Skip to main content

Mikko Malaska

Professor, structural engineering and design

About me

Mikko Malaska started as a professor in Structural Engineering at Tampere University in 2015. He has been the Head of Degree Programme Civil Engineering since 2017. 

He works in the fields of structural engineering and design, fire safety of buildings and structural fire resistance. He is also responsible for running the Structural Fire Research team and the accredited fire testing laboratory within the Department of Civil Engineering.

Mikko Malaska graduated from Aalto University (former Helsinki University of Technology) in 1996. From 1996 to 2000 he carried out several research projects developing slim floor type of steel-concrete composite structures and their connections. He graduated from Helsinki University of Technology with a D.Sc. in Civil Engineering in 2001. In 2000-2001 Malaska worked in a group within the Delft University and TNO Building and Construction Research Centre for Fire Research interpreting data for improvements of Eurocode 4. The research career was then followed by eight years’ period as a structural engineer in a wide range of projects and structural engineering consultancies in United Kingdom. Malaska became a Chartered Engineer, Member of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2004. In 2009 Malaska joined the University of Oulu as a professor in Structural Engineering. He was responsible for restarting structural engineering education in the university including the structures syllabus and the curriculum development. He also served as the Dean of Education, Faculty of Technology, in 2014.

Main positions of trust

National expert role

  • CEN/TC250/SC3 WG2 (Structural fire design of steel structures EN 1993-1-2)
  • CEN/TC250/SC3 WG8 (Steel joints and connections EN 1993-1-8)
  • CEN/TC250/SC5 WG4 (Structural fire design of timber structures EN 1995-1-2)

National Committee Member in

  • CEN TC127 Fire Safety in Buildings
  • CEN/TC250/SC3 (Design of steel structures EN 1993) 
  • CEN/TC250/SC5 (Design of timber structures EN 1995)

A member of the board (2021-2023), Finnish Association of Civil Engineers RIL

Research unit

Metal and lighweight structures (https://research.tuni.fi/metke/), Faculty of Built Environment

Research fields

Current research topics include:

  • Development of calculation methods for the design of timber buildings including charring of cross-laminated timber (CLT) under standard and natural fires;
  • Fire performance and resistance of steel-timber hybrid structures;
  • Performance-based structural fire engineering and design:
  • Fire performance of steel joints including experimental and numerical approach; 
  • Reliability of fire protection equipment and systems.