Dr. Erdem has experience in behavior of reinforced concrete and has investigated and developed repair/strengthening techniques, including masonry infilled structures. He has conducted laboratory testing to determine the capacity of reinforced concrete frames strengthened with either concrete infill or carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) applied to masonry infill. Dr. Erdem’s structural investigations have included evaluation of the capacities of wood columns and girders and analysis of composite steel girders that are common in bridge decks and other long span structures. He has investigated of several structural collapses that have included cranes, pools, and retaining walls. Dr. Erdem visited an earthquake-hit region (Bingol/ Turkey) in May 2003 and collected data from damaged or collapsed buildings (structural characteristics of the structure, nature and extent of the damage) to assist in a damage assessment project. He assisted in evaluation of the documents and reports on numerous collapsed structures due to 1999 Marmara Earthquake. As part of his investigations, Dr. Erdem often utilizes finite element modeling and stress analysis of complex structural systems.
Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Erdem was a research assistant at Cornell University, where he conducted nondestructive testing (impact echo) on graphite rods and developed a new finite element of the human thoracolumbar spine. He has also taught a graduate level course on concrete structures.
Erdem I. Noninvasive evaluations of slender graphite rods and human thoracolumbar spine. Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil and Env. Engineering, Cornell University, January 2008.
Erdem I. Transient elastic impact response of slender graphite rods. Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation 2007; 26(2–4):89–96.
Aquino W, Erdem I. Implementation of the modified compression field theory in a tangent stiffness-based finite element formulation. Journal of Steel and Composite Structures 2007; 7(4):263–278.
Erdem I, Akyuz U, Ersoy U, Ozcebe G. An experimental study on two different strengthening techniques for RC frames. Engineering Structures 2006; 28(3):1843–1851.
Erdem I. Strengthening of existing reinforced concrete frames. M.S. Thesis, Civil Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, August 2003.
Book Chapter
Erdem I, Akyuz U, Ersoy U, Ozcebe G. A comparative study on the strengthening of RC frames. Seismic Assessment and Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings, S.T. Wasti and G. Ozcebe (eds.), Vol. IV/29, pp. 407–432, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands, 2003.
Presentations
Erdem I, Truumees E, van der Meulen M. Stresses in the L2 vertebra under different loading conditions. American Society of Biomechanics 2007 Annual Conference, Stanford University, 2007.
Erdem I, Akyuz U. Nonlinear analyses of two strengthened infilled RC frames. 6th International Congress on Advances in Civil Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey, 2004.
Erdem I, Akyuz U, Ersoy U, Ozcebe G. Experimental and analytical studies on the strengthening of RC frames. 13th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Paper No. 673, Vancouver, Canada, 2004.