Computational Mechanics and Structural Analysis
Nonlinear Mechanics, Stability of Structures, Mechanics of Composite. Multiscale, Multiphysics modeling in Mechanics and Materials, Finite element/Meshless methods, Lattice-Boltzmann (LB) simulations of solids.
Earthquake Engineering
Seismic hazard analysis, Modeling of sources, occurrence and attenuation, Ground motion simulation, Study of nonstationary characteristics, Strong motion characterization, Near-field effects.
Seismic Analysis and Design
Structural response, Stochastic and nonlinear dynamic analysis, Seismic soil-structure-interaction, Dynamic stability, Effects of stiffness and strength irregularities, Damage models, Seismic risk assessment, Seismic protection, Base isolation, Energy dissipating devices, Performance-based design, Seismic performance evaluation of structural and nonstructural components and systems.
Risk and Reliability
Stochastic, robust optimization of structures, Uncertainty, Reliability of structures, Structural damage assessment, Hazard mitigation, Cost-benefit analysis. Time dependent reliability, Enhancement of sustainability of infrastructure systems under extreme events.
Structural Design Design of steel, masonry and concrete structures, Pre-stressed and post-tensioned concrete, structural steel, other materials, Rehabilitation of aging and damaged structures.
Structural Materials
Behavior of concrete and cementatious materials and plastics, High-performance steels, concrete, fiber reinforced plastics for structural frames, Smart materials, Durability and deterioration of concrete structures.
Concrete and cement based materials
Design and development of Special Concretes high performance concrete, high strength concrete, high density concrete, fiber reinforced concrete, light weight aggregate concrete and others. Influence of mineral and chemical admixtures in concrete.
Durability of cement based materials – Microstructure of cement based materials – Identification and detection of hydrated compounds using specialized techniques including FTIR, TGA, XRD, XRF, NMR, SEM, Optical microscopy, Calorimetry and several others. Relationship between microstructural parameters such as porosity, permeability, pore structure of concrete with associated properties.
Design and Experimentation
Static and dynamic testing of structural components/subassemblages, Pseudo-dynamic tests, Shake table test, Components and system models, Large-scale Structural testing, Nondestructive evaluation, Validation of simulation models, Retrofit measures for existing structures, Exploration of new materials and new structural systems.
Sensing and Monitoring
Experimental modal analysis, Structural health monitoring, Free/force/ambient vibration studies, Condition assessment, Distributed sensing, Real-time monitoring.