Materials in Structural Engineering

K. Baskar is a distinguished academician and a structural engineering expert with a rich background in both educational leadership and extensive industrial engagement. Currently, he is serving as a Professor (HAG) in the Department of Civil Engineering and formerly Dean (Planning and Development) at the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli (NIT Trichy). He has obtained his bachelors, masters and Ph.D. degrees from Annamalai University, Anna University (CEG Campus) and the National University of Singapore, Singapore, respectively. He has guided five Ph.D. scholars in the past and is currently guiding 8 Ph.D. scholars. He has published more than 100 technical papers in refereed international journals and conferences. He also serves as a reviewer for many international journals. Dr. Baskar has completed three research projects and is involved in many other projects funded by various agencies. His research areas include but are not limited to steel-concrete composite structures, blast and impact loading and Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Dr. Baskar was conferred with the 'Academic Excellence Award 2022' by the Institution of Engineers (India). He has also received the 'Best Consultancy Projects Award 2017' conferred by NIT, Trichy. He is a member of the Guideline Preparation Committee appointed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. He is also a member of the State Technical Authority (STA) appointed by NRDA, Government of India for technical evaluation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) projects in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Dr. Baskar is a board of studies member at many National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranked institutions and has contributed substantially to the civil engineering curriculum and syllabus. He is also a member of various administrative committees at different premier institutions and various professional bodies.

Vasant Matsagar is a distinguished figure in the field of structural engineering and is currently serving as a Professor (HAG) and Dogra Chair in Structural Engineering at the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT, Delhi. He obtained his Ph.D. from IIT Bombay, specializing in earthquake engineering and has earned the 'IIT Bombay Research Paper Award' for his impactful work on the seismic behaviour of base-isolated buildings. His post-doctoral research at Lawrence Technological University (LTU), Michigan, USA, focused on applying Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites in prestressed concrete bridge structures. Dr. Matsagar's research interests include, but are not limited to multi-hazard engineering, earthquake protection, structural dynamics, vibration control and innovative technologies for structural resilience. He has completed numerous sponsored research projects, developing patented and copyrighted technologies. Actively implementing these technologies in real-life construction projects in India, he has made significant contributions to the practical application of research outcomes. Dr. Matsagar has published over a hundred international journal papers, two books and eight edited proceedings volumes. His accolades include the Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship, the Humboldt Research Fellowship, and the Carl Friedrich von Siemens Research Award. Dr. Matsagar is actively involved in the development of standards in various organizations such as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Indian Roads Congress (IRC) and the International Standards Organization (ISO). He is the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of the 'Indian Concrete Journal' (ICJ) and has editorial roles in many renowned journals, including the 'Frontiers in Built Environment'. Dr. Matsagar is the Founding Director and fellow of the Council of Vibration Specialists (CVS) and Vice-President of the Indian Society of Earthquake Technology (ISET). His fellowship memberships include the Indian National Academy for Engineering (F-NAE), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (F-CDRI), and the Institution of Engineers (India) (F-IEI).

S. Arul Jayachandran is an eminent structural engineer with over 35 years of professional experience, marked by major contributions to steel structures, computational stability, research, teaching, and academic leadership. He is currently Professor of Civil Engineering at IIT Madras, Chennai. Earlier, he served as Deputy Director and Head of the Steel Structures Laboratory at the Structural Engineering Research Centre, Chennai, from November 2005 to June 2010, where he led significant research in steel structures. He has also served as a Visiting Associate Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA. Dr. Jayachandran completed his M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at IIT Madras. He has guided 19 Ph.D. scholars and is widely recognized for mentoring numerous M.S. and M.Tech theses in structural engineering. He has published more than 100 international papers, many of them in Q1 journals. He is also well known in the Indian infrastructure industry for his professional contributions and technical guidance. He served as Convenor of the codal committees for IS 800, IS 801, and IS 11384, all related to steel structures. His book, Computational Methods for the Elastic Postbuckling of Structural Systems, was published by Springer Nature in November 2025. His awards include the CSR Change Maker Award from IIT Madras in 2023, the Outstanding Designer Award from IAStructE in 2022, the Outstanding Bridge Design Award from NHAI, and the Best Teacher Award in 2015. He has also completed executive training at the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Life Educator Member of AISC and a Fellow of several professional institutions in India.