B.Sc. Eng., M.Sc. Eng. (BUET), PhD (Western Ontario), P.Eng.

• Associate Professor

Contact Information

Ph: 709-864-6246
Em: asdhar@mun.ca
Office: EN3013

Personal Website

https://www.engr.mun.ca/~asdhar

Expertise

• Energy
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Infrastructure
• Materials and Mechanics

Research Interests

Mechanics of soil-pipe interaction, Limit states of municipal and energy pipelines, Pipelines subjected to ground movements. Remaining strength of deteriorating pipelines, Pipeline integrity management, Finite element modeling and full-scale testing.

Personal Profile

Dr. Dhar obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in civil engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and his PhD in civil engineering from the University of Western Ontario.

He joined Memorial University of Newfoundland as an assistant professor in 2014, and became an associate professor in 2019.

His current research focuses on structural strength assessment of municipal water mains and offshore and onshore energy pipelines considering soil-structure interaction.

His teaching responsibilities include Geotechnical Engineering I, Mechanics of Solid I, Structural Analysis I, Highway Engineering and Subsea Pipeline Engineering.

Prior to joining Memorial, Dr. Dhar worked in the industry as a Senior Geotechnical Engineer and as a faculty member at New Mexico State University in USA and in the Department of Civil Engineering at BUET. He became a registered professional engineer (P. Eng.) in the Province of Ontario in 2002 and in the province of Alberta in 2012. He is currently a P. Eng. in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Research Highlights

Recent Research projects:

“Finite element analysis of pipelines subjected ground movements”, NSERC Engage, Industry partner - FortisBC Energy Inc., $25,000, PI (2017).

“Municipal water main infrastructure integrity management techniques”, NSERC-CRD, Industry partner - City of Mount Pearl, $108,000, PI (2016-2019).

“Upheaval buckling behavior of offshore oil pipelines”, Mitacs Accelerate, Industry Partner – Husky Energy, $15,000, PI (2016).

“Structural Integrity of Onshore and Offshore Pipelines in the Harsh Environment of Newfoundland and Labrador”, RDC Ignite, Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador, $100,000, PI, (2014 - 2016).

Journal Articles (selected):

1. Phan, H.C. and Dhar, A.S., Sadiq, R. (2017) “Prioritizing water mains for inspection and maintenance”, ASCE Journal of Pipeline Systems - Engineering and Practice. Minor revision submitted.

2. Mondal, B.C. and Dhar, A.S. (2017) “Upheaval buckling of surface-laid offshore pipeline”, Applied Ocean Research, 66(2017), 146-155.

3. Mondal, B.C. and Dhar, A.S. (2017) “Interaction of Multiple Corrosion Defects on Burst Pressure of Pipeline”, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 44(8): 589-597.

4. Liyanage, K.T.H and Dhar, A.S. (2017) “Effects of corrosion pits on the wall stresses in cast iron water mains”, ASCE Journal of Pipeline Systems - Engineering and Practice, 8(4): 04017023.

5. Phan, H.C., Dhar, A.S. and Mondal, B.C. (2017) “Revisiting Burst Pressure Models for Corroded Pipelines”, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 44(7): 485-494.

6. Liyanage, K.T.H and Dhar, A.S. (2017) “Stresses in Cast Iron Water Main Subjected to Non-Uniform Bedding and Localized Concentrated Forces”, International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering. In press.

7. Muntakim A.H Dhar, A.S., and Dey, R. (2017) “Interpretation of acoustic field data for leak detection in ductile iron and copper water distribution pipes”, ASCE Journal of Pipeline Systems - Engineering and Practice. 8(3): 05017001.

8. Phan, H.C. and Dhar, A.S. (2016) “Pipeline Maintenance Prioritization Considering Reliability and Risk: A Concept Methodology”, Journal of Advances in Civil and Environmental Engineering. 3(1): 13-30.

9. Mondal, B.C. and Dhar, A.S. (2016) “FE Evaluation of Burst Pressure Models for Corroded Pipelines”, Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, ASME, Vol. 139, 021702-1.

10. Siddique, M.S.A. and Dhar, A.S. (2015) “A Novel Elasto-Viscoplastic model of High Density Polyethylene Material”, Geosynthetics International, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp: 173-182.

11. Dhar, A.S. and Ansary, M.A. (2012) “Community Based Evaluation for the Development of a Sustainable Disaster Early Warning System”, Journal of Emergency Management, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp: 293-302.

12. Dhar, A.S., and Tarefder, R.A. (2011) “An Approximate Spreadsheet Integration Method for Foundation Settlements in Two-Layered Medium”, International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering Vol. 5, Issue 4, pp.: 437-446.

13. Dhar, A.S., Siddique, A. and Ameen, M. F. (2011) “Ground Improvement using Pre-loading with Prefabricated Vertical Drains: A Case Study of Coastal Alluvial Soil in Bangladesh”, International Journal of Geoengineering Case Histories, ISSMGE, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp: 86-104.

14. Dhar, A.S. and Moore, I.D. (2006) “Evaluation of Local Bending in Profile-Wall Polyethylene Pipes” Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 132, No. 11, pp: 898-906.

15. Wong, L.S., Allouche, E.N., Dhar, A.S., Baumert, M. and Moore, I.D. (2006) “Long Term Monitoring of SIDD Type IV Installations” Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp: 392-408.

16. Dhar, A.S., Moore, I.D. and McGrath, T.J. (2004) “Two-Dimensional Analysis of Thermoplastic Culvert Deformations and Strains”, Journal of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 130, No.2, pp: 199-208.

17. Dhar, A.S., Siddique, M.S.A. and Sinha, A.N. (2004) “Deflections of PVC Pipes in a Clayey Backfill”, Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1892, pp: 221-226.

18. Dhar, A.S. and Moore, I.D. (2004) “Laboratory Investigation of Local Bending in Profiled Thermoplastic Pipes”, Advances in Structural Engineering-An International Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp: 201-215.

19. Dhar, A.S. and Moore, I.D. (2002) “Corrugated High-Density Polyethylene Pipe: Laboratory Testing and Two-dimensional Analyses to Develop Limit States Design” Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1814, pp: 157-163.

20. Dhar, A.S. and Moore, I.D. (2001) “Liner Buckling in Profiled Polyethylene Pipes”, Geosynthetics International, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp: 303-326.

Conference papers (selected):

1. Muntakim, A.H., Dhar, A. S., and Hussein, A. (2017) "Acoustic wave attenuation through buried water mains", 70th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, GEOOTTAWA 2017, Oct. 1-4, Ottawa, ON.

2. Muntakim, A.H., Dhar, A. S., and Rahman, M. (2017) "Pipeline behaviour subjected to large ground movement", 70th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, GEOOTTAWA 2017, Ottawa, ON, Oct. 1-4.

3. Al Tarhouni, M., Fouzder, A., Hawlader, B. and Dhar, A.S. (2017) "Direct Simple Shear and Triaxial Compression Tests on Dense Silica Sand at Low Effective Stress", 70th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, GEOOTTAWA 2017, Ottawa, ON, Oct. 1-4.

4. Arman, R., Roy, K, Hawlader, B. and Dhar, A.S. (2017) "Finite Element Analysis of Upheaval Buckling of Submarine Pipelines with Initial Imperfection", 70th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, GEOOTTAWA 2017, Ottawa, ON, Oct. 1-4.

5. Phan, H.C., Dhar, A.S., Sadiq, R. (2017) “Complex network analysis of municipal water main system incorporating the reliability of individual pipe”, Accepted, Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering (CSCE), Vancouver, BC, May 31 - June 3, 2017.

6. Mondal, B.C. and Dhar, A.S. (2016) "Upheaval Buckling Behavior of Offshore Oil Pipeline ", 69th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, Vancouver, BC, October 2-5, 2016.

7. Dhar, A.S. and Mondal, B.C. (2016) “Burst Pressure Assessment for Pipelines with Multiple Corrosion Defects”, Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering (CSCE), London, ON, June 1-4, 2016.

8. Muntakim A. H. and Dhar, A.S. (2015) “Laboratory investigation of acoustic noise from leaks in ductile iron water pipe”, Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering (CSCE), London, ON, June 1-4, 2016.

9. Liyanage, K.H. and Dhar, A.S. (2015) “Three dimensional Finite Element Analyses of Partially Supported Water Mains”, GeoQuebec 2015, 68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, Quebec City, QC, September 21-23, 2015.

10. Mondal, B.C. and Dhar, A.S. (2015) “Corrosion effects on the strength of steel pipes using FEA”, 34th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering, St. John’s, NL, May 31- June 5, 2015.

11. Dhar, A.S. and Muntakim A. H. (2015) “Nonlinear Analysis of Axisymmetrically Wrinkled Pipes Under Axial Loads And Internal Pressures”, 34th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering, St. John’s, NL, May 31- June 5, 2015.

12. Dhar, A.S. and Mondal, B.C. (2015) “FE Modelling of Corroded Pipelines under Internal Pressure”, Artic Oil and Gas North America 2015, IBC Energy’s 6th Annual Conference, St. John’s, NL, April 14-15, 2015.

13. Mondal, B.C. and Dhar, A. S. (2014) “Corrosion of Iron and Steel Pipes in Sodium Chloride Salt Solution: A review”, presentation at Corrosion Management – The Key to Asset Integrity Management, Northern Area Eastern Conference, St. John’s, NL, October 19-21, 2014.

14. Dhar, A.S. and Ansary, M. (2011) “Seismic Hazard Assessment for Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh”, 5th Canadian Conf. on Geotechnique and Natural Hazards, Kelowna, BC, May 2011.

15. Dhar, A.S. and Tarefder, R.A. (2009) “Wall Thrusts and Moments for Buried Rigid Pipe”, Bangladesh Geotechnical Conference, Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 17, 2009, pp: 49-57.

16. Dhar, A.S. and Datta, S. (2009) “A Parametric Study of Buried Flexible Pipe under Surface Load”, Bangladesh Geotechnical Conference, December 17, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp: 100-108.

17. Saha, N., Tarefder, R.A. and Dhar, A.S. (2009) “A Finite Element Model for Parametric Study of Cracking in Asphalt Concrete”, Bangladesh Geotechnical Conference, December 17, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp: 86-99.

18. Paul, S., Islam, K., Dhar, A.S. (2009) “Wall Forces from Standard Installation Direct Design of Buried Rigid Pipe”, Bangladesh Geotechnical Conference, December 17, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp: 72-79.

19. Siddique, A., Dhar, A. S. and Ameen S. F. (2009) “Ground Improvement Works Employed for the Construction of a Container Yard at Chittagong Sea Port”, Bangladesh Geotechnical Conference, December 17, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp: 218-226.

20. Hussain, M.A, Dhar, A.S., Welhena, T. and Ansary, M.A (2008) “Tsunami Vulnerability Assessment of Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh”, WFEO- JFES- JSCE Joint International Symposium on Disaster Risk Management, Tohoku Univ., Japan, 11 September 2008, pp: 96-110.

21. Dhar, A.S., and Noor, M.A. (2007) “Calculation of Wall Stresses for Buried Flexible Pipe”, 13th Asian Regional Conference, 10-14th December, 2007, Kolkata, India.

22. Dhar, A.S., and Muqtadir, M.A. (2007) “Evaluation of the Capacity of Bored Pile using Pile Load Tests”, 13th Asian Regional Conference, 10-14th December, 2007, Kolkata, India.

23. Islam, M.K., and Dhar, A.S. (2007) “Interpretation of Plate Load Tests on Controlled Fills” 13th Asian Regional Conference, 10-14th December, 2007, Kolkata, India.

24. Dhar, A.S., Ansary, and Imtiaz, A. B. A. (2007) “Evaluation of Sheltering Systems for Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster at Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh”, International Disaster and Risk Conference, IDRC 2007, August 21 – 25, 2007, Harbin, China.

25. Siddiquee, M.S.A, and Dhar, A.S. (2007) “Determination of Pipe Pullback load for Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Crossings by Finite Element Method”, ASCE International Pipeline Conference 2007, Boston, MA, USA, July 08-11, 2007.

26. Dhar, A.S. (2006) “Design and Performance Evaluation of Bored Piles in Sand”, 31st Annual Conference on Deep Foundations, Deep Foundations Institute, Washington D.C., Oct. 04, 2006.

27. Dhar, A.S., Islam, M.K. and Kalam, A.K. (2006) “Water supply and sewage pipeline system in Bangladesh: prospects of trenchless installation methods, 24th International NO-DIG conference (NO-DIG DOWN UNDER 2006), Brisbane, Australia, October 29 - November 02, 2006.

28. Dhar, A.S. and Kabir, M.A. (2006) “A Simplified Soil-Structure Interaction based Method for Calculating Deflection of Buried Pipe”, Geotechnical Symposium in Roma, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy, March 2006, in Soil Stress-Strain Behavior: Measurement, Modeling an Analysis by Ling et al.

29. Dhar, A.S., Siddiquee, M.S.A., Tatsuoka, F. and Noor, M A. (2006) “An Isotach Model for Time Dependent Behavior of High Density Polyethylene”, 85th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C., USA, Jan 22 26, 2006, CD-ROM.

30. Dhar, A.S., Kabir, M.A., Noor, M A. (2005) " Development of Rational Design Method for Rigid Pipes", 3rd Annual Paper Meet and International Conference on Civil Engineering, Institute of Engineers, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mar 9-11, 2005, pp: 95-110.

31. Allouche, E.N., Dhar, A.S. and Wong, L.S. (2004) "Response of SIDD Type IV Bedding to Live Loads", 83rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C., USA, Jan 11-15, 2004.

32. Dhar, A.S., Siddiquee, M.S.A, and Sinha A.N. (2004) "Performance of PVC Pipes in a Backfill of Native Dhaka Clay", 83rdAnnual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C., USA, Jan 11-15, 2004, CD-ROM.

33. Dhar, A.S. (2003) “The Development of a Simplified Equation for Deflection of Buried Pipe”, Proc. ASCE International Pipeline 2003 conference, Baltimore, Maryland, July 13-16, 2003, pp: 1096-1105.

34. Noor, M. A. and Dhar, A.S. (2003) “Three Dimensional Response of Buried Pipe Under Vehicle Loads”, Proc. ASCE International Pipeline 2003 conference, Baltimore, Maryland, July 13-16, 2003, pp: 658-665.

35. Dhar, A.S., Noor, M.A., Hossain, T.R., Seraj, S.M., Haque, M.S and Khan, A.J. (2003) “Safety Assessment of Gas Pipelines Under the Jamuna Bridge Access Road Rehabilitation”, ASCE International Pipeline 2003 conference, Baltimore, Maryland, July 13-16, 2003, pp: 1106-1115.

36. Dhar, A.S., Moore, I.D. and McGrath, T.J. (2002) “Evaluation of Simplified Design Methods for Buried Thermoplastic Pipe” Proc. Pipelines 2002 conference, ASCE, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, August 4-7, 2002.

37. Dhar, A.S. and Moore, I.D. (2002) “Corrugated HDPE Pipe: Laboratory Testing and Two-Dimensional Analyses to Develop Limit States Design”, 81st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C., USA, January 13 -17, 2002, CD ROM.

38. Dhar, A.S. and Moore, I.D. (2001) "Sensitivity of Thermoplastic Pipe Behavior to Profile Geometry", International Specialty Conference on Pipelines 2001 – Advances in Pipeline Engineering and Construction, ASCE, San Diego, CA, USA, July 14-18, 2001, CD-ROM.

39. Dhar, A.S. and Moore, I.D. (2001) "Limit States of Buried Thermoplastic Pipes: Laboratory Investigations", International conference of the Underground Infrastructure Research (UIR2001), Waterloo, ON, Canada, June 10-13, 2001, pp: 23-30.

40. Dhar, A.S. and Moore, I.D. (2000) "Non-linear Analysis of Buried HDPE Pipe by the Finite Element Method: Comparison with Laboratory Test", Proceedings of the International conference of Geotechnical and Geological Engineering (GEOENG2000), Melbourne, Australia, November 19 – 24, 2000, CD-ROM.

41. Dhar, A.S. and Moore, I.D. (2000) “Local Buckling in Profiled Thermoplastic Pipes" the 28th Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, London, Ontario, Canada, June 7-10, 2002, pp: 368-375, CD-ROM.

42. Dhar, A.S., Sawada, S. and Nakase, H. (1999) "Response of Granular Material to Steady State and Dynamic Stresses", proceeding of the 13th Engineering Mechanics Conference, ASCE, Baltimore MD, USA, June 13-16, 1999, CD-ROM.

43. Pradhan, T.B.S., Dhar, A.S. and Sawada, S. (1998) "Role of Stiffness in the Simulation of 1-D Compression by DEM", 33rd Japan National Conf. on Soil Mech. and Found. Eng., Komamoto, Kyushu, Japan, August, 1998, pp: 553-555.

44. Siddiquee, M.S.A., Ansary, M.A., Dhar, A.S. and Safiullah, A.M.M (1997) “Behavior of Open-Ended Steel Pipe Piles in Granular Soil”, proceedings of 30th year Anniversary Symposium of the Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society, Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 03-07, 1997, pp: 3.14-3.28.

45. Siddiquee, M.S.A, Dhar, A.S. and Safiullah, A.M.M. (1997) “Study of Formation of Stress Arches in Open-Ended Pipe Pile” Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics, proceedings of the 9th Int. Conference on Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics, Wuhun, China, Vol. 2, pp: 2111-2116.