Specialization

Structural Materials

Email

gurbir.kaur@thapar.edu

Contact No.

+91-9988-312-021

Biography

Gurbir Kaur is Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering wing of the Department of Civil Engineering at Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology Patiala since June 2013. Her PhD research work examines the flexural fatigue performance of steel fibre reinforced concrete containing cement additives like flyash, silica fume, metakaolin and lime stone powder. She is recipient of the Thomas Howard Medal-2015: Prize for best paper in journal constructional materials for paper entitling, “Flexural performance of fibrous concrete with cement additions”. Her research interests include fatigue studies of composite materials, recycled aggregates, geopolymer concrete, use of waste materials and industrial by-products in concrete and structural materials. Dr Kaur has taught different civil engineering subjects at both undergraduate and graduate level.

Education

• Ph.D. (Structural Engineering) from Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India in 2013. Thesis Title: Flexural Fatigue Performance of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Containing Cement Additives.
• M.Tech (Building Science and Technology) from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India in 2008. Thesis Title: Studies in Pattern Loading on Flat Slabs.
• B.Tech (Civil Engineering) from Gaini Zail Singh Collage of Engineering and Technology, Bathinda, India in 2006.

COURSES TAUGHT

Graduation level for an average student group size of 110:

• Mechanics (First year subject for all B.Tech. under graduates): Teaching load of 3 contact hours per week and taught in 2016-2017 (odd and even semester), 2015-2016 (odd and even semester), (2015-14) (odd and even semester) and 2013-2014 (odd semester).
• Steel Structure Design-II (Final year subject for B.Tech. Civil Engineering): Teaching load of 5 contact hours per week and taught in 2016-2017 (even semester), 2014-2015 (even semester) and 2012-2013 (even semester)
• Solids and Structures (Second year subject for all B.Tech. under graduates): Teaching load of 6 contact hours per week and taught in 2016-2017 (odd semester).
• Surveying Laboratory (Second year subject for B.Tech. Civil Engineering): Teaching load of 3 contact hours per week and taught in 2015-2016 (even semester).
• Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory (Second year subject for B.Tech. Civil Engineering): Teaching load of 2 contact hours per week and taught in 2013-2014 (odd semester).

Post-graduation level for an average student group size of 30:

• Design of Earthquake Resistant Design Structures (Second year subject for M.Tech. Structural Engineering): Teaching load of 4 contact hours per week and taught in 2014-2015 (odd semester) and (2012-2013) (odd semester).
• Plates and shells (First year subject for M.Tech. Structural Engineering): Teaching load of 4 contact hours per week and taught in 2013-2014 (even semester).

Participation in Academic Training Programs

• “Embedding Entrepreneurship in Engineering Education” program at Centre of Entrepreneurship at University of Groningen, Netherlands from 27th February 2017 to 26th March 2017.
• RUG VentureLab Weekend on 24th-26th of March 2017 at University of Groningen, Netherlands.
• “New Directions”- the pre-requisite to the special purpose certificate in academic practice Trinity Teaching and Learning program, mentored by Trinity collage Dublin at Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology from March 2016 to January 2017. Having attended this program, got distinction in assessment on practical dissemination of aspect (s) of the “New Directions” course in an integrated way to students, which was evaluated by Trinity collage team.
• “Induction training program” at National Institute of Technical teachers training and Research, Chandigarh from 15-26 July 2013.

Scholarships and Awards

• Recipient of the Thomas Howard Medal-2015: Prize for best paper in journal constructional materials for paper entitling, “Flexural performance of fibrous concrete with cement additions”. Attended the award ceremony in London UK in October 2015.
• Government of India, Ministry of human resources development (MHRD) scholarship during Ph.D. program (2009-2012) amounting to approximately $13210.
• Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) scholarship for pursuing post graduation program (2006-2008) amounting to approximately $ 2818.
• Postdoctoral research fellow in the Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering department in Trinity Collage Dublin from Sept. 2017 to Aug. 2018.

Research Area

Fatigue behaviour of composites, waste and industrial by-products in concrete, recycled concrete aggregates, geopolymer concrete, sustainability and sustainable construction materials.

Research Supervised

M.Tech. Dissertations:

• Role of geometric interlocking of masonry units on performance of masonry system (ongoing).
• Effect of ceramic waste and rice husk ash on the properties of prefabricated concrete interlocking blocks (ongoing).
• Geopolymer mortars containing ordinary Portland cement for use as alternative repair material (2016).
• Effect of quaternary binder systems on strength and durability properties of mortars (2016).
• Effect of silica fume on the properties on flyash based geopolymer mortar (2016).
• Effect of superplasticizers on hardened properties oh high performance concrete (2016).
• Bond strength of concrete containing recycled concrete aggregates and recycled plastic aggregates (2015).
• Durability properties of concrete containing recycled aggregates (2015).
• Bond strength of steel bars embedded in concrete containing recycled aggregates (2015).
• A comparative study on control and recycled aggregate concrete containing silica fume and steel fibres (2014).
• Strength and flexural toughness of steel fibre reinforced concrete (2014).
• Effect of steel and polypropylene fibres on strength characteristics of fly ash concrete (2013).

Ph.D. thesis

• 01 in progress

Publications

1. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2016). Influence of mineral additions on flexural fatigue performance of steel fibre reinforced concrete. Materials and Structures, RILEM, 49(10), pp 4101-4111.
2. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2016). Mean and design fatigue lives of steel fibre reinforced concrete containing cement based materials. Institution of Civil Engineers: Magazine of Concrete Research, 68(7), pp 325-338.
3. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2016). Ultrasonic pulse velocity and fatigue strength of fibre reinforced concrete containing cement additives. Indian Concrete Institute (ICI) Journal, July-September, pp 9-16.
4. Gurbir Kaur and Harneet Singh (2015). Durability properties of concrete containing recycled aggregates. Proceedings: UKIERI Concrete Congress, Concrete Research Driving Profit and Sustainability, 2-5 November, Jalandhar, India, pp145.
5. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2014). Fatigue analysis of fibrous concrete with cement additions. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Construction Materials, 167(2), pp 79-90.
6. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2014). Mean and design fatigue lives of steel fibrous concrete containing blends of limestone powder, metakaolin and silica fume. Journal of Structural Engineering, CSIR-SERC, India, 41(6), pp 16-20.
7. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2013). Flexural fatigue strength of steel fibrous concrete containing blends of silica fume, limestone powder and fly ash, Proceedings: UKIERI Concrete Congress, March, Jalandhar, India, pp 53.
8. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2012). Flexural performance of fibrous concrete with cement additions. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Construction Materials, 167(1), pp 14-25.
9. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2012). Reviewing some properties of concrete containing mineral admixtures. The Indian Concrete Journal, 86(7), pp 35-51.
10. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2012). Flexural fatigue strength of steel fibre reinforced concrete containing blends of limestone powder and silica fume. International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering, 2(6), pp 436-445.
11. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2012). Steel fibrous concrete containing blends of limestone powder, metakaolin and silica fume. International Conference on Sustainability Challenges & Advances in Concrete Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, India, May, pp 395-404.
12. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik (2012). Study of the fatigue performance of concrete containing steel fibres and cement additions. Second International Conference on Structural and Civil Engineering, Bangalore, India, pp 46-49.
13. Davinder Singh, N K Srivastava and Gurbir Kaur (2011). Treatment of domestic wastewater using moving bed biofilm reactor. The first Environment Asia International Conference on Environmental Supporting in Food and Energy Security: Crisis and Opportunity, 22-25 March, Bangkok, Thailand.
14. Gurbir Kaur, S P Singh and S K Kaushik. S-N-Pf relationship for steel fibre reinforced concrete containing cement additions. International Review of Civil Engineering (IRECE), Praise Worthy Press, Italy (Accepted).

Professional Affiliations

• Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) membership, India

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Research proposal entitling "BEHAVIOUR OF EXTERNAL BEAM- COLUMN JOINT RETROFITTED USING CONFINED UHP-HFRC" (File Number: EMR/2017/000463) has been approved by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) for funding on June 2017. This project will be accomplished by Dr. Gurbir Kaur (as Co-PI), Dr. Prem Pal Bansal, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala (as PI) along with their project team. The sole objective of the present study is to investigate the performance of external beam-column joints retrofitted with confined ultra high performance hybrid fibre reinforced concrete (UHP-HFRC) and confined with carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheet and wire mesh under cyclic loading.