Dr. Padmanathan Kathirgamanathan


Senior Lecturer Grade I
Head, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies


B.Sc (Hons), Dip in IT, MCMS (Waikato), PhD (Mathematics), PhD(Mechanical Engineering)


Research interests : Finite element modelling of engineering related problems.
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  pkathir@eng.jfn.ac.lk
 +94-21-206-0160


Dr Padmanathan Kathirgamanathan is a senior lecturer with a background in mathematics and engineering. He joined the Faculty in 2015. He is involved in numerical modelling of metal extrusion, pavement response model, chip seal surfacing, rock fall deformation models and seismic analysis of geo-technical problems. He has over 12 years of numerical modelling experience in the field of civil engineering, mechanical engineering and applied sciences and over 10 years of teaching experiences in mathematics. He hold PhDs in Mathematics and Engineering.


Overview: Finite element modelling of engineering related problems.




Seismic response of underground structures

Client: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, New Zealand
Position Held: Research Scientist/Engineer
Brief: This project discusses the most advance techniques for buried pipes subjected to seismic loads. Effects of soil-structure interaction, pipe embedment, soil layering, material nonlinearity, and ground water table fluctuation are considered. Number of numerical models are developed within a finite element analysis framework in order to evaluate the dynamic stresses acting on buried pipes under the hypothesis that the soil is an elastic-plastic medium and the pipe can be held to be continuous or segmented. A number of real examples from damaged Christchurch area are investigated.


Geo synthetics in base course reinforcement- Finite element modelling

Client: New Zealand Transport Agency, New Zealand
Position Held: Research Scientist/Engineer
Brief: This research seeks to understand the possible advantages that various types of geo synthetic materials (geo cell, geo grid) might offer for the stabilization of pavement base course in situations of high shear, and where geological (aggregate/ground strength) or construction deficiencies exist or arise.


Numerical modelling of geo grid-reinforced rock fall protection embankments

Client: Christchurch city council, New Zealand
Position Held: Research Scientist/Engineer
Brief: This project investigates the behaviour of the rock fall protection embankments under the impact of rock blocks with high kinetic energies.


Chip seal finite element model

Client: Foundation for research science and technology, New Zealand
Position Held: Research Scientist/Engineer
Brief: This goal of a project is to develop a 3-D finite element model of a chip seal road surfacing.This research is a response to the challenge posed to the sustainability of the road network by the escalating costs of road maintenance being brought about by growing heavy vehicle numbers and the inefficient use of increasingly expensive, non-renewable resources, i.e. petroleum bitumen and aggregates.


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Finite element model of pavement response

Client: Foundation for research science and technology, New Zealand, New Zealand
Position Held: Research Scientist/Engineer
Brief: The project improves knowledge of the pavement deformation process and will lead to better pavement designs, increase of pavement life before failure and minimize of maintenance cost of the pavement.


Numerical simulation of aluminium extrusion

Client: Ulrich Aluminium, Hamilton, New Zealand
Position Held: Researcher
Brief: The goal of this project is to investigate a technique to find an optimal set of conditions tom extrude a product for a given shape and material properties with minimal defects.


Source parameter estimation of atmospheric pollution

Client: Massey University, New Zealand
Position Held: Researcher
Brief: The goal of this project is to build up an inverse model capable of finding release rate and location of atmospheric pollution by using measured pollution concentration data at some locations on the ground.


From land allocations to greenhouse gas reductions through key market interactions

Client: Landcare Research, New Zealand
Position Held: Matlab Programmer


Portfolio optimization

Client: University of Waikato, New Zealand
Position Held: Researcher