IIT Madras Professor Ravindra Gettu Awarded International Construction Materials Body Highest Honour

IIT Madras Professor Ravindra Gettu was awarded International Construction Materials Body’s Highest Honour. Gettu, who was its First President from Asia, is credited with leading RILEM in the transitions that aided in ensuring scientific collaboration continued during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Professor Ravindra Gettu has been awarded RILEM's (International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures) highest recognition of 'Honorary Member'.

He served as its President during 2018-21, being the first and only Asian do so in its 78-year history. He was earlier Vice-President and Chair Technical Activities Committee of the same organisation, which brings together researchers on construction materials from around the world, a statement from IIT Madras said.

Gettu, who is the V.S. Raju Chair Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, led the technology development and implementation of 'Fibre reinforced concrete' (FRC) in India. Over the past decade, 500 km of tunnels lined with Fibre Reinforced Concrete have been built in India with at least 30 laboratories having been sent up for testing FRC. Over the same period, about 19 million sq. m. of slabs-on-grade for factories, warehouses, roads, basements and ports also came up in the country, it said.

Gettu’s vision has been to focus on technology implementation in the construction sector by taking new developments from research to practical application for improving quality and sustainability. The current projects being worked on by Gettu include textile-reinforced concrete and sustainability assessment of construction, among others.

His new projects that are going to be taken up include large building construction with precast and prefinished components to improve quality, reduce wastage, increase the lifespan and lower environmental impact.

Gettu said, "I have had the wonderful opportunity of leading the world’s most significant organisation of researchers in construction materials, in a phase of growing global footprint and scope. I am glad to have overseen the transition to communications and interactions based on social media and online meetings that, though forced upon us by the pandemic, opened the doors for reaching remote parts of the world and gave the chance for researchers, who could not afford to travel abroad, to voice their opinions and showcase their investigations.”

Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Madras, and an active RILEM member and Fellow, said “RILEM has truly gotten a more international flavour after Prof Gettu’s presidency, and his term was marked with many firsts such as the establishment of the RILEM Youth Council and the online workshop series."

"His excellent stewardship of this organisation through the difficult period of the Covid pandemic exemplifies his commitment to sustaining quality research and collaboration," added Santhanam.

RILEM (from the name in French) was founded in June 1947 to promote scientific cooperation in the area of construction materials and structures. It is the only international organisation not affiliated to a single country or region but is global. The association aims to advance free-access scientific knowledge related to construction materials, systems and structures and to encourage the transfer and application of this knowledge worldwide through the collaboration of leading experts in construction practice and science including academics, researchers, testing laboratories and authorities.

RILEM gives the highest award of Honorary Member to those who have rendered exceptional services to the association and/or have contributed to giving a new orientation to the association.

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