Hyderabad: International meet on Civil Engineering held at VNRVJIET

Hyderabad: A three-day International Conference on "Construction Materials and Smart Structures for Sustainable Development" (ICCMSSSD 2020) started at VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology (VNRVJIET) with the Engineer-in-Chief of the Kaleswaram Project, Nalla Venkateshwarlu, attending the inaugural event as the chief guest and Keynote Speaker. This Conference is organised by the Department of Civil Engineering at the Institute.

Speaking at the occasion, Venkateshwarlu presented an overview of construction industry and the rapidly changing dynamics therein, outlining the challenges that civil engineers must be prepared for. He talked about the advent of innovative technological developments, illustrating his point through a presentation of the Kaleswaram Project as an engineering marvel that was completed within a mere 24 months of a record time though it is currently the world's largest multi-stage lift irrigation project.

One of the invited speakers of the conference, Dr. Indubhushan Patnaik, Professor at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, emphasised on sustainable development. He said that over 3 billion tonnes of cement is produced globally every year, and that the gases released during this process are among the major contributors to global warming. He said that advanced technologies such as 3-d printing can help reduce construction time. He advised the participants to explore newer advancements in various domains to ensure sustainability.

Another invited speaker, Dr Ubagaram Johnson Alengaram, Director for Centre for Innovative Construction Technology from the Malaya University in Malaysia, pointed to the use of geopolymers in construction, which helps sustainability. He gave the example of Singapore for self-reliant sustainable development, despite water scarcity at the time when it carved itself out of Malaysia, and added that India must also catch up with China as a leader in construction industry.

Vice President-Vignana Jyothi, Er J S Rao, pointed that cost-effective technologies have been changing the construction scene, even reducing the cost and production time while improving the quality and varieties of cement that is used today for construction.

AICTE-INAE Distinguished Visiting Professor (DVP) Prof M R Madhav spoke about the need for such conferences for professionals in the field to update their knowledge and awareness.

Principal Dr C D Naidu, Director for Advancement Dr B Chennakesava Rao, Professor & Head of Dept. of Civil Engineering Dr A Mallika, and Organising Secretary for the Conference Prof B D V Chandra Mohan Rao also spoke at the occasion. The conference has seen 80 research papers from around the world, the organisers said. The inaugural event was attended by various Deans, Heads of Departments, faculty members, and students.