Objectives of Eng. Abdullah Bogshan Chair in Expansive Soils:
· Promoting a scientific environment that fosters innovation and undertaking of a cutting-edge research in various aspects related to expansive soils including swelling behavior, treatment and foundation systems.
· Implementing and utilizing research results for the benefits of building industry in the Kingdom capitalizing on the university resources and facilities.
· Encouraging young Saudi and Non-Saudi researchers to pursue and engage in research projects in various aspects related to expansive soils, including swelling behavior, soil treatment, and building on such problematic soils.
· Providing consultation, training and continuing education for geotechnical engineers through seminars, workshops, and short courses.
· Establishing alliance and mutual cooperation with researchers and research centers concerned with unsaturated soils in general and expansive soils in particular.
· Promoting public awareness of the nature of expansive soils and problems associated with these soil formations and the viable methods and procedures for preventing such problems.
Objectives of ACWA Chair for Water and Power Research:
· Identify research and development opportunities in the desalination, waste water treatments and reuse fields.
· Identify a regional, national, and international role of desalination and waste water treatments technologies.
· Formulate how this Chair would compliment national and international water centers.
These goals can be accomplished by:
· Scientific assessment of the current desalination and waste water treatments methods.
· Improvement of scientific understanding and sharing of information on the desalination and waste water treatments technologies.
· Conducting research to modify, improve and develop novel technologies.
· Focus on cost-effective use of membrane in desalination.
· Support of postgraduate studies in the field of the chair.
Chair of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Laden For Research and Studies in Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Structures:
Undoubtedly, the establishment of Sheikh Mohammed Chair (SMC) would be an essential element for the completion of the system that will work through studies and researches on modern techniques to rehabilitate structures suffering from the deterioration or needed to be strengthened to be able to bear that loads which were not taken into account at the design stage such as seismic and/or wind forces as per the Saudi Building Code. SMC will also focus on evaluating and studying the efficacy and appropriateness of various maintenance materials available in the local markets with the type of construction in the Kingdom, natural and climatic conditions in the different regions of the Kingdom. The knowledge achieved in the area of rehabilitation techniques, and its transfer to the local market is vital and necessary, not only in economic terms but also to support the development of infrastructure that Saudi Arabia is witnessing today, and its continuation for the coming generations. The Chair will have the upper hand in the rehabilitation of national competencies capable of providing national requirement of knowledge of the theory and application fields.