Saint-Gobain, IIT-Madras to set up modern research labs

Saint-Gobain India and IIT-Madras is collaborating to set up two research laboratories focussing on innovation in sustainable construction materials and digital technologies for the built environment.

The collaboration, supported through a grant of ₹3.8 crore over a three-year period, will help set up Digital Real-Time Sensing Technologies for Infrastructure (DRSTI) and Concrete Admixture Research for Engineering Next-gen Construction (CAREN) laboratories at the Centre of Excellence on Technologies for Low-carbon and Lean Construction in IIT-Madras.

The labs will aim to address challenges facing the construction sector, including productivity, material efficiency, structural durability, and digital transformation, a press release stated.

The CAREN lab will investigate how chemical admixtures interact with alternative cementitious materials, including industrial by-products and supplementary materials that can partially replace Portland cement. The DRSTI lab will develop intelligent solutions for monitoring construction progress, assessing quality, improving productivity, and evaluating building performance, the release added.