Dr. Radhakrishna G. Pillai

Address

BSB 216A, Dept. of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Chennai – TN 600036, India

Contact Information

Dr. Radhakrishna G. Pillai

Professor

Dept. of Civil Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Madras Chennai, TN 600036, India

Dr. Radhakrishna G. Pillai  earned a bachelor degree in civil engineering from the M N Regional Engineering College (now MNNIT) in Allahabad, India. He then went on to earn an MS and PhD in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University (TAMU) in College Station, USA, where he became passionate about combating corrosion in reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. In September 2010, he joined IIT Madras, where he has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, including NPTEL MOOC courses, in the areas of construction materials, concrete technology, and corrosion, deterioration, repair, and rehabilitation of concrete structures. He has guided eight PhD and five MS students and is currently guiding six PhD and one MS student. He is currently running various projects focusing on steel corrosion and its impact on the durability and service life of concrete structures. In particular, he is focused on developing corrosion test methods, databases, and tools for practicing engineers to promote service life-based design of concrete structures. Recently, he has been extending his research towards cathodic protection and the extension of the residual service life of concrete structures. Most of his projects focus on understanding the fundamentals and applying them to practical challenges and modifying standards and specifications. He has co-authored over 60 journal papers and filed three patents, one of which has been granted. In 2016, he received the Outstanding Young Concrete Engineer Award from the Indian Concrete Institute, Tamil Nadu Chapter. In 2019, he received the Excellence in Corrosion Science & Technology Award from the NACE International Gateway India Section. He is also active in the Indian Concrete Institute (ICI), Association of Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP, formerly NACE), and The International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems, and Structures (RILEM). He is committed to developing technologies to ‘combat corrosion of steel in concrete and estimate & extend the service life of concrete structures.  
Saving Structures from Corrosion

Research Areas

Development of corrosion test methods

Development of low CO2 binders such as calcium sulfoaluminate cement.



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Condition assessment and service life estimation of concrete structures

Short-term and long-term performance, hydration reactions, thermodynamic modelling

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Cathodic protection of concrete structures

Mineral carbonation – valorization of industrial byproducts

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Deterioration of bond in prestressed concrete systems

Development of low CO2 binders such as calcium sulfoaluminate cement.



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Grouting of post-tensioned systems

Short-term and long-term performance, hydration reactions, thermodynamic modelling

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Cathodic protection of concrete structures

Mineral carbonation – valorization of industrial byproducts

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Professional Experience

  1. 2022 – Present
    Professor
    Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
  2. 2017-2022
    Associate Professor
    Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
  3. 2010-2017
    Assistant Professor
    Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
  4. 2009-2010
    Post-doctoral Scholar
    Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
     
  5. 2009
    Post-doctoral Research Associate
    Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas
     
  6. 2008-2009
    Graduate Teaching Assistant
    Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
  7. 2004-2008
    Graduate Research Assistant
    Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas
  8. 2003-2004
    Research Associate
    Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas
  9. 2000-2003
    Graduate Research Assistant
    Texas Engineering Experiment Station, College Station, Texas.

Education

  1.  2009

    Ph.D., Civil Engineering

    Texas A&M University (TAMU), College Station, Texas, USA
  2. 2003

    M.S., Civil Engineering

    Texas A&M University (TAMU), College Station, Texas, USA
  3. 1999

    B.Tech., Civil Engineering

    Motilal Nehru Regional Engineering College (now MN, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Awards

  • 2020
    Excellence in Corrosion Science & Technology Award
    NIGIS Corrosion Awareness Awards
  • 2019
    Excellent Public Sector Laboratory (as part of the group of corrosion laboratories in IIT Madras)
    NIGIS Corrosion Awareness Awards
  • 2016
     ICI Ultratech Award for Outstanding Young Concrete Engineer
    Indian Concrete Institute, Tamil Nadu Chennai Centre
  • 2009
    Former Students Association Scholarship
    TAMU, Spring
  • 2006
    Richard Gehle Memorial Scholarship
    Zachry Dept. of Civil Engg., TAMU, Fall
  • 2006
    Departmental Merit Scholarship
    Zachry Dept. of Civil Engg., TAMU, Spring