Rajesh Sathiyamoorthy

Dr. Rajesh Sathiyamoorthy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), specialising in Geotechnical Engineering. Since joining IIT Kanpur in 2011, he has built a strong research portfolio, secured competitive funding, and received numerous accolades for his contributions to environmental geotechnology and unsaturated soil mechanics.

Education

• PhD, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India (2010)
• M.E., College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, India (2002)
• B.E., Vellore Engineering College, University of Madras, India (2000)

Research Interests

Dr. Sathiyamoorthy’s research is centred on the behaviour of unsaturated soils, environmental geotechnics, and innovative ground-improvement techniques. His work employs advanced numerical and physical modelling to address challenges in landfill barrier design, soil–structure interaction, and performance of geosynthetically reinforced systems. A distinctive feature of his investigations is the integration of field-scale problems with controlled laboratory and centrifuge testing, coupled with state-of-the-art computational tools.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships

• IEI Young Engineers Award 2013-2014 (Civil Engineering) – The Institution of Engineers (India)
• Talented Young Scientist Fellowship 2019 – Ministry of Science and Technology, China
• Distinguished Alumni Award 2019 (Academic & Research) – VIT University
• Best Paper Awards (Environmental Geotechnology) – Indian Geotechnical Society, 2019 & 2015
• Best Paper Award – International Geotechnical Engineering Conference on Sustainability 2016
• IGS Prof. A.V. Shroff Biannual Award 2013 – Indian Geotechnical Society
• International Geosynthetics Society Student Award 2012 – IGS, USA
• Best Paper Award 2010 – Geotextiles and Geomembranes

Research Funding & Collaborations

Dr. Sathiyamoorthy has successfully led multiple sponsored projects worth several crores of rupees from agencies such as SERB-DST, BRNS-DAE, Shanghai Council of Science & Technology, RDSO Lucknow, and PAAB-MHRD. These projects span centrifuge modelling of embankments on encased stone columns, hydro-mechanical behaviour of compacted soils, reliability-based assessment of landfill slopes, and field validation of stabilised subgrade materials for pavements. His international collaboration includes joint research at Tongji University, Shanghai, under the Talented Young Scientist Fellowship.

Laboratories & Teams

He heads experimental activities in the Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory at IIT Kanpur, where his group maintains specialised equipment for unsaturated soil testing, geosynthetic evaluation, and centrifuge modelling. The research team comprises doctoral scholars, master’s students, and project staff working on inter-related themes of environmental geotechnology and ground improvement.