Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) researchers were working with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US, to develop a novel framework for high volume usage of by-products in structural materials.

Industrial by-products were generated in huge quantities across the world and were now going into waste. This will be a major step forward towards a sustainable future.

The main outcome expected from this research was achieving a paradigm shift in material selection criteria for exploiting the usefulness of agricultural and industrial by-products, a release from IIT-M said.

By successfully utilising vast amounts of otherwise undesired materials, the next generation of sustainable and durable building materials could be designed.

These novel building materials will be attractive due to lower cost and environmental impact than existing materials.

It said the project was being led by Dr Piyush Chaunsali and Prof Ravindra Gettu, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, with Dr Elsa A Olivetti, Atlantic Richfield Associate Professor of Energy Studies, MIT. This research project was taken up under SPARC Initiative of the Union Ministry of Education.