EM/ProfStephen Bakoss

Professor Bakoss was a core member of a research group designated an 'Area of Key University Research Strength: In technologies related to the Development and Maintenance of Physical Infrastructure'. He played an active role in the development of the research culture of the School of Civil Engineering at UTS by facilitating the establishment, development and actively participating in the work of two key research centres: The Centre for Built Infrastructure Research (CBIR) and the Centre for Local Government Education and Research (CLGER). CBIR is widely regarded both nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence in structural engineering research. The CLGER has over the past twenty years made an unique contribution to the Local Government Industry of Australia through its targeted continuing professional education and collaborative research programs.

Professor Bakoss served as the Inaugural Director of the Centre for Built Infrastructure Research (1998-2001) and as the Chair of the Founding Committee and Board member of the Centre for Local Government Education and Research.

His research activities encompass the following areas:


The development of new procedures for testing and assessment of the structural condition of bridges and major structures.

Prototype scale investigations of new technologies to rehabilitate and extend the functional life of built infrastructure.

Modeling of the non-linear time-dependent behavior of tall concrete buildings.

Modeling the effects of creep and shrinkage induced shortening of concrete columns on the serviceability of high-rise buildings under sustained loading.

Development of innovative applications of recycled construction and demolition waste in new construction.

Devising strategies for the rehabilitation of structural defects based on new Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) technologies.

New technologies in timber engineering


Professor Bakoss' proposal to establish an advanced structural dynamics and earthquake simulation research facility was awarded an Australian Research Council Infrastructure Grant enabling the installation of a high capacity programmable shaker table at UTS in 1995. It was the first testing facility in the Southern Hemisphere with the capability to subject prototype sized structural components and installations to the simulated motion induced by seismic or environmental events or by industrial machinery. This has led to the establishment in 1996 of the National Facility for Dynamic Testing and Research at UTS, to facilitate collaborative research with industry and other Australian and overseas researchers. The work of researchers at this Facility has garnered it international recognition as a major centre for structural dynamics research.

Professor Bakoss has published more than 80 research papers in refereed journals and international conference transactions and co-authored 5 engineering monographs.

He edited the transactions 'Fundamental Design of Timber Structures' and 'Civil Engineering Short Course Series' (1994).

He has acted as an editorial referee for The Journal of Computational Mechanics, and served on the Editorial Advisory Board of the International Journal - Construction and Building Materials.

His work on the long-term behaviour of large concrete structures received an award from the Federation Internationale de la Precontrainte in recognition of his 'many years of contribution to reinforced and prestressed concrete engineering' (1996).