CSIR-SERC Chennai Develops ‘Head-T’ Anchor System to Revolutionize Construction Efficiency

In a major breakthrough for the construction sector, the CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (CSIR-SERC), Chennai, has developed an indigenous threaded end anchor system for reinforced steel bars, named ‘Head-T’. Designed in accordance with IS 1786:2008 standards, this innovation promises to significantly reduce construction time and enhance structural performance, particularly in seismic zones.

Traditionally, the ends of steel bars at beam-column joints are manually bent to meet anchorage requirements. This process often leads to reinforcement congestion, slowing construction and increasing labor costs. Head-T anchors eliminate the need for manual bending by allowing steel bars to be directly screwed into pre-threaded anchors. This simple yet effective solution addresses one of the long-standing challenges in reinforced concrete construction while improving structural integrity at critical joints.

The CSIR-SERC team, led by Senior Principal Scientist Saptarshi Sasmal, conducted extensive laboratory testing and full-scale experimental investigations to validate the technology. Individual steel bar tension tests, along with reverse cyclic loading tests on full-scale beam-column joints, demonstrated superior strain capacity, stable hysteretic behavior, and effective energy dissipation. These results confirm that Head-T anchors meet and, in many cases, exceed the performance of conventional anchorage systems.

Director N. Anandavalli highlighted that Head-T is cost-effective, easy to adopt, and suitable for a wide range of applications, including residential and commercial buildings, bridges, dams, foundations, and even nuclear structures. The system comes in two optimized designs, square and circular heads, to accommodate various rebar diameters available across India.

By offering a faster, safer, and economically viable solution, Head-T aligns with India’s Make in India initiative and supports the country’s drive toward self-reliance in infrastructure technology. Fully developed, tested, and demonstrated, the system is now ready for technology transfer to industry partners.

With Head-T, CSIR-SERC has provided the construction industry a much-needed innovation that promises to streamline workflows, reduce congestion, and ensure stronger, more resilient structures, marking a significant step forward in modern Indian construction technology.