The second workshop on high-performance composite materials (WHCM 2026)

Dr-Ing. Rafik BELARBI, is A Senior Professor of Civil Engineering and had been (2007-2019) Head of Civil department of La Rochelle University. He is the Editor of Advances of Civil Engineering. His major thrust areas of research cover wide spectrum and several domains. It covers multi physic and multiscale approaches as: sustainable building material for energy and environment applications and durability aspect. His main expertise is in microstructural, thermal, physical and hydric characterization of porous building material and heat and mass transfers with application in Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Indoor Environment and durability of constructions.

Since 1994, he was involved in several National and International projects dealing with Heat and moisture transfer in the building energy conservation. The main projects are: Pascool/Joule and Altener/Sink (passive cooling systems modelling and their impact on the building energy consumption), PDEC/Joule II (Utilisation of Passive Downdraught Evaporative Cooling systems on non-domestics buildings), Joule/Thermie B (Efficient Ventilation Systems for Buildings), Altener/Greencode (Reglementary Frame for Renewable Energy Use in Urban Site Through Vegetation Planting and Strategic Surfacing), Altener/SolVent, (Development of Strategies for Efficient Use of Solar Passive Ventilation in Urban Buildings) and Altener/Cluster (Solar Passive Heating and Cooling), Seventh Framework Programme" Marie Curie (OldMasonryRepair), Erasmus+: programme Capacity Building in Higher Education “Boosting Environmental Protection and Energy Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Region”.

Dr. Redouane Zitoune has been a Full Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Clément Ader Institute (ICA UMR 5312), Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, since 2022. His research focuses on the manufacturing, machining, and repair of composite materials. His current work primarily addresses damage mechanisms during drilling and milling of composites using conventional and advanced machining processes, including laser machining and abrasive water jet machining. He also develops finite element models to better understand and predict damage mechanisms during machining behavior. Between 2023 and 2026, he is an Adjunct Senior Researcher at NTU, involved in joint research initiatives on nanomaterials.

In addition, Prof. Zitoune investigates the thermomechanical behavior of composite structures through combined experimental and numerical approaches. His work integrates advanced instrumentation techniques such as optical fiber sensors and infrared thermography. He has authored more than 200 scientific publications in international journals and conference proceedings. In the field of composite machining, he has organized several international scientific events (including JST-AMAC and the Indo-French Seminar – CIFEPRA), served as guest editor for multiple indexed journals, and co-edited three books published by Springer, Elsevier, and Trans Tech Publications.