Research Interests
Civil Geotechnical Engineering Space sciences Planetary Science Structural EngineeringMr Akshay Kumar Agarwal
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Civil Engineering and Construction
College of Engineering and Information Technology
Innovative Civil Engineering Researcher | Expert in Geotechnical Solutions, Lunar Simulants, and Intelligent Compaction | Educator & Mentor Driving Innovation in Space Ground Engineering
My research lies at the intersection of geotechnical engineering and space exploration, with a particular focus on supporting NASA’s Artemis programme through the development of lunar infrastructure. As part of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources at the University of Adelaide, I investigate the mechanical behaviour of lunar regolith simulants and the feasibility of in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) for long-term human habitation on the Moon.
A key component of my work involves the use of scaled terrestrial compaction equipment to assess surface and subsurface responses of lunar highland simulants under different loading conditions. Through this research, I aim to advance the understanding of lunar soil mechanics, optimise compaction techniques for extraterrestrial applications, and contribute to the design of sustainable off-Earth infrastructure to support future deep space exploration
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 - ongoing | Teaching Assistant | The University of Adelaide |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Scholarship | The University of Adelaide Research Scholorship | The University of Adelaide | Australia | A$3,00,000 (Approximately) |
| 2020 | Scholarship | Global Citizenship Scholarship | The University of Adelaide | Australia | 15% of tution fees |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Hindi | Can read, speak and understand spoken |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - 2021 | The University of Adelaide | Australia | Master of Engineering (Civil and Structural) |
| 2009 - 2013 | Barkatullah University | India | Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Agarwal, A. K., Jaksa, M. B., Scott, B. T., & Kuo, Y. L. (2024). Compaction Testing on Lunar Highland Simulant Using a Vibrating Drum Roller. In Proceedings of the 19th ASCE ASD Biennial International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction and Operations in Challenging Environment (Earth and Space 2024) (pp. 763-773). Miami Florida: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). DOI |
| 2023 | Agarwal, A. K., Kuo, Y. L., Jaksa, M., & Scott, B. (2023). Density, strength and compressibility characteristics of lunar regolith simulant. In Australian Geomechanics Society. Cairns. |
| 2023 | Scott, B., Kuo, Y. L., Jaksa, M., & Agarwal, A. K. (2023). Compaction trial on lunar regolith simulant. In Australian Geomechanics Society. Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns. Queensland, Australia. |
Research Agreement with Astroport Space Technologies re new scale model Lunar Vibrating Drum Roller (LVDR-2)
AUD 30000
November 2024 - November 2025
Funding agency
Astroport Space technologies Inc
Principal investigator
Brendan T Scott
Co-investigators
Akshay Kumar Agarwal, William Foster-Hall, Kevin Farries
Research Agreement with Astroport Space Technologies re various compaction methods
AUD 15000
July 2022 - December 2024
Funding agency
Astroport Space technologies Inc
Principal investigator
Brendan T Scott
Co-investigators
Akshay Kumar Agarwal, Mark B. Jaksa, Kevin Farries
University of Adelaide Scholarship
AUD 120,000
June 2022 - Nov 2025
Bachelor Course
1st Year
- CIVILENG 1002 - Introduction to Infrastructure
2nd Year
- CIVILENG 2004 - Introduction to Geo-engineering
- CIVILENG 2005 - Transportation Engineering & Survey
- CONMGNT 2001 - Transport and Traffic Management
3rd Year
- CIVILENG 3003 - Structural Steel Design
- CIVILENG 3006 - Geotechnical Engineering
4th Year
- CIVILENG 4007 - Unsaturated Soils
Master Course
- CIVILENG 7303 - Structural Steel Design
- CIVILENG 7306 - Geotechnical Engineering
- CIVILENG 7407 - Unsaturated Soils
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Location | Program | Supervision Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - 2024 | Co-Supervisor | Lunar ground improvement using a vibrating drum roller | The University of Adelaide | Bachelor of Engineering | Honours | Full Time | Daniela Jaud, Nicolette Miller, Tasha Spratling, Lane Whittaker |
| 2024 - 2024 | Co-Supervisor | The effect of vacuum on the geotechnical behaviour of lunar simulant | The University of Adelaide | Bachelor of Engineering | Honours | Full Time | Dylan Croft, Alex Duffy, Ruben Carreno, Harrison Reid |
| 2023 - 2023 | Co-Supervisor | Lunar Ground Improvement | The University of Adelaide | Bachelor of Engineering | Honours | Full Time | Mazen Aintarazy, Salvador Bartkowski, Michael Cerbo, Reon Evaristo |
| Date | Topic | Location | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 - 2022 | Rolling Dynamic Compaction of Lunar Regolith Simulant | The University of Adelaide | Wing Kit Chan, Karan Pattabiraman, Sergey Zhukovskiy |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | Member | AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS | Geo-Institute | United States |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - ongoing | Member | Engineers Australia | Australia |
| Date | Topic | Presented at | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - 2024 | Compaction testing on lunar highland simulant using a vibrating drum roller | 19th Biennial ASCE Earth & Space 2024 Conference, Miami, Florida | Florida International University | United States |
| 2023 - 2023 | Site preperation and Ground Improvement on the Moon | Second International Symposium on Off-Earth Construction, Adelaide Convention Centre | The Australian Society for Off-Earth Construction (ASOC) | Australia |
| 2023 - 2023 | Density, strength and compressibility characteristics of lunar regolith simulant | 14th Australia and New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics, Cairns 2023 | Australian Geomechanics Society | Australia |