I am doing my PhD research at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), under the supervision of Prof. Tarek Zayed. I conduct interdisciplinary research, integrating sensing and vision-based techniques for assessing the condition of transport infrastructure. My research aims to develop intelligent tools for automated health monitoring of walkway pavements to promote pedestrian safety and infrastructure resilience. I had my Master’s in Construction and Real Estate at PolyU, BRE, in 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Tarek Zayed, where I graduated with Distinction and my dissertation, A novel framework for automatic sidewalk defect monitoring with object detection and instance segmentation, won the Runner-UP Award of the HKIE Safety Specialist Committee Students Project Competition, 2024. I attained my BSc in Civil Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana, with First Class Honours in 2020. My project, “Optimal blending of natural gravel for road construction using linear programming,” was supervised by Prof. Emmanuel A. Dorkor.
Before starting my PhD, I worked at PolyU as a research assistant on projects, including the Smart Assessment of Bridge Deck Efficiency and Safety from 2023 to 2024. I learned how to use the Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) for concrete deck condition assessment. I also worked on the Smart Noise Logger-based Leak Diagnosis System from 2021 to 2023, where we developed ML models to predict and localise leaks in water distribution mains. After graduating with my bachelor’s, I worked as a teaching assistant in the Department of Civil Engineering at KNUST, administering tutorials and lab sessions from 09/2020 to 09/2021.

🔥 News

• 2026.04:  🎉🎉 I have passed my PhD Confirmation Examination with a strong approval from the Board of Examiners and my supervisor.
• 2026.04:  🚀🚀 I will be presenting our paper, “Computer Vision for Automated Sidewalk Pavement Condition Assessment Using Street View Imagery”, at the 2026 CSCE Annual Conference in Quebec City. See you in June!

📝 Publications

• Dompey A. M. A., Yussif A.-M., Dai A, Zayed T (2026). Productivity assessment of assembly robots for prefabricated construction: trends and performance factors. Construction Innovation: Information Process Management, Ahead-of-print.
• Faris, N., Yussif, A.-M., Zayed, T., Fares, A., & Abdelkader, E. M. (2026). Deep learning-based rebar detection for automated evaluation of concrete bridge decks using ground penetrating radar. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 165, 113459.
• Yussif, A.-M., Taiwo, R., Zayed, T., Mohandes, S. R., & Abdulai, S. F. (2025). Enhancing sustainable urban mobility: Computer vision applications in pedestrian path studies. Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering (English Edition), 12(5), 1415-1451.
• Yussif, A.-M., Taiwo, R., Sakor, P., Han, T., Mohandes, S. R., Afari, M. A., … & Shah, M. A. (2025). A Comprehensive Literature Review on Risk Identification and Assessment in Green Building Construction Projects. Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 29, 101089.
• Taiwo, R., Yussif, A.-M., & Zayed, T. (2025). Making waves: Generative artificial intelligence in water distribution networks: Opportunities and challenges. Water Research X, 28, 100316.
• Yussif, A.-M., Zayed, T., Taiwo, R., & Fares, A. (2024). Promoting sustainable urban mobility via automated sidewalk defect detection. Sustainable Development, 32(5), 5861-5881.
• Zhang, R., Yussif, A.-M., Tijani, I., Fares, A., Tariq, S., & Zayed, T. (2024). Acoustic localization approach for urban water distribution networks using machine learning method. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 137, 109062.
• Taiwo, R., Yussif, A.-M., Adegoke, A. H., & Zayed, T. (2024). Prediction and deployment of compressive strength of high-performance concrete using ensemble learning techniques. Construction and Building Materials, 451, 138808.
• Taiwo, R., Yussif, A.-M., Ben Seghier, M. E. A., & Zayed, T. (2024). Explainable Ensemble Models for Predicting Wall Thickness Loss of Water Pipes. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 15(4), 102630.
• Yussif, A.-M., Sadeghi, H., & Zayed, T. (2023). Application of Machine Learning for Leak Localization in Water Supply Networks. Buildings, 13(4), 849.

🎖 Honours and Awards

CIB-WBC 2025

• 2025.05, Best Paper Award, CIB World Building Congress 2025, Automated Detection for Alignment of Modular Integrated Construction Modules Using YOLOv9. Authors: Abdulai, S.F., Zayed, T., Yussif, A.M., Taiwo, R., & Elrifaee, M.S.A.E. (Purdue, USA).

• This study develops an automated detection system using a modified YOLOv9 architecture to enhance the precision and efficiency of MiC module alignment. The research employed a three-stage methodology comprising literature analysis, data acquisition of 5,000 images, and the development of the detection model. The system achieved exceptional performance, with a mean Average Precision (mAP50) score of 0.995 and real-time processing at 3.1 ms per frame at 640×640 resolution. These results demonstrate the system’s potential for transforming MiC practices through improved installation precision and reduced human error, contributing significantly to the advancement of construction automation.

HKIE_SSC_Award_Ceremony

• 2024.05, Runner UP Award, Student Project Competition 2024, Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) Safety Specialist Committee (SSC). Presented to Abdul-Mugis Yussif for Master’s Degree in recognition of outstanding safety achievement and performance.

• This award was received during the 29th Anniversary Dinner of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) for its contribution towards pedestrian safety promotion. The award constituted a high-table dinner ticket, a cash prize, and a certificate of recognition.

📖 Educations

• 2024.09 - Now, PhD, Construction and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
• 2022.09 - 2023.08, MSc, Construction and Real Estate (Distinction), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
• 2016.09 - 2020.08, BSc, Civil Engineering (First-Class Honours), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

💬 Conferences and Invited Talks

• 2025.05.22, Presenter: Online, CIB World Building Congress 2025 on Sidewalk Pavement Defect Detection with Instance Segmentation: A Step Towards Improving Sidewalk Quality. Purdue, USA. Virtual Session 26.
• 2024.02.29, Speaker: Online, The 24th Scientific Seminar of the Group Mechanics and Construction, Van Lang University (Vietnam). Topic: A Novel Framework for Automatic Sidewalk Defect Monitoring with Object Detection and Instance Segmentation.

Work Experience

🔬 Research Projects

• 2023.08 - 2024.09, Research Assistant, Smart Assessment of Bridge Deck Efficiency and Safety in Hong Kong, Department of Building and Real Estate, PolyU. Under the supervision of Prof. Tarek Zayed, more information.
  Roles: Project execution, weekly presentations, research article writing, data collection, workshop presentations.

• 2023.07 - 2022.09, Research Assistant(FT), Artificial Intelligence-Based Modeling and Analysis of Water Pipe Failure, Department of Building and Real Estate, PolyU. Under the supervision of Prof. Tarek Zayed.
  Roles: Project execution, weekly presentations, research article writing, data collection, workshop presentations.

• 2021.11 - 2022.09, Research Assistant, Smart Noise Logger-based Leak Diagnosis System, Department of Building and Real Estate, PolyU. Under the supervision of Prof. Tarek Zayed.
  Roles Project execution, developed leak localisation models with an improved accuracy from 15% to 85%, data collection, sensor deployment, weekly presentation, report writing, and project report writing.

🧑🏿‍🏫 Teaching

• 2025.09 - 2025.12, Teaching Assistant for BRE350 (Procurement and Project Management) under Prof. Ming Lu and Prof. Michael SING Chun Pong, Department of Building and Real Estate, PolyU.
  Roles: Administer tutorials.

• 2020.09 - 2021.09, Teaching Assistant for Structures, Department of Civil Engineering, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana. Under the Structural Engineering group.
  Roles:Tutoring undergraduate students, grading examination scripts, preparing lab manuals, and assisting in lab proceedings.

💰 External Competitive Research Grants Proposals Writings (Under Prof. Zayed)

• 2023, “Integrated Efficiency Management System of Asphalt Pavement Using Non-Destructive Technologies and Life Cycle Analysis,” Smart Traffic Fund (STF), Hong Kong. (Unsuccessful).
  Roles: Writing the introduction and research summary.

• 2023, “Smart Leak Detection and Localization Model for Chilled Water Pipes in MTR Stations.” Awarded HK$2.74 million.
  Roles: Writing introduction, literature review, and methodology, creating figures.

👥 Leadership & Voluntary Activities

• 2024.10 - Now, Chief Promotion Officer, PolyU CIB Student Chapter.
  Roles: Create awareness, organise information booths, organise orientation sessions.

• 2023, Student Representative for Construction and Real Estate MSc group, PolyU.
  Roles: Participate in meetings with programme leaders and department heads, suggest improvements for the MSc programme, and discuss teaching and learning experiences with external examiners.

• 2018 - 2020, Member of KNUST Peer Counselling Centre.
  Roles: Visit hospitals, organise health awareness week workshops every semester, and visit student halls every fortnight.

🪪 Professional Memberships

• 2023 - 2024, 2025 - Now, Student Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (S.M.ASCE)
• 2025 - Now, Member, Transportation & Development Institute (ASCE)
• 2023 - 2024, Member, Construction Institute (ASCE)
• 2023.07 - 2026.07, Certified Member, Construction Industry Safety Association, Hong Kong.

💻 Internships

• 2019.06 - 2019.09, Structural Engineer Intern, Works and Physical Development, University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale, Ghana.

Last update: May 05, 2026