Dr. A. Veeraragavan (Retired)
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Dr. A. Veeraragavan (Retired) was a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Madras. He earned his B.E
degree in Civil Engineering from Annamalai University, M.Tech degree in Civil-Transportation Engineering from IIT
Madras and PhD degree in Civil Engineering from Bangalore University. He worked with Prof. C.E.G. Justo a
renowned Professor and father of highway engineering in India, at the University Visveswaraya College of
Engineering, Bangalore University and he learnt to relate theory to practice in the field of pavement engineering.
His research work on structural condition evaluation of in-service highway pavements led to the formulation of a
new code of practice viz., IRC-81- 1997 for the design of overlays in India. He has established a strong
collaboration with the road construction industry. He has constructed several test tracks on highways and rural
roads and evaluated the performance of roads constructed with new materials and technologies. His pioneering
research works led to revision of several codes of practice by the IRC and he holds the record for the highest
number of papers presented and discussed at the annual sessions of the Indian Roads Congress, earning twelve
awards and commendation certificates for his outstanding and highly commended research papers. As a member
of the National Panel of Experts for Value Engineering programme to promote to new materials and technologies
in road construction and as a member of the Highway Research Board, flexible pavement committee, composite
pavement committee, road maintenance and asset management committee and highway specifications and
standards committee, he is actively associated with the formulation/updation of several codes/guidelines of the
Indian Roads Congress. He has carried out forensic investigation on pre-mature failure of several highway and
airfield pavements and the knowledge gained are imparted to his students through case study examples in the
courses offered by him. His books on Highway Engineering, Highway Materials and Pavement Testing and
Pavement Drainage- Theory and Practice are widely referred by the students and practicing engineers. His courses
are well attended by graduate students and research scholars and the students even decades after graduation get
in touch with him seeking solutions to the field problems from time to time and his close association with the
industry enables him to keep pace with the latest developments in the field of road infrastructure. He is a Fellow of
the Institution of Engineers (India) and the International Society for Engineering Asset Management. He received
Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award for his outstanding contributions in the field of highway engineering in
India, UGC Career award for young teachers, ISTE National Award for Promising engineering college teacher in
India and CIDC’s Viswakarma Award for outstanding academician/technologist/scientist/ innovator. If you are
interested to learn more on highway engineering practice, please feel free to contact him. Preserving Road
Infrastructure through Engineering Asset Management.
Earned Degrees
Ph.D. in Civil – Highway Engineering, 1990
Bangalore University, India,
M.Tech in Transportation Engineering, 1980
Indian Institute of Technology Madras , India,
B.E. in Civil Engineering, 1978
Annamalai University , India,
Research Areas
| Highway and Airfield Pavements – Design, construction and asset management |
| Forensic Investigation of pre-mature failure of highway and airfield pavements |
| Sustainable highway pavements – Recycling techniques and use of innovative materials |
| Low volume roads – Design, construction and maintenance management |
| Engineering measures to enhance road safety under mixed traffic |