BY

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to Prof. Francis A. Kulacki for his constant encouragement and motivation, and for his invaluable help and advice during the course of this study. His guidance was a key factor in keeping me on track during a difficult stage of my academic career, and I am very thankful to him for that. I would also like to thank Prof. Terry Simon and Dr. Wojciech Lipiński of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Prof. Vaughan Voller of the Civil Engineering Department for taking the time to serve on my committee and for critically evaluating this manuscript. Finally there are several people who deserve my appreciation for making this rocky journey of mine through graduate school a little more tolerable. My wife, Basabdatta, deserves special mention for being my best friend, my most ardent supporter and a constant source of inspiration during my doctoral degree. My parents deserve my utmost gratitude for supporting me throughout my academic career and giving me the freedom of choice. I would also like to thank my sister and her family for the support that they have provided me with during my stay in the United States. Thanks must also be given to my friends here in the U.S. and back home in India who have been by my side and have been a constant source of encouragement to me. Last, but not the least, I am forever indebted to my late grandfather, Mr. Manoranjan Bagchi, who was and will be the best teacher I ever had. i Dedicatio