India Chapter of American Concrete Institute’s (ICACI) two-day conference on ‘Modern Trends in Construction Technology’ was a resounding success as it effectively brought together India’s leading technocrats on one platform to present, discuss and deliberate the latest technology innovations of the construction industry.
The conference, which was co-sponsored by American Concrete Institute (ACI) and a host of like-minded technical associations, drew a robust audience of over 250 professionals, designers, consultants and academicians from the government and private sector who came to network and learn the best practices.
The highlight of the conference was its interactive format and outstanding subject matter, with stalwarts such as Dr. Manu Santhanam of IIT, Chennai, speaking on the technology, sustainability and future of 3D Printing for Mass Housing. This was followed by a powerhouse presentation on Supertall Building Design and Execution by Er. Vinay Gupta, CEO of Tandon Consultants and President of Indian Concrete Institute.
High-impact technical presentations on Use of Construction Demolition Waste by Dr. Sivakumar Kandasami of L&T, The Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, by Er. Sandeep Sharma of Afcons and a talk on post pandemic recovery and use of smart materials by Dr. S. K. Manjrekar, Past President ICACI, provided unique insights to the latest technological advancements.
Precast Pavements, The Mumbai Trans – Harbour Link, The Mumbai Coastal Road, Execution of massive oil and gas facilities by EIL, Passive Fire Protection, Practical 3-D Printing, Modern Structural Design, BIM, Fast Track Precast Construction and Modern Prestressing Methods, and Modern Demolition Techniques rounded up the wide scope of Modern Technologies.
Mr. Chetan Raikar, Conference Convenor noted: “We are absolutely delighted by the overwhelming response we have received for this conference – our first in-person event post the COVID pandemic. The star attraction and pivot of our conference was its superlative technical content – combining the best of contemporary Indian works and vigorous academic research – delivered by an array of industry experts. Hence, while it might not have come as a surprise, but it was definitely rewarding to see people travelling from all parts of India including Tamil Nadu, Goa, Gujarat etc. to attend our event and learn about the country’s engineering marvels.”
Mr. Sunny Surlaker, President ICACI added: “Rich technical content, networking opportunities, support of the worlds’ most renowned professional and private organizations, student activities and the prestigious Constructions Awards programme made our in-person conference a decisive success with the industry. Invigorated and refreshed, we have already commenced our planning activities and will soon roll out yet another stellar event.”
The show-stopper event for Day One of the conference was the glittering awards ceremony celebrating distinguished winners of ICACI’s ‘Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards’ over the past 3 years. More than 30 illustrious projects including the 351 feet tall Shiva Statue at Udaipur, The Motera Cricket Stadium, The Cave that Travelled, Buildings, Metros and other iconic structures in over 7 categories were honoured in the august presence of industry stalwarts.
The student fraternity is an integral stakeholder for ICACI, and Day Two of the conference closed with ICACI honouring student winners of its yearly Concrete Cube Testing and Essay Competitions. 15-plus teams participated in the Chapter’s Student Awards programme.
About ICACI
India Chapter of ACI, one of the largest ACI Chapters, is in its 43rd year of operations and is privileged to receive the ‘Excellent Chapter’ award from ACI for over two decades. It is a stated objective of India Chapter of ACI to gather, correlate and disseminate information for improvement in the design, manufacture, use and maintenance of concrete structures and products.
Glimpse over Conference
Dr. Rampradheep G.S. is working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Kongu Engineering College, Perundurai, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India.
Dr. Yogini Deshpande holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Purdue University. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Geotechnical Engineering from Mumbai University.
Shashank V. Mehendale is the founder and Principal Consultant of M/s Shashank Mehendale & Associates (SMA) – a multi-disciplinary organization that has been serving the construction industry for the last two decades.
Mr. Suhas R. Barve completed his Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) from IIT Bombay in 1983. At present he runs his owns consultancy firm, M/s. Barve Consultants, which specializes in Structural Designing, Architectural Planning, Interior Designing, Consultancy for Structural Repairs and PMC for Re-Development etc.
An internationally acclaimed authority on several aspects of cement, manufacturing and concrete technology, Dr. Subrato Chowdhury is the recipient of the ‘Outstanding Concrete Technologist’ Award from Indian Concrete Institute in 2012.
A renowned Consulting Structural and Civil Engineer, Mr. Dhupelia has for the past 45 years designed Structures of various kinds and complexities. He has adopted both conventional and modern technologies of construction in his projects spanning large housing and commercial complexes, industrial projects, high rise buildings, sewage and water treatment plants for private and public bodies and for World Bank aided projects.
Since 1984 Umesh Magar has been in the construction industry building some of India’s most successful ‘Sustainable Integrated Townships’.
