Graduate students earn international recognition for research that’s building stronger, safer structures
What appears to be a simple piece of masonry can hold an entire world of data, safety and possibilities in the hands of Clemson University’s rising civil engineers. Inside Clemson’s structures lab, graduate students Shreedhar KC M ’25 and Aakash Basu M ’26
are uncovering new insights into how masonry, one of humanity’s oldest building materials, performs under stress.
Guided by Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Laura Redmond and Ece Erdogmus, dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Construction, the pair’s work bridges experimental testing with advanced numerical modeling to evaluate the modulus of rupture and deflection limits of masonry beams. In simpler terms, the students are studying how and when masonry beams bend and break — information that is critical to designing buildings that are safer and more sustainable.
The students’ innovative research recently earned international recognition at the 15th Canadian Masonry Symposium, where their team received the H.W.H. West Award for Best Overall Paper with a Graduate Student as the Lead Author. The honor highlights Clemson’s growing leadership in advancing knowledge for applications of masonry construction.
KC is from Nepal and a graduate of Tribhuvan University. His thesis focuses on how various materials and configurations, ranging from grout type to reinforcement, affect a structure’s behavior under stress. “The more accurately we can model these behaviors,” he said, “the more resilient our infrastructure can become, especially in earthquake-prone areas.”
For Basu, who came to Clemson from Nepal after earning his bachelor’s in civil engineering from Khwopa College of Engineering, the work is both technical and purposeful. “We are looking at the relationship between strength and flexibility in masonry,” he explained. “If we can better understand those limits, we can build structures that last longer and fail less catastrophically.”
Under the mentorship of Redmond and Erdogmus, Basu and KC combine precise lab testing with computer simulations to validate their findings, contributing to a growing body of international research on masonry performance. Both mentors are voting members of the Masonry Codes and Standards Committee of The Masonry Society and plan to submit changes to the national masonry codes and standards because of this project. Under their leadership, these students’ work will directly impact the future of all masonry construction in the United States.
Both KC and Basu share a long-term goal to make the built environment stronger, smarter and safer. As Clemson continues to foster research that merges creativity, experiential activities and rigor, their work stands as a testament to how innovation can rise from even the most traditional of materials.
Meredith McTigue M ’97
