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UKIERI

UK-INDIA Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) Collaborative Research Project
Sustainable High Performance Concrete Infrastructure
2008-2011

Background

UKIERI aims to substantially improve educational links between India and UK ensuring in the longer term the two countries become each other's partner of choice in education. UKIERI was announced by the Prime Minister Tony Blair during his visit to India in September 2005, and launched in April 2006. This collaboration instigated by the Concrete Technology Unit, University of Dundee, seeks to develop high performance, sustainable forms of concrete that are responsive to infra-structural developments taking place in both the UK and India. The collaboration will develop innovative cements to reduce CO2 emissions, and other concerns with the production of cement and aggregates. Furthermore, concrete has often been inappropriately specified resulting in resource inefficiency, durability concerns and expensive repairs. Since there is no alternative to concrete, the collaboration will investigate methods for mitigating these associated factors.

Aims and objectives

The overarching aim of the collaborative research project is to pool resources between the UK and India to develop high performance, sustainable forms of concrete to meet the current and future need of infrastructure projects taking place in both countries. The project is split into four Work Items as follows:

Anticipated outcomes

The proposed collaboration will provide solutions and techniques for optimising concrete for the UK and India environments; in terms of maximum performance at minimum environmental impact, i.e. significantly lower CO2 emissions, increased use of waste materials. The technologies developed will pass through BS/BIS committees to enable practical benefits to infrastructure development and to 'Network Concrete' for sustained dissemination. Sustainability beyond UKIERI is an integral part of the proposed collaboration. This will be strengthened through gaining joint funding from European, UK and Indian Governments and industry, and introducing joint post-graduate degree programmes. Full advantages will be taken of the globalisation factor.

Research Team

Lead UK Partner: CTU, University of Dundee
Lead Indian Partner: Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani
Other Indian Partners: IIT Delhi, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering Collage, Ludhiana, NIT Jalandhar
NIT Jaipur, SRM University, Chennai, NIT Surathkal, SVNIT Surat

In addition, a UK and Indian Advisory e-Panel has been set up to input into research progress (Gammon India, Ambuja Cement, John Doyle Group, Aggregate Industries)

RESEARCH MEETINGS AND STAFF/STUDENT EXCHANGES
The research team have three times (New Delhi, February 2008, Dundee, July 2008 and Pilani Rajasthan, February 2009). The next series of progress meetings will take place in July 2009 in the UK.

UKIERI funding provides travel and subsistence costs (but not staffing costs) for staff and student exchange and it proposed that students from the 8 Indian partner institutions will come to Dundee in 2009 for short placements (1-3 months) to undertake research in related fields. In addition, it is proposed that 3 students from the University of Dundee will visit India in 2009.

Dr Moray Newlands
University of Dundee

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