Our Team
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Ishan Jha
Member - ASCE | Member - ISHMS
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad
Dr. Ishan Jha received his B.E. in Civil Engineering from Nagpur University, his M.Tech in Structural Engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Patna, and his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU), Varanasi
His doctoral research focused on the development of gradient-free, heuristic optimization frameworks, notably the Gradient-less Shape Optimization (GSO) and Simultaneous Shape and Cable Optimization (SSCO) methods. These tools achieved significant material savings in beams, plates with cut-outs, and prestressed elements while preserving stiffness, serviceability, and ease of construction.
At IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Dr. Jha leads research on composite steel-concrete systems, especially Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular (CFST, CFDST, CFQST) members and their performance under axial and eccentric loading. His contributions combine experimental investigations and advanced finite element modelling using ABAQUS implicit and explicit solvers.
Beyond academic research, he has provided structural expertise on more than 70 major engineering projects involving institutional buildings, bridges, structural rehabilitation, and strengthening works. This hands-on experience ensures that his research outcomes remain relevant to practical design and field implementation.
Dr. Jha has published widely in leading international journals such as Journal of Building Engineering, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Scientific Reports (Nature), Composites Part C, Frontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering, Earthquakes and Structures etc. His work has been recognised with distinctions including the Best Paper Award at ICCSTE 2025 in London
SOLVE works closely with collaborators from leading academic and industrial institutions to bridge optimization research with practical engineering. The group maintains active collaborations with experts from IIT-BHU, IIT-ISM, Sir Robert McAlpine Design Group (UK), University College London, University of Strathclyde, and the University of York, among others.
COLLABORATORS AND PARTNERS
Prof. Krishna Kant Pathak, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU), Varanasi
Prof. Haytham F. Isleem, Department of computer Science, University of York, UK
Prof. Keerthan Poologanathan, Head of Structural Engineering, Northumbria University, UK
Dr. Sudhir Babu Patel, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Madhya Pradesh
Dr. Ravinder Kumar Agrahari, Senior Structure Engineer
Melior Structure Solution Pvt. Ltd.
Mr. Subrat Kr. Sahu, Ph.D. scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad
Dr. Kasi Viswanadh Ganga Prakhya, Director of Design Group, Sir Robert McAlpine, UK.
Prof. Sekhar Chandra Dutta, FICE, Professor (HAG) of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad
Prof. Suresh Bhalla, Professor (HAG) of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
Dr. Pranoy Debnath, Post-doctoral fellow, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
Mr. Mrigank Jha,
Modeling & Simulation Engineer, AIRBUS
Mr. Md. Ghosul Ansari, Ph.D. scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad
Prof. Basuraj Bhowmik, Assistant Professor, University of Strathclyde, UK
Prof. Ajay Kumar, Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Delhi
Prof. Abhay Kumar Chaubey, Head, Department of Civil Engineering, SRM University, Delhi
Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Assistant Professor,
National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh
Miss Janhavi Singh, Ph.D. scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi
Mr. Vikash Kumar, Ph.D. scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad