AUS secures US patent for infrastructure-protecting concrete system, supporting UAE’s smart city vision

On August 12, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted American University of Sharjah (AUS) U.S. Patent # 12,385,244 B2, titled “Concrete Structural System.” The patent covers a novel conductive concrete mixture that not only carries design loads but also shields essential infrastructure from harmful electromagnetic disruption.

The innovation enables structural concrete to serve a dual role: carrying design loads while shielding critical facilities such as power stations, data centers and communication hubs from harmful electromagnetic pulses and interference. The patent further covers interlocking features for precast components that reduce electromagnetic leakage at joints and corners, making it especially well-suited for precast applications. By embedding shielding capabilities directly into the concrete, the AUS technology offers a scalable and cost-effective alternative to traditional methods that rely on metallic enclosures or wire-mesh cages, supporting more sustainable and resilient construction for vital infrastructure.

“This patent marks a turning point in how we think about resilient infrastructure,” said Dr. Sherif Yehia, Professor of Civil Engineering at AUS and lead faculty inventor. “By transforming concrete itself into a protective material, we open new possibilities for safer, smarter construction. This breakthrough directly supports the UAE’s long-term vision for smart cities and sustainable development, advancing strategies such as Centennial 2071 and Net Zero 2050.”

“Our submission to the USPTO detailed the design and construction of precast panels developed at AUS. The technology provides the engineering details to prepare precast panels and construction requirements to construct electromagnetic shielding facilities,” said Dr. Nasser Qaddoumi, Professor of Electrical Engineering at AUS and faculty co-inventor. “We translated laboratory results into engineering details that contractors can implement to protect real facilities.”

“Integrating shielding properties into structural materials changes how engineers can approach resilience,” added Dr. Lim Nguyen, Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and contributing researcher. “It moves protection from an external add-on to a core feature of the building system and allows the building designs to be tailored to the resilience requirements.”

The team’s research has already been demonstrated at full scale in a prototype facility at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, showing how conductive concrete panels can protect sensitive infrastructure from electromagnetic disruption. 

With the patent now granted, AUS is engaging with industry partners and precast producers to explore scaling this technology for broader use.

This new achievement adds to the growing portfolio of the AUS College of Engineering, reaffirming the university’s role as a hub where faculty collaborate across disciplines and with global experts to pioneer solutions of international relevance. To learn more about the AUS College of Engineering, visit www.aus.edu/CEN.