IIT-M institutes 'Surendra and Dorothie Shah Chair'

The prestigious Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) is establishing the ‘Surendra and Dorothie Shah Chair’ in a bid to further cutting-edge research in the field of Civil Engineering materials. The Chair Professorship is being established with support from Prof. Surendra P. Shah, an expert in engineering materials, whose work has set world standards in the field.

The institute said the establishment of the chair assumes huge significance due to the immense amount of construction work undertaken every year in India, with the volumes and expenditures continually increasing.

Prof Shah, who is an expert in engineering materials, particularly concrete and other cement-based construction, has chosen the IIT-M to set up the Institute Chair. He has led the development of new advanced materials, which have become world standards in these fields, and his work revolutionized the way modern concretes are used worldwide.

Prof. Shah currently serves as the Presidential Distinguished Professor, University of Texas, and Walter P. Murphy Emeritus Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North-western University. Mrs Dorothie Shah is the founding President of the Indo American Museum, now called the National Indo American Museum, in Chicago.

“The decision to choose IIT-M was very easy. As is well known, IIT-M is one of the top institutions in India. The construction materials group is not only one of the best in India but very highly recognized internationally in the field. My association with IIT Madras has been quite long and fruitful,” Prof. Shah said.

The professor appreciated the IIT-M for its nationally known is 3D Printing with concrete, which is the result of collaboration among materials, automation and construction management faculty.

“I am looking forward to continuing involvement with the IIT Madras Research Group. It is rightly poised for facing challenges of not only India and the US but global problems. The Group has already started to work on reducing carbon footprint, which affects the whole world,” he added.

Prof. Surendra P. Shah is responsible for developing high-performance concrete, fibre reinforced concrete, self-consolidating concrete, shrinkage reducing admixtures, carbon nano-tube reinforced cement-based composites and extrusion processing of concrete, the IIT-M said, adding that these have revolutionized the way modern concretes are used worldwide.

The Key Areas of Research that would be undertaken under the ‘Surendra and Dorothie Shah Chair’ include materials, structural design and/or technologies for construction and/or infrastructure.

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