SYED ZAHID NABI +91-9682353599 / (zahidnabi@iisc.ac.

in)
(zahidcv054@gmail.com)
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/syed-zahid-826817108/ )

Education

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore India 2019-2021

(M. Tech Geotechnical Engineering) CGPA = 7.30/10

Visvesvaraya Technological University, India 2013-2017

(B. Tech Civil Engineering) CGPA = 7.80/10

Research Interest
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Wave Propagation, Site Response Analysis, Liquefaction of Soils,
Dynamic Soil Properties, Ground Improvement, Slope Stability.

Course Work
Geomechanics, FEM, Mathematics, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Seismology, Foundation
Engineering, Design of Substructures, Geo-Environmentall Engineering, Geosynthetics and Ground
improvement, Solid Mechanics, and Hydrology.

Research Experience

Indian institute of science (Research Assistant) Sep 2021- July 2024

Project: Sustainable Backfill Materials for Retaining Wall Construction

• Led a comprehensive research project focused on the utilization of recycled construction and
demolition (C&D) waste as an alternative to traditional backfill materials for retaining walls. The
project aimed to address the environmental challenges posed by the depletion of natural sand reserves
and the accumulation of C&D waste.

Key Responsibilities:
• Conducted extensive laboratory tests to evaluate the geotechnical and physicochemical properties of
recycled C&D waste, manufactured sand (M-sand), and natural river sand.
• Applied Rankine's earth pressure theory to assess the functional performance of retaining walls
constructed with these materials.
• Performed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental impacts associated with each
material.
• Utilized the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to systematically compare environmental impacts
and support decision-making.
• Analyzed data to determine the feasibility of C&D waste as a sustainable backfill material,
demonstrating its potential to reduce waste disposal costs and carbon footprints.

Achievements:
• Successfully identified C&D waste-derived sand as the most environmentally sustainable backfill
option.
• Promoted the adoption of circular economy principles and advanced sustainable construction practices
within the industry.

Skills Utilized:
• Geotechnical analysis
• Environmental impact assessment
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
 • Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Sustainable construction practices

Project: Stability analysis of existing red mud tailing dam.

• Led a comprehensive analysis of liquefaction in the context of a red mud tailing dam, employing
advanced geotechnical software such as GeoStudio (SEEP/W, SIGMA, QUAKE/W, and SLOPE/W).
• Conducted a detailed numerical simulation of embankment cross sections, evaluating factors such as
factor of safety, excess pore-water pressures, and stability conditions.
• Developed recommendations for the installation and spacing of wick drains as a remedial
measure to mitigate excess pore-water pressure in soil.
Skills Gained:
• Proficient in GeoStudio suite (SEEP/W, SIGMA, QUAKE/W, SLOPE/W).
• Advanced knowledge in liquefaction analysis and embankment stability assessments.
• Experience in numerical simulation and interpretation of geotechnical data.
• Proven ability to implement preventive measures for ensuring stability in critical infrastructures.

•
Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore Aug 2019 – Aug 2021

Master’s Thesis: - Numerically Analyzing the Combined Effect of Soil Nonlinearity and Topography on the
Seismic Response of Basins Containing Soft Soil Deposits.
Thesis Supervisor: - Dr. Swetha Veeraraghavan

The thesis entails:

• Generation of inclined SV wave by running a Python code for analytical solution of SV waves.
• Modelling an ideal basin of 1km depth and 4km width with curved Geometry using gmsh.
• Simulating the response of inclined SV ricker wave made to pass through the basin using
MASTODON.

Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) Aug 2013– Aug 2017

Undergraduate Thesis: - An Experimental Investigation of Soil Stabilized with Almond Shells

Thesis Supervisor: - Dr Syed Abu Sayeed Mohammed
The thesis entails:

• Studying the effect of almond shell ash (ASA) inclusion along with lime in addressing issues related to
the strength and volume change behavior of a typical problematic soil.

• Experiments were carried out on both natural as well as amended soil mixtures having varying
percentages of lime and ASA (added based on dry weight of soil).

• The addition of lime aids in better binding between non-plastic ASA particles and kaolinite-rich clay
which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images and X-ray diffraction (XRD)
studies.

Awards and Achievements

• Qualified Graduate Aptitudes Test for Engineers (GATE) 2018 and 2019.
• 2019-2021 Merit Scholarship for graduate students under UGC commissioned grant for GATE
• PM Special scholarship scheme for Jammu and Kashmir students
• Best Project Award for “Efficacy of Almond Shell Ash Inclusion on the Geotechnical Behavior of
lime Blended Kaolinitic Soil”.
• Winners Medal Inter-Department Cricket tournament HKBK CE

Grants
• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) fellowship of Rs12,400 per month during Masters.
• Research fellowship of Rs 31000/month for RA position.

Publications and Conferences

12.2019 | Surat
• Efficacy of Almond Shell Ash Inclusion on the Geotechnical Behaviour of lime Blended Kaolinitic Soil
Indian Geotechnical Conference.
04.2018 | Srinagar
• An Experimental Investigation of Soil Stabilized with Almond Shells in International Journal of Advance
Research in Science and Engineering, First International Conference on Recent Developments in Science.
Book Chapter
• Efficacy of Almond Shell Ash Inclusion on the Geotechnical Behavior of Lime Blended Kaolinitic Soil
Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021(link)
Skills
• MASTODON • Laboratory Techniques
• Gmsh • FEA
• Deep Soil • Earthquake geotechnical engineering
• Seismic site response analysis • LCA
• MATLAB • Python
• Geophysical testing methods • AHP
• PLAXIS 2D/3D
• GeoStudio
Hobbies
• Cricket, Volley Ball, Table Tennis.

References
• Dr Swetha Veeraraghavan Prof. G. L. Sivakumar Babu
Assistant Professor Professor
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore India Indian Institute of Science Bangalore India
Email. (swethav@iisc.ac.in) Email; (gls@iisc.ac.in)