newlogo2

DSC_2670

Beena Sukumaran, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Civil Engineering
College of Engineering
Rowan University
201 Mullica Hill Road
Glassboro, NJ 08028-1701
Telephone: (856) 256-5324
Fax: (856) 256-5242
Email address: sukumaran@rowan.edu

Fall 2009 Courses

Statics

Earth Retaining Systems

Junior/Senior Clinics

Grain crusher for the developing world

FAA sponsored research on airport pavements recently featured on NJN

NSF sponsored research on imaging

Research Interests/Expertise

Image analysis

Micromechanics of sands

Offshore foundations

Numerical modeling

Minority and women recruitment and retention

Background Information

Beena Sukumaran obtained her Ph.D. from Purdue University in the School of Civil Engineering with particular emphasis in Geotechnical Engineering. Her Ph.D. research work included looking at the effects of microscopic particle characteristics on the shear strength of sands. She also devised a new method by which to quantify the shape of particles. She obtained her M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Auburn University and her B.S. degree from College of Engineering, Trivandrum, Kerala, India. She worked as a visiting Professor at Prairie View A&M University soon after leaving Purdue. She also worked for Amoco Corporation performing finite element analyses on suction caissons. She continued the work at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute where she spent a year on a Norwegian Government Fellowship. Norwegian Geotechnical Institute is considered one of the leading research institutions by geotechnical engineers worldwide. Her research interests include evaluating the performance of suction caissons in different soil conditions, effect of inherent particle characteristics on liquefaction potential, pavement analysis, fuzzy set applications in geotechnical engineering and use of the discrete element method to investigate the interaction forces acting on particles.

She is also extremely interested in sustainable design and design for the environment. 

Professional Activities/Membership
 

Member, American Society of Civil Engineers

Member, Society for Women Engineers (SWE)

Member, American Society of Engineering Education

Member, International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers

Former Chairperson, Education Committee, USUCGER

Awards / Merits

Board Member, Alice Paul Institute, 2005-2008

Marquis' Who's Who of American Women

Best faculty in Civil Engineering Award, Prairie View A&M University, 1996

Member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Member of the Honor Society of Phi Beta Delta

Academic Excellence Award, Auburn University

Recipient of the Norwegian Research Council Fellowship, 1997

Honorary member, Golden Key Honour Society, 2003

Education
image6Doctor of Philosophy, Purdue University

Awarded: May 1996
Thesis Topic: "Effect of inherent particle characteristics on the shear strength of sands"
Thesis Advisor: Professor G.A Leonards & Professor P.J. Fox

image7Master of Science, Auburn University

Awarded: December, 1992
Thesis Topic: "Liquefaction susceptibility mapping for downtown San Francisco using fuzzy sets"
Thesis Advisor: Professor David J. Elton
 
 

Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering

Awarded: February, 1989
College of Engineering, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

Professional Experience

Associate Professor, Rowan University

·         Consultant to Shell Oil and Fugro McClelland – Analyses of the response of suction anchors used to hold in place pipe line end modules

·         Analysis of undrained and drained response of suction caisson foundations

·         Analysis of dynamic response of suction caisson foundation

·         Advisor, U.S. Navy, Aircraft gear anchoring system design

·         Analysis of the seismic response of Delaware area bridges

·         Analysis of the effect of next generation aircraft loads and wheel configuration on flexible pavement behavior.

image8Research Fellow, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute

·         Analyzed the holding capacity and performance of suction caissons due to lateral loads in soft clay sites. 

·         Implementation of a reliability based assessment of jacket pile-soil system. Probabilistic analysis of axial capacity of single pile. 

·         Analyzed the chain configuration for a taut mooring system.

·         Analyzed the impact of iceberg loads during and after construction of the Hibernia platform.

·         Developed a spreadsheet solution for the prediction of the pullout capacity of suction caissons.

·         Analyzed various repair options for the Finchaa-Amerti penstock in Ethiopia.

 

image9Research Engineer, Amoco Corporation

·         Analyzed the feasibility of using suction caissons as a cheaper and alternate foundation for deep sea drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. 

 

image10Assistant Professor, Prairie View A&M University

  • Taught three courses including Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, Statics and Transportation Engineering and Planning.

Consultant, Northern Indiana Public Service Company

  • Performed laboratory tests and investigated the feasibility of construction of a coal ash platform using coal combustion by-products.

Funded Proposals

·   "Curriculum Pathfinder: A Comprehensive Guide for Students in Engineering," Rowan University, Courseware Development Grant, 275985, $14,493.

·   "Field Experiences for Undergraduate Engineers," Co-Principal Investigator, NSF, $39,854. 

·   "AWE: Attracting Women into Engineering," Co-Principal Investigator, EIF foundation, $50,057. 

·   "Airfield Surfacing system and Aircraft Recovery System," Principal Investigator, US Navy, Lakehurst, $10,000. 

·   "A Bridge to the 21st Century: A Proposal for a Strategic Engineering Partnership Between Rowan University and DRPA," Co-Principal Investigator, Delaware River Port Authority, $1,364,936.00. 

·   "AWE: Attracting Women into Engineering," EIF foundation, $30,000. 

·   "Garden City:  Implementing Sooner City at Rowan University," Co-Principal Investigator, NSF, $79,897. 

·   "Boundaries and Borderlands III: The Search for recognition and community in America," Co-Principal Investigator, AAC&U.

·   “Visual Beams for Enhanced Learning in Statics and Solid Mechanics,” Co-Principal Investigator, NSF-CCLI-EMD, $40,132. 

·   “Finite Element Analyses of Subgrade and Flexible Pavements, Principal Investigator, FAA, $43,424.

·   Investigation of new devices for use in determining mechanistic properties and performance, Co-Principal Investigator, Wisconsin DOT, $34,681.

·   Bildner New Jersey Campus Diversity Initiative, Co-Principal Investigator, $194,000

·   National Science Foundation travel grant to attend the World Congress on Particle Technology, $1,000.

·   Analyses of suction caissons, Travel grant to establish collaborative proposal with University of Western Australia, Principal Investigator, $4300.

·   Imaging across the curriculum, National Science Foundation, Co-Principal Investigator, $74,998.

·   Micromechanical modeling and discrete element modeling of angular materials, National Science Foundation, $146,000, Principal Investigator.

·   Modeling of flexible pavements under moving loads, FAA, $55,000, Principal Investigator.

·   Acquisition of a Desktop, High-Resolution, Three-Dimensional X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT) System, NSF, $238,698, co-PI.

·   Microgeomechanics across multiple strain scales, NSF, $76,156, co-PI.

·   Investigation of the performance of flexible pavement systems under moving loads using finite element analyses, FAA, $57,609, PI.

·   Modeling of flexible pavements under moving loads, FAA, $54,100, Continuation funding, Principal Investigator.

·   Southern New Jersey GAMTTEP, Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program, $100,000, Subcontract to Rowan University by the Millville School District, USDOT, co-PI.

·   Modeling of flexible pavements under moving loads, FAA, $35,600, Continuation funding, Principal Investigator.

Publications

A comprehensive list can be found on her curriculum vitae.

Personal Information

She is from Kerala in India. She was married to Srinivasan Vanchinathan on May 23, 1994. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University. He works for Sun Oil Company. They have a daughter, Sruthi.

Photos from the PDCA Workshop