Areas of Specialization

• Long-term Performance and Durability of Building Materials and Components.

• Natural and Artificial Weathering Exposures.

• Microenvironment Characterization; Temperature and Moisture Monitoring.

• Building Materials Characterization; Physical and Mechanical tests, Chemical and Structural Analysis by Spectrographic and Microscopic Techniques (LOM, SEM, EDS, XRD).

• Water-repellents, Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, External Renderings, Fiber-cement Composites, Pumice Aggregate Concrete Hollow Blocks.

• Building Construction Technology.

• Sustainability in Construction.

Research projects

• TÜBITAK 107M532: Pomza Taşı Agregalı Beton Bloklarla Yapılan Dış Duvarların Isıl ve Nemsel Performansı, Yaşam Dönemi Enerji Ekonomik Etkinliği (Hygrothermal Performance of External Walls Made of Pumice Agregate Concrete Blocks, Energy and Economic Efficiency through Life Cycle), The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, February 2008 – August 2010. Project Leader: Hülya Kus, ITU.

• Üretim İşlem Parametrelerinin Lifli Çimento Levhalardaki Gözenek Yapısı ve Çatlak Riskine Etkileri (Effects of Process Parameters on Porosity and Crack Risk in Fiber-Cement Sheets), Project Partners : ITU, Atermit End. Tic. A.S., University of Sao Paulo, June 2006 - 2008.  Project Leader: Hülya Kus, ITU.

• Plant Fiber Concrete, Project Partners : BMG-HIG, SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), September 2000 –2002.  Project Leaders: Peter Norberg, BMG-HIG  and Vanderley M. John (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil)

• EUREKA 2116 DurAAC: Long-time Performance of Coated External Walls made from Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, Project Partners : Yxhult AB, Optiroc AB, Wacker-Chemie GmbH, KTH-BMG, June 1998 - 2004.  Project Leader: Kjell Nygren, Yxhult AB, Sweden.

• TÜBITAK 622: Alçı Katkılı Kerpiç Yapı Malzemesine Uygun Mekanize İnşaat Teknolojisinin ve Standartların Belirlenmesi (Determining the Mechanised Construction Technology and the Standards for the Gypsum Stabilised Earthen Construction Material), The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, April 1994 – January 1997.  Project Leader: Bilge Isik, ITU.

Laboratory and field works during PhD study and research projects

• Thin section microscopy (preparation techniques and image analysis)

• Scanning electron microscopy + Energy dispersive spectrometry

• X-ray diffractometry

• Fourier transform IR thermography

• IR thermography  

• Long-term moisture and temperature monitoring

• Hot-box measurements

  • calibrated

  • guarded

• Natural weathering exposures

  • full scale

  • mock-up

• Accelerated ageing exposures

  • UV+water

  • freeze-thaw

  • wetting-drying

• Physical properties tests

  • capillary water absorption

  • water vapour transmission (wet cup method)

  • sorption isotherms

  • drying out

  • warping

  • Contact angle measurements

  • thermal conductivity

• Mechanical properties tests

  • compressive strength

  • bending

  • adhesion (pull-out test)

Research visits

• ITU Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Research Laboratory of Heat and Mass Transfer, (winter-spring 2010).

• CUHADAROGLU Metal Industries and Marketing Inc., Test and Control Center, Istanbul, Turkey (summer 2008) (summer 2009).

• BMG Centre for Built Environment, University of Gävle, Sweden (May-August 2003) (June-August 2004) (June 2009).

• University of São Paulo, Polytechnic School, Department of Construction Engineering, Microstructure Laboratory, São Paulo, Brazil (July-August 2006).

• KORSNÄS AB, Gävle - Sweden (2002). 

• Vattenfall Utveckling, Älvkarleby - Sweden (2001).

• OPTIROC AB, Malmö - Sweden (March 1999).

• YXHULT - YTONG, Kumla – Örebro - Sweden (April 1998).

• WACKER - Chemie, Burghausen - Germany (August 1996).

 Technical visits

• Çelik&Çelik Yapısal Çelik End. ve Tic. A.Ş., Sancaktepe, Istanbul, Turkey (October 2011).

• UoS Main Library Building, Reinforced Concrete Construction Site, Sharjah, UAE (December 2010).

• Al Yazan Contracting Co. L.L.C., Steel Construction Site, Shopping Center, Sharjah, UAE (December 2010).

• Richmond Olympic Oval and Hillcrest Park Vancouver Olympic Centre, Vancouver, Canada (June 2010).

• Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, Canada (June 2010).

• BLOKBIMS, Nevsehir, Turkey (September 2007) (November 2008).

• Various Construction Sites, Barcelona, Spain (June, 2008).

• RMI - Türkiye Research and Training Center, Gebze, Turkey (May 2008) (November 2011).

• Electrical & Mechanical Services Department Headquarters, Wetland Park, Hong Kong (December 2007).

• Macau Heritage tour (December 2007).

• KILSAN, Kemerburgaz, Istanbul, Turkey (September 2007).

• NUH, Hereke, Kocaeli, Turkey (September 2007).

• Various Construction Sites, Moscow, Russia (December, 2006).

• PP Fiber Factory, BRASILIT – Saint Gobain, Jacareí Plant, SP, Brazil (November 2006).

• Villa Lobos Residential Condo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil (July 2006).

• Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Civil Engineering Department (COPPE), Brazil (July 2006).

• Centro De Technologia Mineral, Ilha Da Cidade Universitaria, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (July 2006).

• University of São Paulo, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, Department of Animal Science, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil (July 2006).

• INFIBRA, Leme, SP, Brazil (July 2006).

• Characterization Technology Laboratories (LCT), Mining and Petroleum Engineering Department, University of São Paulo, Brazil (July 2006).

• ATERMIT Industry and Trade Inc., Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey (May 2006).

• TUBITAK, Marmara Research Center, Materials Institute, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey (December 2005).

• Pumice Research Laboratory, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey (September 2005).

• Municipality of Isparta, Pumice Building Elements Industry and Trade Inc. (ISBAS), Isparta, Turkey (September 2005).

• LAFARGE, the world research center, France (April 2005).

• CUHADAROGLU Metal Industries and Marketing Inc., Test and Control Center, Istanbul, Turkey (April 2005).

• STO AG, Stühlingen, Germany (August 2003).

• ALSECCO GmbH, Gerstungen, Germany (July 2003).

• YTONG AG, Schrobenhausen, Germany (July 2003).

• University of Porto, Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Physics Laboratory, Portugal (September 2002).

• STO AB, Linköping, Sweden (June 2002).

• VTT Building and Transport, Materials and Products, Espoo, Finland (September 2001).

• Restauration Works in Acropolis, Athens, Greece (September 2001). 

• NRC-IRC Laboratories, Ottawa, Canada (June 2001).