Dr. Kumaran Suntharavadivel
B.Sc.Eng., M.Eng., PhD, MIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus), RPEQSenior Lecturer in Structural Engineering
School of Engineering and Technology
Centre for Railway Engineering
Building 30 - Room 1.09
I am a Senior Lecturer in Civil (Structural) Engineering at Central Queensland University. I hold a Bachelor's degree (B.Sc.Eng.) in Civil Engineering with First Class Honours from the University of Peradeniya, as well as a Master of Engineering from the University of Tokyo and a PhD from the University of Southern Queensland. Before joining CQUniversity, I gained valuable industry experience as a structural engineer with an engineering consultancy in Brisbane.
My research interests focus on Sustainable Concrete Materials, Structural Rehabilitation, Structural Performance of Timber Members, and Structural Health Monitoring. I regularly publish my research findings in esteemed international journals and present at peer-reviewed conferences.
During my tenure at CQUniversity, I served as the Civil Engineering Discipline Leader for over 12 years until early 2023. Under my leadership, the civil engineering discipline experienced significant growth in staff and student numbers. I played a pivotal role in launching the Master of Engineering (Civil Engineering) program and led a comprehensive curriculum review of the undergraduate engineering courses. Additionally, I successfully guided the civil engineering team through three Engineers Australia accreditations.
I am a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and a Nationally Registered Professional Engineer (NER) in Australia, specializing in Civil and Structural Engineering. I am also a Registered Professional Engineer in Queensland (RPEQ) in the same fields.
Universities Studied At
University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
University of Tokyo, Japan
University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Universities Worked At
University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Awards
Publication Recognition Award [Central Queensland University] in recognition of the outstanding number of research outputs in the authorship of journal publications, 2019
Student Voice Award for Educator of the Year [Central Queensland University] in recognition of outstanding student satisfaction and retention, 2015 and 2017
Student Voice Award for Distance Educator of the Year [Central Queensland University] in recognition of outstanding distance student satisfaction, 2015 and 2017
Vice-Chancellor’s Award [Central Queensland University] for Good Practice in Learning and Teaching (Tier 1), 2013
Professional Experience
I worked as a Structural Engineer in Australia (2008-2009) and Sri Lanka - having Industrial experience of more than 2 years.
I am a Charted Professional Engineer (CPEng) in Australia [Areas of Practice: Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering]
Professional Memberships
Member, Institution of Engineers Australia (MIEAust)
Registered Professional Engineer in Queensland (RPEQ)
Registered Professional Engineer in the National Engineering Register (NER) in Australia
Member, Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE)
Responsibilities
Discipline Leader, Civil Engineering (November 2010 to February 2023)
Responsible for ensuring that, within the civil engineering discipline, excellence in discipline specialisation curricula design, development and delivery is achieved in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) and Engineering Australia's competencies.
Key Achievements:
- Led the civil engineering discipline in Engineers Australia Accreditations of Engineering Program in 2011, 2016 & 2021
- Facilitated the development of a new dedicated civil engineering laboratory for research and teaching at the Melbourne campus
- Led the development of a new Master of Engineering (Civil Engineering) course and three new undergraduate dual degree courses
- Undertook benchmark exercise with TAFE QLD for Engineering Associate Degree course in 2015
- Collaborated with the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) to establish the agreement to offer civil engineering courses at ACK in 2012
Professional Interests
Sustainable Construction Materials
Structural Rehabilitation
Structural and Material Performance of Timber
Structural Health Monitoring
Computer Software
Structural Engineering Softwares: Abaqus, Strand7, Spacegass
General Engineering Softwares: AutoCAD
Accreditation
I am currently accredited for supervision in the following:
- 4016 Materials Engineering
- 4005 Civil Engineering
Current Capacity
Current Supervision
Complete Supervision
Civil Engineering - Construction Engineering
Sustainable construction materials
Recycling of concrete
Use SCM to reduce carbon footprint
Civil Engineering - Infrastructure Engineering and Asset Management
Civil Engineering - Structural Engineering
Structural Health Monitoring
Civil Engineering - Structural Engineering
Rehabilitation of structural members
Civil Engineering - Timber engineering
Engineered timber long-span beams
Effect of moisture on the capacity of timber joints
