Nagpur: In what can be called a precautionary measure after the Mahad bridge collapse, which claimed 30 lives in August 2016, the public works department (PWD), coming up with a new norms of monitoring and repairing bridges situated on district roads and the state highways, has decided to go for the structural audit of major bridges once in five years, instead of 30-50 years of construction.
Earlier, the PWD used to do structural audit of bridges and repair or re-construct them only after receiving regular complaints or completion of 30-50 years of construction. But after the Mahad tragedy, the PWD started to take monitoring and repairing of bridges very seriously.
According to a notification, describing the new norms in detail, issued by the PWD a couple of days ago, structural audit of bridges with length up to 250 meter will be done by private technical consultants registered with PWD. “Structural audit of bridges with length between 250 and 500 meter has to be done through reputed engineering colleges. For bridges with length above 500 meter, structural audit has to be done through IITs or Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), New Delhi,” the notification said.
It further said engineers will inspect all bridges in June (before monsoon) and December (after monsoon) every year, and make a report on their conditions which will be tabled before chief engineers for review meeting which will be held after the two inspections. “Chief engineers will then identify bridges for structural audit on the basis of the report and prepare a list of bridges taken for structural audit once in five years. A list of such bridges will also be published followed by issuing circular to all offices,” the notification said.
Chief engineers’ powers to spend on bridges’ repairing has also been increased to Rs1 crore, the notification said. Earlier, chief engineers had to take approval from the head office for the repair work but after the Mahad tragedy, they were given powers for taking up repair works up to Rs50 lakh.
Apart from that, the notification said, the PWD for the first time has set a quantum of funds for repair works. From now onwards, the PWD circle offices can reserve 10% of total funds allotted for repairing of roads.
Chief engineer Ulhas Debadwar said the new norms, particularly the structural audit of bridges once in five years, will help in close monitoring of bridges’ condition. “Earlier, there was no specific time period for structural audits. Also, decision to increase financial powers of chief engineers will help in speedy repair of bridges,” he said.
The PWD has also allowed structural audit of buildings coming under its jurisdiction from third parties. “For buildings with built-up area of up to 2,500 sqmt, structural audit has to be done from private technical consultant empanelled with the PWD. Structural audit of buildings with built-up area of above 2,500 sqmt has to be done from IIT, VJTI, VNIT and College of Engineering, Pune,” the notification said.
