • Geoenvironmental geotechnics, including barrier and containment systems.
  • Numerical modelling, physical modelling, laboratory testing, and field monitoring.

Teaching areas

  • CIVE 311: Geotechnical Mechanics.
  • CIVE 416: Geotechnical Engineering.
  • CIVE 683: Advanced Foundation Design.
  • Graduate and professional short courses in geotechnical finite element analysis and geosynthetic design.

Selected publications

The following selected publications illustrate recent research themes. This list can be updated periodically.

2026

  • Guo, C., Zhou, C., Meguid, M.A., and Tai, P. (2026). DEM modelling of the axial behaviour of underground pipelines buried in unsaturated coarse-grained soils. Computers and Geotechnics.
  • Wang, R., Meguid, M.A., Ni, P., Dong, H., and Yang, Y. (2026). Failure Mechanisms and Optimization Strategies for Multi-level Pit-in-Pit Excavation in Soft Ground. Canadian Geotechnical Journal.
  • Wu, B., Ibrahim, A., Liu, X-F, Li, B., Zhu, H., and Meguid, M.A. (2026). Experimental and numerical investigation of soil hydrothermal dynamics under varying surface covers. Catena.
  • Shokr, M., Meguid, M.A., Malomo, D., and Bhat, S. (2026). Experimental and numerical study on flexural behaviour of geogrid-reinforced beams. Geosynthetics International.
  • Xiao, R., Meguid, M.A., Sushama, L., and Zayed, T. (2026). Time-variant reliability analysis of corroded gas pipelines considering dynamic defect evolution and interaction. Reliability Engineering and System Safety.
  • Jarjour, J., Meguid, M.A., and Bhat, S. (2026). Drainage performance of wicking geotextiles under rainfall and capillary rise conditions. Geosynthetics International.

2025

  • Xiao, R., Sushama, L., Meguid, M.A., and Zayed, T. (2025). Evaluating the influence of climate change on the deterioration and bearing capacity of corroded gas pipelines. Reliability Engineering and System Safety.
  • Guo, C., Zhou, C., and Meguid, M.A. (2025). Cyclic and Post-cyclic Axial Behaviors of Steel Pipelines Buried in Dense Sand. Acta Geotechnica.
  • Lu, G., and Meguid, M.A. (2025). Cemented backfill application in challenging geothermal environment: A brief review and future perspectives. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering.
  • Jarjour, J., Ibrahim, A., and Meguid, M.A. (2025). Experimental and numerical investigation of the unsaturated behavior of conventional and wicking non-woven geotextiles. Geotextiles and Geomembranes.
  • Abdelkader, M., Ebrahim, K., Zayed, T., and Meguid, M.A. (2025). A Deep Learning-based Model for Endorsing Predictive Accuracies of Landslide Prediction: Insights into Soil Moisture Dynamics. Geoenvironmental Disasters.
  • Wang, H., Gao, G., Meguid, M.A., Khalili, N., and Zhang, L. (2025). The role of boundary normal stiffness in the micromechanical behavior of geomembrane-sand interface: A numerical study. Geotextiles and Geomembranes.
  • Xiao, R., Sushama, L., Meguid, M.A., and Zayed, T. (2025). Assessment of the impacts of climatic factors and infrastructure characteristics on gas pipeline failures. ASCE Journal of Infrastructure Systems.
  • Guo, C., Zhou, C., and Meguid, M.A. (2025). Effect of surface roughness on axial soil-pipe interaction: A discrete element approach. Computers and Geotechnics.
  • Wu, B., Zhu, H., Guo, X., Wang, D., Wang, C., Yu, H., Tan, D., Li, B., and Meguid, M.A. (2025). Experimental investigation of thermo-hydro-mechanical interactions in frozen soil using an integrated monitoring system. Engineering Geology.
  • Huo, J., and Meguid, M.A. (2025). Systematic investigation of stress-induced fracture closure and permeability evolution in Lac du Bonnet granite. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences.
  • Lu, G., Selvadurai, A.P.S., and Meguid, M.A. (2025). Aquathermal Effect of Anomalous Pressure Generation in Consolidating Minefill. Géotechnique.
  • Wang, H., Gao, G., Meguid, M.A., and Zhang, L. (2025). On the Role of Aspect Ratio on the Geocell-reinforced Soils: A Coupled Continuum-discontinuum Study. Computers and Geotechnics.
  • Shokr, M., Meguid, M.A., Malomo, D., and Bhat, S. (2025). Experimental and numerical investigations of slab-on-grade reinforced with stiff and ductile geogrids. International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering.
  • Xiao, R., Zayed, T., Meguid, M.A., and Sushama, L. (2025). Reliability analysis of gas pipelines considering spatial and temporal corrosion variability. Journal of Pipeline Science and Engineering.
  • Xiao, R., Zayed, T., Meguid, M.A., and Sushama, L. (2025). A statistical perspective on natural gas distribution pipeline incidents in the United States. Gas Science and Engineering.
  • Wang, R., Shen, D., Ni, P., Guo, C., Meguid, M.A., Liang, H., Tang, M., and Ye, J. (2025). Analysis of three-dimensional effects of a new prefabricated recyclable retaining system. International Journal of Geomechanics.
  • Gao, G., Meguid, M.A., and Zhang, L. (2025). Exploring the role of sample size on fracture growth mechanisms in intact rock: Insights from 3D DEM-DFN analysis. Canadian Geotechnical Journal.

2024

  • Xiao, R., Zayed, T., Meguid, M.A., and Sushama, L. (2024). Rapid failure risk analysis of corroded gas pipelines using machine learning. Ocean Engineering.
  • Lu, G., and Meguid, M.A. (2024). A multiphysics simulator for stope-coupled heat exchanger operation in deep underground mines. Energy.
  • Xiao, R., Zayed, T., Meguid, M.A., and Sushama, L. (2024). Dynamic risk assessment of natural gas transmission pipelines with LSTM networks and historical failure data. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.
  • Ding, P., Sasmito, A., Sereshgi, F., Meguid, M.A., Hassani, F., and Lu, G. (2024). Numerical modeling of adaptive minefill operation: Leverage of multiphysics interactions. Computers and Geotechnics.
  • Ibrahim, A., Desbrousses, R.L.E., Xu, J., and Meguid, M.A. (2024). Experimental investigation of the mechanical response of recovered geogrids under repeated loading. Geosynthetics International.
  • Desbrousses, R.L.E., Meguid, M.A., and Bhat, S. (2024). Discrete Element Study on the Effects of Geogrid Characteristics on the Mechanical Response of Reinforced Ballast under Cyclic Loading. Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology.
  • Xiao, R., Zayed, T., Meguid, M.A., and Sushama, L. (2024). Time varying reliability analysis of corroded gas pipelines using copula and importance sampling. Ocean Engineering.
  • Huo, J., Selvadurai, A.P.S., and Meguid, M.A. (2024). Permeability Evolution in a Fracture in Granite During Isotropic Compression. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering.
  • Ibrahim, A., Meguid, M.A., Dang, K., and Yacoub, T. (2024). Thermal modelling of geosynthetics and earth structures in a changing climate: Overview and future challenges. International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering.
  • Lu, G., Selvadurai, A.P.S., and Meguid, M.A. (2024). Analytical solution to non-isothermal pore-pressure evolution in hydrating minefill. Canadian Geotechnical Journal.
  • Xiao, R., Zayed, T., Meguid, M.A., and Sushama, L. (2024). Improving failure modeling of gas transmission pipelines: A survival analysis and machine learning integrated approach. Reliability Engineering and System Safety.
  • Wang, H., Gao, G., Meguid, M.A., Cheng, Y.P., and Zhang, L. (2024). Exploring the influence of size-related factors on geocell-reinforced soil response using coupled continuum-discontinuum analysis. Geotextiles and Geomembranes.
  • Xiao, R., Zayed, T., Meguid, M.A., and Sushama, L. (2024). Predicting failure pressure of corroded gas pipelines: a data-driven approach using machine learning. Process Safety and Environmental Protection.

2023

  • Jarjour, J., and Meguid, M.A. (2023). Investigating the effect of temperature and water freezing on the response of geogrid composite. Geosynthetics International.
  • Desbrousses, R., Meguid, M.A., and Bhat, S. (2023). Experimental investigation of the effects of subgrade strength and geogrid location on the cyclic response of geogrid-reinforced ballast. International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering.
  • Xiao, R., Zayed, T., Meguid, M.A., and Sushama, L. (2023). Understanding the factors and consequences of pipeline incidents: An analysis of gas transmission pipelines in the US. Engineering Failure Analysis.
  • Huo, D., Gomaa, S., Leung, A., Zayed, T., and Meguid, M.A. (2023). Review of analytical methods for stress and deformation analysis of buried water pipes considering pipe-soil interaction. Underground Space.
  • Zhang, R., Gomaa, S., Hussein, M., Zayed, T., and Meguid, M.A. (2023). Review of numerical approaches used in soil-pipe interaction analysis of water mains. Transportation Geotechnics.
  • Almheiri, Z., Meguid, M.A., and Zayed, T. (2023). Review of critical factors affecting the failure of water pipeline infrastructure. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.
  • Ibrahim, A., and Meguid, M.A. (2023). CFD-DEM simulation of sand erosion into defective gravity pipes under constant groundwater table. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology.
  • Sakr, M.A., Azzam, W.R., Meguid, M.A., and Ghoneim, H. (2023). Experimental Study on the Effect of Micro-metakaolin on the Strength and Swelling Characteristics of Expansive Soils. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering.

2022

  • Ibrahim, A., and Meguid, M.A. (2022). CFD-DEM simulation of sand erosion into defective gravity pipes under constant groundwater table. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology.
  • Alobaidi, M., Meguid, M.A., and Zayed, T. (2022). Semi-Supervised Learning Framework for Oil and Gas Pipeline Failure Detection. Nature Scientific Reports.
  • Ibrahim, A., and Meguid, M.A. (2022). CFD-DEM modeling of geotextile clogging in tunnel drainage systems. Geotextiles and Geomembranes.
  • Sakr, M., Azzam, W., Meguid, M.A., Hassan, A.F., and Ghoneim, H. (2022). Comparative evaluation of Micro-Metakaolin and Ferric Chloride solution in stabilizing expansive soils. Ground Improvement Journal, Proceedings of the ICE.
  • Gao, G., and Meguid, M.A. (2022). Microscale characterization of Fracture Growth in Increasingly Jointed Rock Samples. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering.
  • Desbrousses, R.L.E., and Meguid, M.A. (2022). Experimental investigation of the effect of temperature on the mechanical properties of two polymeric geogrid materials. Geosynthetics International.
  • Shokr, M., Meguid, M.A., and Bhat, S. (2022). Experimental investigation of the tensile response of stiff fiberglass geogrid under varying temperature. International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering.

Awards, honours, and fellowships

  • Elected Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (2026).
  • Elected Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2025).
  • Named William Scott Research Chair in Civil Engineering, McGill University (2024).
  • Winner of the Geosynthetics Research Award, Canadian Geotechnical Society (2022).
  • Professor of the Year, CEUS, McGill University (2022).
  • Winner of the Samuel and Ida Fromson Award for Outstanding Teaching, McGill University (2010).
  • Nominated for the Faculty of Engineering Outstanding Teaching Award, McGill University (2006, 2020).
  • Best Professor's Award, CEUS, McGill University (2005, 2006).

Professional and editorial service

  • Editor-in-Chief, Geotechnical and Geological Engineering (2023-present)
  • Associate Editor, Geotextiles and Geomembranes (2019-present)
  • Associate Editor, Innovative Infrastructure Solutions (2020-2023)
  • Editorial Board Member, Canadian Geotechnical Journal (2020-present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Geotextiles and Geomembranes (2018-2019)
  • Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering (2017-present)
  • Guest Editor, Special Issue on Buried Infrastructure, International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering (2020)

Graduate supervision

Professor Meguid supervises graduate students and postdoctoral researchers working on topics related to soil structure interaction, buried infrastructure, geosynthetics, geoenvironmental systems, ground improvement, and advanced geotechnical modelling.

Professional registration

  • Registered Professional Engineer, Province of Ontario, 2004 to present.
  • Registered Engineer, Egyptian Engineers Syndicate, 1991 to present.