Use of steel must be extended for domestic usage, say experts

IIT, Hyderabad hosts international conference on structural steel

Prof B.S. Murty, Director, the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH) stressed the need for more research on use of structural steel in infrastructure applications.

Participating in the first Indian Structural Steel Conference (ISSC) hosted by Structural Steel Research Group at the IITH on Thursday, Prof. Murty said that the use of structural steel in India is very limited compared to the developed nations either due to lack of knowledge in structural steel design or outdated codal provisions. “Therefore, it is necessary to invest more into the R&D sector to understand the science behind the behaviour of structural steel in infrastructure applications. Industries should come forward to create chair professorships at leading institutes for both knowledge creation and dissemination of structural steel to make the new generation of structural engineers feel comfortable in the design of steel structures,” said Prof. Murty.

Prof Mahendrakumar Madhavan, Department of Civil Engineering, said: “As our nation celebrates the 75th Year of its Independence, many challenges lie ahead in terms of basic infrastructure and the difficulties faced by the millions of fellow citizens without proper housing for a safe livelihood. This conference aims to shed light on some of these challenges and is focused on sustainability to promote steel-intensive sustainable construction practices for a sustainable India. A galaxy of eminent keynote speakers from across the globe will present their latest research work which will create awareness among researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers”.