Renowned Ocean
Engineering Expert from IIT Madras Visits Matterlab, Commends World-Class
Infrastructure & Vision
Chennai, May 30, 2025: Prof. R. Sundaravadivelu, Retired
Senior Professor at the Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, and
Director of the Centre for Innovative & Sustainable Technologies for
Offshore Infrastructure (CISTOI), visited Matter – Material Testing and Research
Laboratory – in Kozhikode on May 29, 2025.
Matterlab, a NABL-accredited initiative of the Uralungal Labour Contract
Co-operative Society (ULCCS), is a cutting-edge facility offering comprehensive
testing and research services across civil and construction domains. During his
visit, Prof. Sundaravadivelu toured the lab’s infrastructure, reviewed its
operations in detail, and expressed strong appreciation for the facility’s
advanced technical capabilities.
He was particularly impressed by the copuler testing process and lauded
the technicians for their meticulous safety practices. “Labs like Matterlab
must evolve into research and knowledge hubs, addressing pressing
infrastructural challenges,” he remarked. He emphasized that such facilities
should play a larger role in shaping preventive strategies for infrastructure
development.
Highlighting recent incidents like the Wayanad landslide and frequent
highway failures in Kerala, Prof. Sundaravadivelu urged government bodies and
the private sector to leverage credible facilities like Matterlab to
ensure structural integrity, safety, and long-term sustainability in
construction projects.
His visit underlines the critical role that high-quality research and
testing infrastructure play in supporting Kerala’s infrastructure ambitions.
