Inspection and auditing of bridges
The National Institute of Technology- Calicut (NIT-C) and the Palakkad division of the Southern Railway on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for third party auditing of railway bridges in the southern region.
A release said the MoU was signed on the basis of a directive issued by the Railway Board to various railway divisions for undertaking a one-time auditing of railway bridges through expert institutions. The third party auditing covers physical inspection, actual measurements, testing and modelling, and analysis of bridges. The structural consultancy division of the Department of Civil Engineering, NIT-C, will carry out the work. It will hand over a report to Railways after investigations.
Some of the bridges are over 60 years old and need life span estimation. This will also require underwater inspection of the substructure of river bridges.
Two phases
The entire process is scheduled in two phases. In the first phase, visual inspection, preliminary analysis, and observation for assessing extent of corrosion and ageing are included. Detailed investigations are planned in the second phase. Through this auditing, Railways are aiming at the safety, durability, and capacity of the bridges and their operations.
Sivaji Chakravorti, Director, NIT Calicut, and H. Anantharaman, Indian Railways Service of Engineers Senior Divisional Engineer, Palakkad Division, signed the MoU.
The Department of Civil Engineering has been doing consultancy services for government and private agencies.