Phu Yen boy receives award for outstanding young researcher in construction

Receiving the award for Outstanding Young Researcher on Fiber Reinforced Materials in Construction, Associate Professor, Dr. Thong considered this a symbolic milestone in his research career. He said that it was also a great encouragement for his journey of more than a decade pursuing fiber reinforced materials, from when he was a PhD student to leading research groups that have made substantial contributions to this field.

“When I started, I did not imagine that one day I would be honored by IIFC - the leading international organization in the industry, and even less that my work could have an impact on a global scale,” Associate Professor Dr. Thong modestly said.

Through that, he also hopes that this recognition will contribute to spreading the spirit of serious, innovative and practical research to the young generation of researchers in Vietnam.

Dr. Pham Minh Thong - Senior Lecturer at the University of South Australia.

Stick to your choice

Since his student days, the signal that taught him about perseverance began with his grandfather's saying: "Success every day will make a week, a month, a year and a lifetime of success...".

That saying seemed to have been in his mind throughout his academic journey, to learn how to face and overcome each failure gently. In 2011, Mr. Thong brought his dream and his parents' pride to the University of Wollongong (Australia) to start his research. When he first arrived in Australia, like any Vietnamese, it took him a long time to get used to new things but with many barriers.

It was during this period (2011 - 2014), despite having many choices, he firmly laid the first foundation for the research direction of applying fiber reinforced materials in strengthening and reinforcing structures, with initial experimental and simulation studies. This topic brought him the award for the best PhD student of the faculty.

Associate Professor Dr. Pham Minh Thong - lecturer at the University of South Australia is always in the top 2% of scientists in terms of citation index in the world and has just been awarded the Outstanding Young Researcher Award by the largest association of fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) in construction - International Institute (IIFC).

After graduating, he moved to Curtin University (Western Australia) for postdoctoral research and then to a senior lecturer position. According to him, what makes the difference in the research chain of a construction scientist is the comprehensive approach.

From design ideas, experimental verification, finite element models for further investigation, and finally proposed design formulas that can be transferred to engineers in practice. In particular, research projects are implemented not only under static impacts but also under complex dynamic loads such as impact, explosion and movement.

“I believe that it is the methodical research method, focusing on practical issues and having academic depth that helped convince the IIFC Honorary Council to award the Outstanding Young Researcher Award. This is not only a personal honor, but also a recognition of the serious and steadfast efforts throughout the journey of more than 10 years,” said Associate Professor, Dr. Thong.

Dr. Thong exchanges academic knowledge with international researchers.

“Be strict with yourself and your research”

Researchers from the University of South Australia focus on two main research directions: fiber-reinforced cables for precast beams and fiber-reinforced bolts for beam-column connections. Both research directions stem from the fact that traditional concrete structures often use steel as a load-bearing material, but steel is susceptible to corrosion over time, especially in coastal environments, underground tunnels or places with chemicals.

Therefore, he focused on replacing steel with non-metallic materials that are lightweight, durable, rust-free and highly resistant to the environment. In addition, he also researched new materials that help create connections that are both durable and have the ability to “recover” after shocks, so that the structure does not permanently deviate but can return to its original state.

Because it is made from fibers and matrix resin, the fiber reinforcement has different strengths in each direction. This also causes great obstacles in the research process, greatly affecting the simulation and calculation of structures in practice.

“We have built numerical models capable of accurately simulating the behavior of this material under multiple impact directions, thereby proposing design formulas that are adjusted to each type of application (bending, tensile, shearing, impact...),” he said.

Most importantly, according to Associate Professor Dr. Thong, to convince the engineering and management community, experimental results alone are not enough. He tried to present the research results in the form of specific design formulas, along with practical recommendations and life cycle analysis. These results have been cited in many international works.

Associate Professor, Dr. Thong (right) actively participates in international scientific conferences.

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Thong and research team.

Becoming a scientist in the top 2% of people with the highest article citation index in the world from 2020 to present, he believes that it is a journey of doing serious research and emphasizing real quality, being strict with himself and his research.

“In particular, I really like the saying 'if you want to reach high, stand on the shoulders of giants', which means working and cooperating with talented people and strong research groups," Associate Professor, Dr. Thong said.

For young engineers and researchers pursuing research in this field, Mr. Thong noted that this is not a field that is easy to take shortcuts or achieve quick success. According to him, when research comes from real needs, it not only creates useful value but also maintains a very natural motivation for scientists.

“The most important thing is to maintain scientific curiosity and belief in the value of research. There will be times when you feel lonely and doubt yourself, but if you keep the passion burning, combined with careful preparation and a constant learning attitude, you will gradually find your own voice in the scientific community,” said Associate Professor Dr. Thong.

In the coming time, he plans to continue developing three main research groups to improve the practical application and expand the technical limits of this material in construction. In addition, he also actively participates in interdisciplinary research directions in Vietnam and promotes the development of 100% "made in Vietnam" products (from ideas, materials to equipment owned by domestic groups).

Source: https://tienphong.vn/chang-trai-phu-yen-nhan-giai-nghien-cuu-tre-xuat-sac-ve-xay-dung-post1744529.tpo