About:

I am a PhD Research Scholar in the BITS-RMIT Joint PhD Programme, jointly affiliated with Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani and RMIT University, Melbourne. My research focuses on Vehicle-Bridge Interaction (VBI), structural health monitoring, and AI/ML-based bridge assessment.

My PhD research is centred on the development of a Vehicle-Bridge Interaction framework for in-service bridge assessment considering vehicle inertia forces and stochastic traffic load scenarios. The research involves multi-scale and heterogeneous traffic load simulation, 3D physics-based vehicle dynamics, real-time tyre characteristics, road-surface irregularities, and bridge dynamic response analysis. It further focuses on digital twin-based VBI modelling, reduced-order bridge structural modelling, VBI-3D simulation, and adaptive vibration control for assessing and controlling bridge displacements and severe vibrations under realistic live-traffic conditions.

Educational Background:

• PhD, Department of Computer Science & Information Systems Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, August 2026 - Ongoing
• M.Tech, Electronics & Communication Engineering (VLSI design), (2024-2026) B.K. Birla Institute of Engineering and Technology, Pilani    
• B.Tech., Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering,  (2013-2016)  M.B.M Government Engineering College, Jodhpur.

Courses Undertaken as Teaching Assistant

• Electronics Devices and circuits (Autumn 2024-2025)
• Digital Electronics (spring 2025-2026)
• Computer Architecture and Microprocessor (Autumn 2025-2026)
• Digital VLSI Design (Spring2026-2027)
• Computer Architecture-CS F342 (Autumn, 2026-27)

Research Interests:

• Vehicle-Bridge Interaction (VBI) Modelling
• Vehicle and Bridge Dynamics
• Stochastic Traffic Load Modelling and Traffic Simulation
• Structural Dynamics and Vibration Assessment
• Digital Twin-Based Bridge Assessment
• Structural Health Monitoring
• AI/ML for Structural Health Monitoring and Damage Detection
• Finite Element Modelling.

PUBLICATIONS:

• Niharika Shekhawat, Rajeev Kumar, Santosh Jangir. "Performance Analysis of 6T SRAM for Low Power Memory Device using 65nm CMOS Technology." In 3rd International Conference on Recent Advances in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision & Smart System (ICRACS-2026), organized at Poornima Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan, (2026) (Scopus indexed) Paper Presented.