THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Post floods, all discussions are focused on
infrastructure development needed to reduce damage to environment during natural disasters. Since large-scale rebuilding of roads and houses is required, questions are being raised on how practical it would be.
Now, the public works department and
Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board are experimenting with a new project which could put an end to our overdependence on quarries for construction.
Under the new technology called soil-cement stabilization, requirement of gravel and quarry dust is less. The technology, which is gaining popularity, is being executed on a trial basis in a 5km stretch of the Anayadi-Pazhakulam Road in
Pathanamthitta. This is part of the 35-km Anayadi-Koodal road improvement work, a Rs 109-crore project funded by KIIFB. The technology is being implemented in the state for the first time and that too on a major district road.
The work on the road began on September 5 and will conclude on Friday.
"A normal road has several layers. With the soil-cement stabilization technology, we could replace all layers except the final bituminous concrete and thus reduce the use of raw materials," said V V Binu, project director, KIIFB
project management unit. Under the technology, a machine imported from Germany will mill the existing road. The soil in the road will be added with cement. For a square feet of space 45kg cement has to be used. The aggregate, which will be mixed with proper additive and water, will be laid on the road. After a curing period of two days, the final bituminous concrete layer will be added.
Binu said that analysis will be done to check its cost effectiveness. If found successful, it will be replicated in other roads too, he said. The KIIFB will submit a report after completion of the work. Andhra-based Vishwamudra is doing the work on pilot basis.
