After obtaining his Doctoral degree in 2013, Dr. Abdelaal worked as a post-doctoral fellow with Dr. R Kerry Rowe at Queen’s University, to investigate the durability of geomembrane liners for use in other emerging areas in the field of geoenvironmental engineering. These applications included low level radioactive waste containment facilities, potable water reservoirs and mining applications (including heap leach pads, tailings storage facilities, and the Bayer process for Aluminum extraction).
Dr. Abdelaal moved back to Egypt in 2015 after his appointment as an Assistant Professor at Ain Shams University. In January 2017, he joined the Civil Engineering Department at Queen’s University as an Assistant Professor.
Academic Experience
Industrial Experience
Professional Membership
Chemical durability of Polymeric and Bituminous geomembranes; Large-scale testing of the physical behaviour of geosynthetic barrier systems; Interface shear properties of barrier systems; Contaminant transport through bituminous geomembranes.
Industry Collaboration
Titan Environmental Containment
Layfield Canada Ltd
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
Undergraduate courses:
Graduate courses:
Journal Papers
Abdelaal, F.B. and Solanki, R. (2022). Effect of geotextile ageing and geomembrane surface roughness on the geomembrane-geotextile interfaces for heap leaching applications, Geotextile and Geomembranes, 50(1): 55-68, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2021.09.001.
Abdelaal, F.B. and Solanki, R. (2021). Shear strength of geomembrane-subgrade interface in heap leaching applications, Environmental Geotechnics, https://doi.org/10.1680/jenge.21.00065.
Rowe, R.K., Abdelaal, F.B., Zafari, M., Morsy, M., and Priyanto, D. (2020). An approach to geomembrane selection to meet challenging design requirements. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 57: 1550-1565, dx.doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2019-0572.
Morsy, M., and Rowe, R.K., Abdelaal, F.B. (2020). Longevity of twelve geomembranes in chlorinated water. Canadian Geotechnical Journal. Online: https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cgj-2019-0520
Abdelaal, F.B. Morsy, M., and Rowe, R.K. (2019). Long-term performance of a HDPE geomembrane stabilized with HALS in chlorinated water. Geotextile and Geomembranes, 47(6): 815-830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2019.103497
Abdelaal, F.B. and Rowe, R.K. (2019). Degradation of an HDPE geomembrane without HALS in chlorinated water. Geosynthetics International, 26(4):354-370.
Abdelaal, F.B. and Rowe, R.K. (2017). Effect of high pH found in low level radioactive waste leachates on the antioxidant depletion of a HDPE geomembrane. Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste, 21(1); 10.1061/(ASCE)HZ.2153-5515.0000262, D4015001.
Rowe, R.K. and Abdelaal. F.B. (2016). Antioxidant depletion Stage of a HDPE Geomembrane with HALS in low pH heap leach pad environment. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 53: 1612–1627 (2016) dx.doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2016-002.
Abdelaal, F.B., Rowe, R.K, Hsuan, Y.G. and Awad, R. (2015). Effect of high temperatures on the physical and mechanical properties of HDPE geomembranes in air, Geosynthetics International, 22(3):207-224.
Abdelaal, F.B. and Rowe, R.K. (2015). Durability of three HDPE Geomembranes immersed in different fluids at 85oC, ASCE, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (ASCE-JGGE), 141(2): 04014106-1.
Abdelaal, F.B. and Rowe, R.K. (2014). Effect of high temperatures on antioxidant depletion from different HDPE geomembranes. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 42(4): 284-301.
Abdelaal, F. B., Rowe, R. K., and Brachman, R. W. I. (2014). Brittle rupture of an aged HDPE geomembrane at local gravel indentations under simulated field conditions. Geosynthetics International, 21(1): 1-23.
Abdelaal, F.B., Rowe, R.K. and Islam, M.Z. (2014). Effect of leachate composition on the long-term performance of a HDPE geomembrane. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 42(4): 384-362.
Rowe, R.K., Abdelaal, F.B. and Islam, M.Z. (2014). Aging of HDPE geomembrane of three different thicknesses, ASCE, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (ASCE-JGGE), 140(5): 04014005.
Rowe, R.K., Abdelaal, F.B. and Brachman, R.W.I. (2013). Antioxidant depletion of HDPE geomembrane with sand protection layer, Geosynthetics International, 20(2):73-89.
Full Conference Papers
E Silva, R., Abdelaal, F.B., and Rowe, R.K.R. (2021). Antioxidant Depletion from a HDPE Geomembrane Immersed in Unsaturated Pore Waters and Heap Leaching Solutions. Canadian Geotechnical Conference, GeoCalgary 2022.
E Silva, R., Abdelaal, F.B., and Rowe, R.K.R. (2021). Antioxidant Depletion of a HDPE Geomembrane in Arsenic-Bearing Tailings. Canadian Geotechnical Conference, GeoNiagara 2021.
Zafari, M. and Abdelaal, F.B. (2020). Antioxidant Depletion from Textured Conductive and Non-conductive HDPE Geomembranes in Chlorinated Water. GeoAmericas 2020 Virtual conference.
Morsy, M.S., Abdelaal, F.B., and Rowe, R.K. (2019). Performance of blended polyolefin and LLDPE geomembranes in Heap Leach Pads based on OIT. Geosynthetics 2019 Conference, Houston, TX, USA.
Samea, A. and Abdelaal, F.B. (2019). Chemical durability of bituminous geomembranes in heap leaching applications at 55oC. Geosynthetics 2019 Conference, Houston, TX, USA.
Zafari, M. and Abdelaal, F.B. (2019). Antioxidant depletion from single-sided and double-sided textured geomembranes in two different immersion solutions. Geosynthetics 2019 Conference, Houston, TX, USA.
Priyanto, D., Whitelaw, B., Rowe, R.K., Barone, F., Abdelaal, F., Zafari, M., Buckley, J. (2019) Implementation of R&D results in the design of liner system for the Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF). WM2019 Conference, March 3 – 7, 2019, Phoenix, Arizona, US.
Abdelaal, F.B., Rowe, R.K., and Brachman, R.W.I. (2018). Effect of liner temperature on the long term stress cracking of HDPE geomembrane sunder simulated field conditions. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference of Geosynthetics. Seoul, Korea, September 2018, 7p.
Morsy, M.S., Rowe, R.K. and Abdelaal, F.B. (2016). Antioxidant depletion from HDPE and LLDPE geomembranes in chlorinated water. 3rd Pan-American Conference on Geosynthetics, Geo-Americas 2016, 10-13 April 2016-Miami Beach, USA.
Abdelaal, F.B. and Rowe, R.K. (2014). Effect of chlorinated water on the antioxidant depletion of HDPE geomembrane without HALS. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Geosynthetics, Berlin, September 2014 CD-ROM Paper #83, 7p.
Abdelaal, F.B., and Rowe, R.K. (2014). Application of a four-parameter exponential decay model for modelling antioxidant depletion in HDPE geomembranes. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Geosynthetics, Berlin, September 2014 CD-ROM Paper #274, 8p.
Abdelaal, F.B. and Rowe, R.K. (2014). Antioxidant depletion from a LLDPE geomembrane in an extremely high pH solution. Proceedings of Geosynthetics Mining Solutions2014. 8-11 September 2014, Vancouver, BC, Canada, CD-ROM, pp. 225-235.
Abdelaal, F.B. and Rowe, R.K. (2013). Antioxidant depletion of HDPE geomembrane without HALS in an extreme environment. Proceedings of Geosynthetics 2013 Conference, Long Beach, CA, USA. CD-ROM, pp. 127-133.
Abdelaal, F.B., Rowe, R.K., Smith, M., Brachman, R.W.I. and Thiel, R. (2012). Antioxidant depletion from HDPE and LLDPE geomembranes without HALS in and extremely low pH solution. The 2nd Pan American Geosynthetic Conference and Exhibition, GeoAmericas2012, Lima, Peru, CD-ROM, 9p.
Abdelaal, F.B., Rowe, R.K., Smith, M. and Thiel, R. (2011). OIT depletion in HDPE geomembranes used in contact with solutions having very high and low pH. Proceedings ofthe 14th Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Toronto, Canada, CD-ROM, 7p.
Rowe, R.K., Abdelaal, F.B., Islam, M.Z., and Hsuan Y.G. (2010). The strange effect of increasing temperature in accelerated ageing of HDPE GMBs immersed in liquids. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics, Guaruja, Brazil, pp. 793-798.
Eid, M.M., Abdelrahman, M.T., and Abdelaal, F.M.B. (2009). Sand bentonite mixture as secondary liners in landfills. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Alexandria, Egypt, 2009, pp. 225-228.
Awards
2019: Geosynthetics International Award for the best paper published in the journal in 2019: Abdelaal, F.B. and Rowe, R.K. (2019). Degradation of an HDPE geomembrane without HALS in chlorinated water. Geosynthetics International, 26(4):354-370.
2015: Geosynthetics International Award for one of the best three papers published in the journal in 2014: Abdelaal, F. B., Rowe, R. K., and Brachman, R. W. I. (2014a). Brittle rupture of an aged HDPE geomembrane at local gravel indentations under simulated field conditions. Geosynthetics International, 21(1): 1-23.
2014: Geosynthetics International Award for the best paper published in the journal in 2013: Rowe, R.K., Abdelaal, F.B. & Brachman, R.W.I. (2013). Antioxidant depletion of HDPE geomembrane with sand protection layer. Geosynthetics International, 20, No. 2, 73-89.
2012: Graduate Student Presentation Award: National Canadian Geotechnical Society’s (CGS) Competition for 2012 (2nd Prize). http://www.cgs.ca/awards-2012.php
Grants
NSERC Discovery Grant
NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Grant
NSERC Strategic Partnership Grant
Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund
Ontario Research Fund-Small Infrastructure fund
Queen’s Wicked Ideas