Zuhair Michael Sako - A Prominent Professor of Civil Engineering and Consultant in Iraq.
After primary, intermediate and secondary education in Mosul, Professor Zuhair was admitted in 1956 to resume studies at the Department of Civil Engineering of the Iraqi College of Engineering in Baghdad. He graduated with a Bachelor degree with honors in 1960. At the same year, the College of Engineering announced its first postgraduate program in civil engineering and Professor Zuhair enrolled as the first student in it.
The thesis which he presented and defended was entitled "Investigation of Suitability of Iraqi Soils Stabilized by Cement for Highway Construction Works". It was positively evaluated scientifically by experts from the National Centre of Laboratories and Construction Research of Portugal. As his postgraduate study was part time, he earned his Master degree in 1965 with a Very Good grade. He was then the very first graduate and only student to be awarded that degree from the University of Baghdad at that time. During the Arab Israeli conflict of 1967, the recommendations from his thesis were directly and successfully applied in rapid construction of alternate runways for jetfighters at the western region of Iraq.
During his Master degree studies, he worked as a structural designer at the famous Al-Rawafid Engineering Consultations firm in Baghdad. In 1962 and 1963, he was Project Manager for the Contractor at the Ministry of Planning Complex of Buildings at the heart of the capital city, Baghdad. He redesigned the concrete structural frames of these buildings from conventional methods to latest concepts at that time that were conveyed to him during his master studies. The architect for this project was the internationally famous Italian from Milano, Gio Ponti. Later, he started his own bureau under the name of "Zuhair Sako and Associates Engineering Consultations". Many designs for various kinds of structures were produced from that office including designs for buildings, villas, stadiums, sylos ...etc and supervised the construction of hospitals, schools and bridges among many other types of buildings. He ended that office when he became fully devoted to university activities in 1979.
In 1965, Professor Zuhair became a faculty member at the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Baghdad. Since then, he gave lectures in Strength of Materials, Building Construction, Materials Lab and the Theory of Structures to undergraduate students at the Department of Architecture in addition to the Irrigation and Agricultural Equipment Department. As for undergraduate students at the Department of Civil Engineering, he gave lectures in various topics including Engineering Drawing, Strength of Materials Laboratory, Materials of Construction Lab, Materials Technology, Concrete Technology, Building Construction and Methods of Construction, Estimation and Specifications.
As for his involvement in postgraduate studies, he gave lectures to structural engineering students in various topics including Durability of Concrete, Durability of Building Materials and Buildings Durability.
From 1993 till 2003 and in addition to his academic responsibilities, he was the Director of the Engineering Projects Department at the headquarters of the University of Baghdad. He was also one of the founders of the University of Baghdad Engineering Consultations Bureau. Since 1973 and for more than two decades, he was a Member of the Central Committee for Construction Materials and Products at the Central Governmental Facility for Measurements and Quality Control. This Committee produced a large number of standard specifications and methods of tests for various materials and products involved in the construction and building industry. He was also a patent evaluator at that facility. In 1973, he became a member of the preparatory and administrative committee for the International Symposium on Clay Brick Industry in Iraq.
After the Second Gulf War, he was actively involved in re-construction projects and schemes and gave papers and presentations on “Confronting the Economic Embargo with Construction”.
When the Project Management discipline was started at the Department in 1994, Professor Zuhair became the coordinator and representative of that discipline at the Departmental Scientific Committee. As such, he gave lectures in Design and Construction Management, Building Works Studies, Means of Execution of Projects and Meeting Designated Programs. As such, he supervised twenty five Master and Doctorate theses and dissertations in this vital realm.
Professor Zuhair was one of the leading experts in Iraq where he published a number of scientific papers in various topics he tackled during his professional life. Moreover, he has participated in writing a book entitled "Building Construction" and another entitled "Construction Management and Artificial Neural Networks" which is going to be published in 2015.
He was also a Member of committees which produced codes on Water Protection of Buildings, Wall Construction and Thermal Insulation of Buildings..
Professor Zuhair was a consultant to various governmental organizations like the National Center for Construction Laboratories and the Housing Commission of the Ministry of Construction and Housing.
Professor Zuhair is a Member of the Iraqi Engineers Union holding a Consultant grade, a registered expert at the Arab Engineers Association and a member at the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Professor Zuhair was involved in the College of Engineering of the University of Baghdad as a student first and then as a professor since 1956 till his retirement in 2010. As such, he is considered as one of the old guards of that college.
I have personally known Professor Zuhair for more than forty years as a wonderful lecturer, a colleague and dear friend. His personality had a great impact on generations of engineering students in Iraq.
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