Tarek Hegazi, PEng

Tarek Hegazi is a Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Waterloo.

He currently specializes in Computational Tools for Asset & Project Management. Professor Hegazi is looking to utilize recent advances in computational tools that are able to optimize construction operations, improve work productivity, and solve complex problems. Along with this focus is the simplification of the underlying advanced concepts through the use of customary computer platforms, such as spreadsheets, to broaden the applicability of such concepts in the industry.

The main directions are: Intelligent decision support systems for applications characterized by high uncertainty and risk; Integration and optimization of techniques for time, cost, and quality control; Developing computerized models such as asset management systems, discrete-event simulation, design, construction, coordination, estimating, bidding, corrective actions, project control, forecasting, and productivity enhancement.

As a result of his work, Professor Hegazi has received numerous research excellence honours and awards. In 2004, he was acknowledged as one of the world’s top 5 contributing authors to ASCE construction research, as reported in the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management article, Vol. 130, No. 3. Professor Hegazi holds 2 patents, a 2011 Best Paper award from the Journal of Management in Engineering-ASCE, and Top Cited Paper award from the Advanced Engineering Informatics Journal. He has consulted and advised a number of contractors and government organizations in Canada and is also the founder of OPTEAM Project Management Consultants Inc. In addition, Professor Hegazi is the author of the textbook "Computer-Based Construction Project Management" published by Prentice Hall.

• Structures, Mechanics & Construction, Asset Management, Planning and Scheduling, Project Control, Optimization, Project Management, Geographic Information Systems, Computer Applications, Evolutionary Algorithms, Decision Support Systems, Economics of Infrastructure Stability, PPP, budgeting and backlog, Application of Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms, Fuzzy Logic

My main area of professional scholarly activity is Computational Construction Project Management, with specific research interests on: developing decision support for infrastructure Condition assessment and asset Management; Developing models for cost, time, and resource optimization in projects; Using Artificial Intelligence tools to provide decision support for subjective construction decisions; Developing information models and simulations of construction operations to optimize resources and improve productivity; Supporting project control decisions through simplified computer applications, better visualizations, Internet-based applications, and GIS-based applications.

I have participated in organizing several national and international training workshops and scholarly conferences. I worked as member and head of grant evaluation committees for NSERC and NSF, and as external examiner to Ph.D. students in other universities. I am also a member of the project management standards committee in Canada and other countries.

2000-Present - President and Founder, OPTEAM Inc., developing custom software for project management and asset management. Consulting work includes two recent contracts with the Toronto District School Board and several training workshops to industry on project management.

1993-1996 - President and Founder, PROFIT Consultants, consulting on cost estimation and bidding.

1994-1995 - Project Manager, Suez Canal Research Centre, Ismailia, Egypt

1982-1988 - Civil Engineer, Suez Canal Research Center, Ismailia, Egypt

• 1993, Doctorate Construction Management (Building Studies), Concordia University, Canada

• 1986, Master's Civil Engineering, University of Michigan, USA

• 1981, Bachelor's Civil Engineering, Ain Shams University, Civil Engineering Department, Egypt

• 1985 Peace Fellowship

• 1989 AACE 2nd prize award for the report “LOB: The Line of Balance Method,”

• 1990 International Student Fee Remission, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

• 1990 AACE 1st prize award for the report "Estimation in a Competitive Environment,"

• 1991 AACE CANADA Merit Student Scholarship - first place Canadian winner

• 1992 PMI Student Excellence Award

• 2003 Nominated for the Ontario Premier’s Research Excellence Award

• 2004 Acknowledged as one of the world’s top five contributing authors to ASCE construction research (ranked third in the period 1997-2002).

• 2005 Nominated for Steacie Memorial Fellowship Award

• CIVE 596 - Construction Engineering
  • Taught in 2021, 2023
• CIVE 710 - Advanced Project Management
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023
• CIVE 711 - Computer-Aided Project Organization and Management
  • Taught in 2021, 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Rashedi, Roozbeh and Hegazy, Tarek, Examining budget policies for new and existing facilities: a system dynamics approach, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 511, 2016

• Abuwarda, Zinab and Hegazy, Tarek, Flexible Activity Relations to Support Optimum Schedule Acceleration, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 06016004, 2016

• Abuwarda, Zinab and Hegazy, Tarek, Work-Package Planning and Schedule Optimization for Projects with Evolving Constraints, Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, 04016022, 2016

• Rashedi, Roozbeh and Hegazy, Tarek, Strategic policy analysis for infrastructure rehabilitation using system dynamics, Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 667, 2016

• Abdel-Monem, Mohamed and Abuwarda, Zinab and Hegazy, Tarek, Progress tracking of multiple projects using email and voice, , , 2015