Ms. Rashmi Sawant is an emerging researcher in the field of structural mechanics and advanced composite materials, with a strong focus on blast-resistant and impact-resistant sandwich structures. She is a recipient of a Government-funded Institute PhD Fellowship from a premier central institute in India. Her academic training integrates advanced finite element modelling, experimental mechanics, and composite fabrication, enabling her to address real-world defense and safety challenges through high-performance structural design.

Research Interests

Her research spans critical areas of dynamic loading and energy absorption, including:

• Blast resistance of metallic and composite sandwich panels

• Crashworthiness and ballistic performance of honeycomb cores

• Low-velocity and high-strain-rate impact behaviour of composite plates

• Fabrication and mechanical characterisation of hybrid composite materials

• Energy absorption mechanisms in cellular and foam/gel-filled structures

• Finite element modelling of structures under extreme dynamic loading

Research Contributions & Publications

Ms. Sawant has an impressive and steadily growing research portfolio comprising:

• High-impact SCI journal publications (Q1 & Q2) in leading journals such as Journal of Sandwich Structures & Materials, International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics, and Proceedings of the IMechE, Part C.

• Multiple SCOPUS-indexed international conference papers published by ASME, AIP Publishing, and Elsevier, reflecting strong global research visibility.

• A book chapter with Taylor & Francis (CRC Press) on functionally graded materials for defense applications.

• A patent under examination focused on a novel hybrid composite fabrication method.

• Several manuscripts under preparation addressing advanced blast scenarios and strain-rate effects in sandwich panels.

Experimental & Technical Expertise

She possesses hands-on expertise in:

• Advanced FEM-based blast and impact simulations with experimental validation

• Design and analysis of novel sandwich panel configurations (metallic, composite, hybrid, foam-filled, gel-filled, multilayered)

• Composite laminate damage modelling including fiber failure, matrix cracking, and delamination

• Fabrication of hybrid composites using vacuum infusion techniques

• Mechanical testing as per ASTM standards, including tensile, compression, flexural, shear, and drop-weight impact tests

Awards & Recognition

• Best Paper Award at the 2nd International Conference on Recent and Advanced Composite Materials (ICRACM-2023), SRM University, Chennai

• PhD Institute Fellowship (Government-funded)

Eligibility for Most Promising Researcher Award

Ms. Rashmi Sawant is highly eligible for the Most Promising Researcher Award in Scientific Laurels.
Her consistent publication record in top-tier SCI journals, interdisciplinary expertise combining numerical modelling and experimental validation, contribution to defense-oriented structural research, and early-career innovation demonstrated through a patent and international recognitions clearly establish her as a high-potential researcher with significant future impact in the field of advanced structural and composite engineering.