Sarada K. Sarma
Encyclopedia
Dr Sarada Kanta Sarma, BTech PhD DIC MASCE is a Geotechnical Engineer, Emeritus Reader of Engineering Seismology and Senior Research Investigator at Imperial College London
. He has developed a method of seismic slope stability analysis which is named after him, the Sarma method
.
at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur and then Geotechnical Engineering at Imperial College
specialising in Earthquake Engineering
and Engineering Seismology. He worked under the supervision of Professor Nicolas Ambraseys
and obtained his PhD
degree in 1968; being the first PhD degree awarded by the Imperial College Engineering Seismology Section (followed by Dimitri Papastamatiou in 1971). His thesis title was "Response characteristics and stability of earth dams during strong earthquakes". He joined the staff in 1967 as a Lecturer in Engineering Seismology.
He developed a new method of analysing the stability of slopes
and dams in seismic conditions and calculating the permanent displacements due to strong shaking. This method, published in the 1970s (several publications of this method are found in 1973, 1975 and 1979) is named after him (Sarma method
) and it is a special case of a Limit Equilibrium method of geotechnical analysis. It has been extensively used in seismic analysis software for many years, although nowadays modern finite element analysis software are more widely used for special case studies.
The Sarma method
is called an advanced and rigorous method of static and seismic slope stability analysis
. It is called advanced because it can take account of non-circular failure surfaces. Also, the multi-wedge approach allows for non vertical slices and irregular slope geometry. It is called a rigorous method because it can satisfy all the three conditions of equilibrium, horizontal and vertical forces and moments. The Sarma method is nowadays used as a verification to finite element programs (also FE limit analysis
) and it is the standard method used for seismic analysis.
In recognition of his contribution to Earthguake Engineering, he has been awarded a number of awards and has been invited to give lectures, serve the academic advisory board of several conferences and provide consulting work and advice for various dam projects. Dr Sarma was retired from Imperial College in 2004.
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
. He has developed a method of seismic slope stability analysis which is named after him, the Sarma method
Sarma method
The Sarma method is a method used primarily to assess the stability of soil slopes under seismic conditions. Using appropriate assumptions the method can also be employed for static slope stability analysis. It was proposed by Sarada K...
.
Curriculum
Dr Sarma was initially educated in India, studying Civil EngineeringCivil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur and then Geotechnical Engineering at Imperial College
Skempton Building
The Skempton Building houses the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. It is named after the British Civil Engineer Sir Alec Skempton, founder of the British Soil Mechanics...
specialising in Earthquake Engineering
Earthquake engineering
Earthquake engineering is the scientific field concerned with protecting society, the natural and the man-made environment from earthquakes by limiting the seismic risk to socio-economically acceptable levels...
and Engineering Seismology. He worked under the supervision of Professor Nicolas Ambraseys
Nicolas Ambraseys
Professor Nicolas Neocles Ambraseys Dip.Eng DIC PhD FICE FREng is a Greek Engineering Seismologist...
and obtained his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degree in 1968; being the first PhD degree awarded by the Imperial College Engineering Seismology Section (followed by Dimitri Papastamatiou in 1971). His thesis title was "Response characteristics and stability of earth dams during strong earthquakes". He joined the staff in 1967 as a Lecturer in Engineering Seismology.
Scientific work
His major research focuses on Engineering Seismology and Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. He specialised in seismic analysis and performance of soil slopes, earth dams and the earthquake resistant design of foundations and design code development and evaluation.He developed a new method of analysing the stability of slopes
Slope stability
The field of slope stability encompasses the analysis of static and dynamic stability of slopes of earth and rock-fill dams, slopes of other types of embankments, excavated slopes, and natural slopes in soil and soft rock...
and dams in seismic conditions and calculating the permanent displacements due to strong shaking. This method, published in the 1970s (several publications of this method are found in 1973, 1975 and 1979) is named after him (Sarma method
Sarma method
The Sarma method is a method used primarily to assess the stability of soil slopes under seismic conditions. Using appropriate assumptions the method can also be employed for static slope stability analysis. It was proposed by Sarada K...
) and it is a special case of a Limit Equilibrium method of geotechnical analysis. It has been extensively used in seismic analysis software for many years, although nowadays modern finite element analysis software are more widely used for special case studies.
The Sarma method
Sarma method
The Sarma method is a method used primarily to assess the stability of soil slopes under seismic conditions. Using appropriate assumptions the method can also be employed for static slope stability analysis. It was proposed by Sarada K...
is called an advanced and rigorous method of static and seismic slope stability analysis
Slope stability analysis
The slope stability analyses are performed to assess the safe and economic design of a human-made or natural slopes and the equilibrium conditions. The term slope stability may be defined as the resistance of inclined surface to failure by sliding or collapsing...
. It is called advanced because it can take account of non-circular failure surfaces. Also, the multi-wedge approach allows for non vertical slices and irregular slope geometry. It is called a rigorous method because it can satisfy all the three conditions of equilibrium, horizontal and vertical forces and moments. The Sarma method is nowadays used as a verification to finite element programs (also FE limit analysis
Finite element limit analysis
A finite element limit analysis utilises optimisation techniques to directly compute the upper or lower bound plastic collapse load for a mechanical system rather than time stepping to a collapse load, as might be undertaken with conventional non-linear finite element techniques...
) and it is the standard method used for seismic analysis.
In recognition of his contribution to Earthguake Engineering, he has been awarded a number of awards and has been invited to give lectures, serve the academic advisory board of several conferences and provide consulting work and advice for various dam projects. Dr Sarma was retired from Imperial College in 2004.