Designation: Assistant Professor
Department: Civil Engineering
Email: chandrashekhar[at]iitism[dot]ac[dot]in
Contact Number: 9491870321
Office Number: +91-326-223-5345
Personal Page: Click Here
Research Interest: Research focuses on green concrete metamaterials, including ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) and strain-hardening cementitious composites, with applications in sustainable and accelerated construction. This work encompasses comprehensive studies on full-scale structural behavior, such as the flexural and shear performance of UHPC box girders, biaxial bending behavior of UHPC columns, structural optimization strategies for sustainable concrete design, and the behavior of tunnels and railway sleepers. In addition, research involves the development of smart infrastructure and structural health monitoring systems, including classification of crack types and active monitoring of critical structural elements using real-time data and Acoustic Emission (AE) databases. Another key focus is enhancing the fire resistance of UHPC concrete and evaluating post-fire damage to structural elements, with applications extending to tunnel structures.
Theory Courses
07-2026 to Present Construction Planning and Management (NCED301) (B. Tech. 5th Semester)
01-2026 to 04-2026 Construction Planning and Management (CE0303) (B. Tech. 6th Semester)
Lab Practicals
07-2026 to Present Material Testing Laboratory (NCEC102) (B. Tech. 1st Semester)
01-2026 to 04-2026 Surveying Laboratory Practical (NCEC104) (B. Tech. 2nd Semester)
Iowa State University, Ames, USA
Field: Structural Engineering
Research Title: Shear Behavior of Post-Tensioned UHPFRC I-Girders with and without Shear Reinforcement
Advisor: Prof. Sri Sritharan
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India
Specialization: Structural Engineering
CGPA: 8.73 / 10
Thesis Title: Shear Behavior of Post-Tensioned UHPFRC I-Girders with and without Shear Reinforcement
Advisor: Prof. S. Suriya Prakash
Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, India
Specialization: Structural Engineering
CGPA: 9.05 / 10
Thesis Title: Shear Behavior of Fiber-Reinforced Prestressed Concrete Beams
Advisor: Dr. B. Kondrai Vendhan
JNTUH College of Engineering, Manthani, India
Major: Civil Engineering
CGPA: 7.6 / 10
Project Title: Design and Analysis of a Prestressed Concrete Bridge
Advisor: Prof. Shivakonda Reddy
McGill University, Canada | October 2024
I work on research related to ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), focusing on flexure, axial compression, and structural optimization. My work involves developing optimization algorithms for sustainable UHPC structural elements and proposing simplified flexural and shear design approaches.
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India | June 2024 – September 2024
I developed a direct tension test setup for UHPC and initiated research on the behavior of UHPC under elevated temperature conditions.
Iowa State University, USA | August 2022 – March 2023
My research focused on identifying minimum shear reinforcement requirements and optimal fiber volume and types for cost-effective UHPC I-girder design. I continue collaborating with Prof. Sri Srithran to propose improvements to existing UHPC shear design code provisions.
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India | August 2018 – July 2019
I worked on projects involving fiber-reinforced concrete and structural health monitoring of the NHAI Port Trust Bridge in Visakhapatnam. My contributions included developing self-consolidating fiber-reinforced concrete (SCFRC), studying fracture behavior using digital image correlation (DIC), and conducting proof load testing of an existing national highway bridge.
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India | May 2017 – August 2017
I assisted in experimental studies on prestressed fiber-reinforced concrete under flexural loading and gained hands-on experience with MTS testing systems, instrumentation, and data acquisition techniques.
Patil Rail Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, India | August 2015 – July 2016
I was involved in quality control of Indian Railway sleeper manufacturing, material testing, monitoring accelerated curing processes, and conducting static bending tests for quality assurance. I also developed research ideas aimed at optimizing sleeper design to support higher locomotive speeds.
Axis Design Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, India | June 2014 – July 2014
Worked on the structural design of multi-storied office buildings.
Mantena Infra, India | May 2014
Participated in fieldwork for a high-level river bridge project, including reinforcement inspection, concreting, post-tensioning, and pile foundation construction.
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Ramagundam, India | December 2013
Assisted in roof treatment works and inspection of dam uplift pressure and fly ash monitoring systems.
Sree Balaji Constructions Pvt. Ltd., India | May 2013
Contributed to the construction of educational buildings and learned practical implementation of engineering drawings on site.
Fellowships & Recognitions
FRQNT (B3X) Postdoctoral Fellowship
My research proposal and profile received an impressive score of 85.67/100, ranking first among all applicants for the 2025–2027 postdoctoral fellowship cycle.
NRC Research Associates Program – Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, FHWA-US
My research proposal and profile received a score of 89.66/100 in the evaluation for this prestigious postdoctoral fellowship. I declined the opportunity due to the J-1 Visa home residency requirement associated with Fulbright sponsorship.
Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship
Selected as one of 29 fellows out of 325 applicants for a program designed for Indian scholars pursuing a Ph.D. at Indian institutions. This fellowship recognized my academic excellence and potential for impactful research across disciplines.
Prime Minister's Research Fellowship (PMRF) Scheme
Highly competitive research fellowship in India, awarded based on academic performance, industrial experience, research proposal, and publications. Selected among top candidates nationally.
National Fellowship for Higher Education of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Students
Awarded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, to support economically disadvantaged students from SC/ST communities. Selected under the ST category, reflecting the program’s commitment to empowering scholars from underprivileged backgrounds.
Academic Achievements
2024
Best Ph.D. Thesis Award by Indian Concrete Institute (ICI) – Best Ph.D. Thesis in Concrete Award.
Award of Excellence as the overall third-place winner of the Engineering Student Design (Big Beam) Competition by PCI.
2023
Award of Excellence as the overall second-place winner of the UHPC Student Competition – Third International Interactive Symposium on UHPC.
2021
Best Poster Presentation Award at the 75th RILEM Annual Week, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico.
2020
First Prize in the PG Research Presentation at INTER-IIT Meet-up (CIVIL Conclave 2020) organized by Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India.
2014
Second Prize in Paper Presentation at the technical fest organized by Bomma College of Engineering and Technology (Bomma Premier League 2K14).
Second Prize in the Junk-Yard competition at the technical fest organized by JNTUH College of Engineering Manthani (Aavishkruth-2K14).
2013
First Prize in Paper Presentation at the technical fest organized by Sindhura College of Engineering and Technology (2K13).
First Prize in the Model-Making Competition at the technical fest organized by JNTUH College of Engineering Manthani (Aavishkruth-2K13).
Third Prize in the Essay Writing Competition organized by IEI, Warangal Local Center on Engineers’ Day Celebrations.
C. Lakavath and S. S. Prakash, “Influence of fiber dosage, fiber type, and level of prestressing on the shear behaviour of UHPFRC I-girders,”
Engineering Structures (Q1), vol. 300, p. 117146, 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.117146
C. Lakavath and S. S. Prakash, “Interface shear behavior of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete using digital image correlation technique,”
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering (Q1), vol. 36, no. 3, p. 04023589, 2024. doi: 10.1061/JMCEE7.MTENG-16817
C. Lakavath and S. S. Prakash, “Tensile constitutive relationship of UHPFRC from crack-hinge-based inverse analysis of notched beams,”
Engineering Structures (Q1), vol. 318, p. 118698, 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2024.118698
C. Lakavath, S. S. Prakash, and S. Allena, “Tensile characteristics of ultra-high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete with and without longitudinal steel rebars,”
Magazine of Concrete Research (Q2), vol. 76, no. 13, pp. 738–754, 2024. doi: 10.1680/jmacr.23.00181
C. Lakavath, A. B. Bhosale, S. S. Prakash, and A. Sharma, “Effectiveness of hybrid fibers on the fracture and shear behavior of prestressed concrete beams,”
Fibers (Q2, Invited Article), vol. 10, no. 3, 2022. doi: 10.3390/fib10030026
M. S. V. Sagi, C. Lakavath, and S. S. Prakash, “Effect of steel fibers on the shear behavior of self-compacting reinforced concrete deep beams: An experimental investigation and analytical model,” Engineering Structures (Q1), vol. 269, p. 114802, 2022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2022.114802
C. Lakavath, M. S. V. Sagi, S. S. Joshi, and S. S. Prakash, “Finite element studies on the flexure–shear behavior of steel and hybrid fiber-reinforced prestressed concrete beams,” Indian Concrete Journal (Q3, Invited Article), vol. 95, no. 1, pp. 58–70, 2021.
C. Lakavath, S. Suriya Prakash, and S. Dirar, “Experimental and numerical studies on shear behaviour of macro-synthetic fibre-reinforced prestressed concrete beams,”
Construction and Building Materials (Q1), vol. 291, p. 123313, 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123313
M. S. V. Sagi, C. Lakavath, S. S. Prakash, and A. Sharma, “Experimental study on evaluation of replacing minimum web reinforcement with discrete fibers in RC deep beams,” Fibers (Q2, Invited Article), vol. 9, no. 11, 2021. doi: 10.3390/fib9110073
S. Sahoo, C. Lakavath, and S. S. Prakash,“Experimental and analytical studies on fracture behavior of fiber-reinforced structural lightweight aggregate concrete,”
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering (Q1), vol. 33, no. 5, p. 04021074, 2021. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0003680
A. B. Bhosale, C. Lakavath, and S. Suriya Prakash, “Multi-linear tensile stress–crack width relationships for hybrid fibre-reinforced concrete using inverse analysis and digital image correlation,” Engineering Structures (Q1), vol. 225, p. 111275, 2020. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.111275
C. Lakavath, S. S. Joshi, and S. S. Prakash, “Investigation of the effect of steel fibers on the shear crack-opening and crack-slip behavior of prestressed concrete beams using digital image correlation,” Engineering Structures (Q1), vol. 193, pp. 28–42, 2019. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.05.030
C. Lakavath, S. S. Prakash, A. Bambole, and G. Rai, “A case study on proof load test of distressed reinforced concrete flyover bridge,”
CARRS 2023, IIT Hyderabad, India, 2024.
S. Pradumn B., C. Lakavath, and S. S. Prakash,“Simplified analytical approach for predicting the moment–curvature behavior of UHPC girders under flexure,”
CONSEC 2024, IIT Madras, India.
C. Lakavath, M. Singh, and S. S. Prakash,“Classifying failure modes of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete fracture beams using acoustic emission technique,” IABSE Congress: Engineering for Sustainable Development, New Delhi, India, 2023, pp. 1554–1560. doi: 10.2749/newdelhi.2023.1554
C. Lakavath and S. S. Prakash, “Numerical study on shear behavior of UHPC concrete beams,” 76th RILEM Week, University of Kyoto, Japan, 2022.
M. S. V. Sagi, C. Lakavath, and S. S. Prakash,“Numerical investigation on evaluation of minimum web-reinforcement provisions for shear design of RC deep beams,”
17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (17WCEE), Japan, 2021.
C. Lakavath, A. Bhosale, and S. S. Prakash, “Experimental investigation on crack-arresting mechanism of steel fiber-reinforced concrete prism specimens using DIC and AE techniques,” in Advances in Structural Engineering, Springer, Singapore, 2020, pp. 51–65.
C. Lakavath, R. Allam, and B. Kondraivendhan, “Experimental and numerical studies on the behaviour of broad-gauge railway sleepers under static bending,”
in Sustainable Construction and Building Materials, Springer, 2019, pp. 781–792.
C. Lakavath, V. Pidapa, S. S. Joshi, et al., “Shear behavior of steel fiber-reinforced precast prestressed concrete beams,” 2018.
C. Lakavath, S. S. Prakash, A. S. Ranjithkumar, and S. Allena, A method to produce an ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete,
Indian Patent Application No. 202341004954 A, Filed: 25 January 2023; Published: 26 July 202
Title Budget Project ID Duration
Crack classification of Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) Elements Using AE & DIC: Rs:19,99,746/- MISC 0283 17-07-2026 to 16-07-2028
Guest Member of ACI239-0C UHPC Structural design sub-committee.
Member of PCI-UHPC Bridge subcommittee.
Member of ACI, PCI and ASCE.
Associate member of The Institute of Engineers India.
Duration Role
21-07-2026 Faculty In-Charge for Placement and Internship
21-07-2026 Departmental Documentation and Outreach Committee member
01-07-2026 Departmental Undergraduate Committee (DUGC) members
01-06-2026 Departmental Purchase Committee member
PhD Students: Full-time
Name Tentative PhD thesis Title
1. Divya Vaibhav (26DR0013) Developing Radiation Shielding Concrete
2. Suraj Pal (26DR0263) Structural health monitoring of UHPC girders using AE technique
3. Saptarshi Das (26DR0239) Structural optimization of Bridges
Join the Concrete Structures Research Group (CSRL)
I'm looking for motivated candidates to join my research group at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. Interested candidates are encouraged to email chandrashekhar@iitism.ac.in.
Looking for PhD candidates to work on the following topics
1. Optimization of tunnel segments
2. Improving the design of railway sleepers: High-speed rails
3. Industry-relevant topics on: Prestress/precast concrete structures
