Source: Untar Public Relations – VA
Untar officially conferred a new doctoral degree from the Doctoral Program in Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering. Tjatur Haripriambodo was officially awarded the 107th Doctorate in Civil Engineering at Untar after successfully defending his dissertation during an Open Doctoral Promotion Session held on Tuesday (13/01/2026) at the Auditorium of Building M, Untar Campus I.
The open session was chaired by Untar Rector Prof. Dr. Amad Sudiro, S.H., M.H., M.Kn., M.M., with Prof. Dr. Ir. Sofia W. Alisjahbana, Ph.D., I.P.U., Asean Eng., serving as the principal promoter, accompanied by co-promoters Dr. Ir. Najid, M.T. and Dr. Ing. Jack Widjajakusuma. The session was also attended by internal and external examiners led by Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Untar, Ir. Harto Tanujaya, S.T., M.T., Ph.D.
In his dissertation titled “Response of Rigid Toll Road Pavement Due to Vehicle Loads with Maximum and Minimum Soil Dynamic Parameters Based on the Kerr Model,” Dr. Tjatur examined the phenomenon of early cracking in toll road concrete slabs, which frequently occurs shortly after road sections begin operation. He highlighted that heavy vehicle loads, particularly trucks transporting industrial and construction materials, are among the primary factors contributing to rigid pavement deterioration.
Through his research, Dr. Tjatur applied dynamic load modeling using soil dynamic parameters based on field data collected from the Cikampek–Palimanan (Cipali) Toll Road section. “The research findings indicate that vehicle speed greatly influences the magnitude of concrete slab deflection. We identified critical speeds that produce the highest dynamic deflection, namely 40 km/h under hard soil conditions and 20 km/h under soft soil conditions,” Dr. Tjatur explained. The findings are expected to provide important considerations for the planning and evaluation of toll road pavement designs in Indonesia, enabling them to better withstand heavy traffic loads.
Principal promoter Prof. Dr. Ir. Sofia W. Alisjahbana, Ph.D., I.P.U., Asean Eng. expressed hope that this academic achievement would become the beginning of broader contributions. “I hope that earning this Doctoral degree will not mark the end of a journey, but rather the beginning of wider and more meaningful contributions to science, education, and the application of engineering knowledge in infrastructure development for society and the nation,” she stated.
Dr. Tjatur Haripriambodo, who currently serves as Director of PT ACSET Indonusa Tbk, Jakarta, graduated with a GPA of 3.98 and earned the distinction of Very Satisfactory. This achievement further highlights the contribution of industry practitioners to the advancement of academic research in civil engineering, particularly in infrastructure and road studies.
(VA/YS)