Good and bad bridges in Karnataka are in the ratio of 50:50 and most of the RCC bridges constructed now do not last long due to corrosion or overloading, said Dr C. S. Viswanatha, Chairman, Civil-Aid Techno Clinic, Bangalore.
He was speaking at the ‘Total Quality Management in Construction and Maintenance of Bridges' organised by the Hubli-Dharwad centre of the Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers (IIBE).
He said to ensure durability, today's engineers should use quality material, adopt good procedures, a good synthesis leads to increase in the durability.
“Engineers should not use brackish water (saltish water) for construction of bridges due to corrosion. Monitoring devices can be useful to civil engineers for the use of qualitative materials with advanced techniques in the construction of bridges for the future,” added Dr Viswanatha.
TQM
Speaking on the occasion, Mr M.C. Bhide, Director-General, Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers, said Total Quality Management (TQM) is an integrative philosophy of management for continuously improving the quality of products and process. Quality is the most important aspect, maintenance of quality structures, usage of quality construction materials with particular reference to construction of various types of rail and road bridges. “It requires lot of knowledge and practical working and also engineers be given proper training regularly, so that the quality can be improved and people can see more number of modern structures with the expert and eminent civil engineers not only in India but also in the World. Hence, total quality management is a need for ensuring an excellent quality of the structure/bridges,” he added.
Mr D.G. Diwate, Vice-Chairman, IIBE (Hubli-Dharwar Centre) and principal chief engineer, SWR, said this seminar would spread the knowledge about quality control in the field of construction and maintenance of bridges, latest techniques of bridge repairs and rehabilitation and would be of immense use to all engineers in field.
“The meet will be helpful for all the bridge engineers of Railways, PWD, National Highways Authority of India, National Highways, Military Engineering Service, Irrigation, Public Health Engineering and other organisations in dissemination of the knowledge on latest construction, maintenance and rehabilitation technology of bridges, especially to the engineers in and around Hubli-Dharwar and North Karnataka region,” he added.
The Indian Institution of Bridge Engineering (IIBE) established in the year 1989, is the only professional institution totally dedicated and devoted to the art and science of bridge engineering.
In a short span of about 22 years since its inception, it has established 33 State and Local Centres spread all over India, with 167 Institution Members and 6,500 Individual Members.
Mr Bhide said the IIBE, Hubli-Dharwar centre, was reopened on 12th June, 2009, and has organised seminars on Repairs and Rehabilitation of Bridges, Inspection and maintenance of Pre-stressed Concrete Girder bridges and Soil Exploration and Criteria for deciding the foundation during September 2009 and November 2009 respectively. Recently, the chapter also conducted a seminar on ‘Construction, Inspection and Maintenance of Rail and Road Steel Bridges' on March 31, 2011.