Achievement

Dr. Sharma organized a field research trip was to Kalimpong, West Bengal, India. The trip involved a multi-disciplinary team of an undergraduate (Bioengineering) and two Ph.D. students (Environmental and Structural Engineering). The trip included a joint workshop with local scientists, architects, researchers and policy makers in which the engineering challenges of the region were discussed. Additional research was conducted on the creation of a finite element model of a bamboo portal frame to explore the seismic performance of the frame. The model was analyzed and compared to previous experimental data. The results completed the dissertation research, which was successfully defended. Further research was also conducted on edge bearing compression tests of bamboo. The research was disseminated through conferences and workshops.