Palaj, Gandhinagar: Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) organised a full day Seminar on ‘Seismic Design of Confined Masonry Buildings’ on April 10, 2019. In view of major human and economic losses due to massive earthquakes, largely because of earthquake vulnerable building designs and constructions, Confined Masonry (CM) has emerged as an alternative construction technology in many earthquake-prone areas. Since IITGN has pioneered to successfully build first large-scale application of Confined Masonry in India in its housings and hostels on campus, the seminar is intended to popularize this building technology among practitioners, students of civil engineering and industrial organizations.
Giving context about the Confined Masonry technology in his inaugural speech, Prof Sudhir K Jain, Director, IITGN, said, “Confined Masonry can prove to be very good in Indian context, especially in low-rise residential buildings. IITGN decided to put this building technology into practice in 2013 for all of our housing and hostel buildings. This seminar is organised with an aim to share the knowledge of eminent experts and experience of IITGN in Confined Masonry, so that more and more people can benefit from it.”
Chief Guest at the Seminar, Dr Shailesh K Agrawal, Executive Director, Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), New Delhi, gave a brief idea about the rapid urban renewal happening in India which is not seen anywhere in the world. The government is also exploring various technologies which can build at a faster rate without any safety or quality compromise. He also introduced the participants to the ‘Vulnerability Atlas of India’ which can be very useful for any infrastructure project in the country. He gave 3 ‘S’ mantra of Skill, Speed and Scale to the students for infrastructure development in the country. Speaking about the Confined Masonry and application of the technology in IITGN campus, he said, “One can see at IITGN that how the campus can be made in sync with nature. Confined Masonry is a very good technology and it’s high time we bring it into practice.” He appealed to students to popularise this technology wherever they go.
Internationally renowned experts in CM technology discussed various topics in details with the participants. Dr Svetlana Brzev, Visiting Professor, IITGN and Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia, Canada, discussed key concepts, seismic loading and planning of CM buildings. Prof Juan Jose, UNAM, Maxico and Chair of the Mexican masonry code committee, talked about ‘analysis, design and research in Confined Masonry in Mexico’. Prof Durgesh C Rai, IIT Kanpur, delivered a talk on ‘Analysis, Design and Research in Confined Masonry in India’. In the end Prof Gaurav Srivastava, IITGN introduced the participants to ‘IIT Gandhinagar Campus Design’.
About 140 participants from different colleges like CEPT, LDCE, Nirma University, MSU Baroda, V.J.T.I Mumbai, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology Surat, LDRP, SAL Institute of Technology & Engineering Research, DDU Nadiad, BVM Engineering College, Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Indus University, Ganpat University attended the Seminar. Industrial organisations like Container Corporation of India Ltd, ISRO, Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, ONGC, and RADIX Associates also participated in today’s Seminar.
