Address
BSB 216A, Dept. of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Chennai – TN 600036, India
Contact Information
Call: +91 44 2257 4303
Email: pillai@civil.iitm.ac.in
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.
Condition assessment and service life estimation of concrete structures
Short-term and long-term performance, hydration reactions, thermodynamic modelling
read moreCathodic protection of concrete structures
Mineral carbonation – valorization of industrial byproducts
Deterioration of bond in prestressed concrete systems
Development of low CO2 binders such as calcium sulfoaluminate cement.
Grouting of post-tensioned systems
Short-term and long-term performance, hydration reactions, thermodynamic modelling
read moreCathodic protection of concrete structures
Mineral carbonation – valorization of industrial byproducts
Professional Experience
- 2022 – Present
Professor
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India - 2017-2022
Associate Professor
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India - 2010-2017
Assistant Professor
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India - 2009-2010
Post-doctoral Scholar
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon - 2009
Post-doctoral Research Associate
Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas - 2008-2009
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas - 2004-2008
Graduate Research Assistant
Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas - 2003-2004
Research Associate
Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas - 2000-2003
Graduate Research Assistant
Texas Engineering Experiment Station, College Station, Texas.
Education
- 2009
Ph.D., Civil Engineering
Texas A&M University (TAMU), College Station, Texas, USA - 2003
M.S., Civil Engineering
Texas A&M University (TAMU), College Station, Texas, USA - 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