profile_picture

Amit H. Varma

Karl H. Kettelhut Professor in Civil Engineering and Director of Bowen Laboratory

Purdue University
Lyles School of Civil Engineering
550 Stadium Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051

Office: HAMP 4123 / BOWN 1025
Phone: (765) 496-3419
Email: ahvarma@purdue.edu
Web: personal web site
Twitter: https://twitter.com/prof_varma

Specialty Area(s)

Affiliation(s)

Education
Ph.D., Lehigh University, 2001
M.S., University of Oklahoma, 1996
B.S., Indian Institute of Technology, 1994

Research Summary
Seismic and fire behavior, analysis, and design of steel-concrete composite structures. Repair and retrofit of deterioration and damaged infrastructure.

Selected Research Projects

  • July 2006-July 2009, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Realistic Fire Behavior and Stability of Steel Building Structures and Sub-system, Varma.
  • May 2006-May 2007, Bechtel Power Corporation, Behavior and Design of Modular Steel Plated Composite Walls for Nuclear Facilities, Varma.
  • January 2006 - April 2008, Evaluation and Verification of Bridge LRFD Design Software, Indiana Department of Transportation.
  • January 2006 - April 2007, Synthesis Study: Heat Treatment of Steel and Applications for Rehabilitating Steel Bridges in Indiana, Indiana Department of Transportation.
  • August 2005 - December 2005, Analysis of Modular Composite Sandwich Panel Walls for Nuclear Facilities, Bechtel Nuclear Power Corporation.
  • January 2004 - July 2006, A Laboratory Evaluation of Alignment Tolerances For Dowel Bars and Their Effect on Joint Opening Behavior, Michigan Department of Transportation, Co-Principal.
  • Complete Listing

Honors & Awards
2003 - 2007 – AISC Milek Faculty Fellowship Award
The American Institute of Steel Construction gives this award annually to a faculty member involved in steel design research, education and testing. The award includes unrestricted research gift for supporting graduate students and continuing research in the awardees area of interest. Dr. Varma was the first recipient of this award when it was instituted.

2009 – Roy E. and Myrna G. Wansik Research Award
The School of Civil Engineering gives this award annually to one faculty member based on research accomplishments.

2010 & 2012 – Seeds for Success ACORN Award
The Office of the Vice President for Research gives this award in recognition of the accomplishments of single investigators and teams of investigators for their efforts in obtaining a $1 million dollar or more research grant.

2011 - 2016 – University Faculty Scholar
The Office of the Provost recognizes outstanding faculty members who are on an accelerated path for academic distinction by the University Faculty Scholars Program

2012 – Harold Munson Outstanding Teacher Award
The School of Civil Engineering gives this award annually to one faculty member. The recipient is selected based on student votes for instructors of all courses in Civil Engineering.

Selected Publications

  • Kowalkowski, K.*, and Varma, A.H., (2006) "Structural Properties of Steels Subjected to Multiple Cycles of Damage Followed by Heating Repair," Journal of Structural Engineering, tentatively accepted for publication, ASCE.
  • Prabhu, M., Varma, A.H.*, Buch, N., and Thandavesvara, D., (2006) "Experimental Evaluation of Dowel Misalignment on Joint Pullout Behavior," Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, recommended for publication, TRB, Washington, D.C.
  • Kowalkowski, K., and Varma, A.H., (2005) "Experimental Investigations of the Effects of Multiple Damage-Heat Straightening Repair Cycles on the Structural Properties of Bridge Steels." Transportation Research Board, recommended for publication, TRB, Washington, D.C.
  • Varma, A.H., Sause, R., Ricles, J.M., and Qinggang, L., (2005) "Development and Validation of Fiber Models for High Strength Square CFT Beam-Columns." ACI Structural Journal, American Concrete Institute, 102, 1, 73-85, Farmington Hills, MI.
  • Varma, A.H., Ricles, J.M., Sause, R., and Ream, A., (2004) "Seismic Behavior and Design of High Strength Square Concrete Filled Steel Tube Beam-Columns," Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, 130, 2, 169-179.
  • Varma, A.H., Ricles, J.M., Sause, R., and Lu, L.W., (2002). "Seismic Behavior and Modeling of High Strength Composite Concrete Filled Steel Tube Beam-Columns," Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Elsevier Applied Science, Volume 58, Issue 5-8, pp. 725-758.
  • Complete Listing