CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (CSIR-SERC) celebrated its 60th Foundation Day and inauguration of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations with great enthusiasm on June 10 at the CSIR Campus, Chennai.
The function was presided over by Dr N. Anandavalli, Director of CSIR-SERC and Coordinating Director of CMC. Dr Vijay Kumar Saraswat, Hon’ble Member, NITI Aayog, was the chief guest of the function. Dr S. Gomathinayagam, Former Director General of the National Institute of Wind Energy, was the guest of honour.
Dr Anandavalli, in her welcome address, recalled the journey of CSIR-SERC since its inception in 1965 and its role in shaping the infrastructure of the country through its significant achievements and societal contributions in the form of cyclone shelters, etc. She further emphasised the various research and technologies developed at CSIR-SERC and said that at present, CSIR-SERC primarily focuses on the six thrust areas viz. structural health monitoring & life extension., disaster mitigation, advanced materials for sustainable structures, special and multi-functional structures, energy infrastructure and offshore structures.
Dr Gomathinayagam delivered the first lecture of the CSIR-SERC Diamond Jubilee Series. In his address, reiterated the commitment of the nation to generate 500 GW of energy through renewable sources by 2030 and the roles and responsibilities of the structural engineers in achieving the target. He also showcased the efforts of India in developing the world’s biggest solar park and said that the future of solar and wind power generation is not just limited to traditional superstructures but also has to foray into offshore floating structures and systems. He said that the future of energy lies in green hydrogen innovation, renewal energy dependency, novel engineering solutions, smart grid integration, storage technologies, transportation innovations, etc.
Dr Saraswat delivered the Prof. G.S. Ramaswamy Memorial Lecture on Structural Engineering Advances. He briefed on the need for adopting Integrated Interdisciplinary tools and technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, and IoT. He emphasised that structural engineers have diverse responsibilities in analysis, design, and quality control, including compliance with regulations and guidelines, and should design structures through coordinated project management.
Dr Saraswat also released the diamond jubilee logo, launched the online submission portal of the Journal of Structural Engineering, and released a compendium of projects handled by CSIR-SERC. The CSIR-SERC Diamond Jubilee Conference Flyer of the International Conference on Monitoring, Assessment, and Predictive Maintenance of Critical Infrastructures (i-MAP) was released by Dr S.Gomathinayagam.
An MoU was signed between CSIR-SERC and M/s. Pedvak Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad. The broad scope of the MoU is for cooperation in Developing advanced protective structures/components for ballistic/bulletproof/baffle range products for advanced protection of personnel and property in India in a phased manner.
