BMC to conduct 'core test' for concretised roads in Mumbai to ensure quality. Samples sent to IIT Bombay for various checks. 324 km roads being concretised.
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will conduct a ‘core test’ or strength test for every concretised road in the city to ensure they are of adequate quality. Circular sections would be cut from recently concretised roads and samples would be sent to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay and other government laboratories to perform a range of checks, the civic body said in a statement.
On Monday, work on performing core tests was initiated at two locations in the western suburbs – Manjrekarwadi Marg in Andheri East and Dixit Marg in Vile Parle. Circular patches were extracted from both locations by BMC’s roads department using a core testing machine, and the samples were sent to IIT Bombay for testing.
“The materials used for concrete roads are tested for strength on various dimensional criteria such as ratio, durability, homogeneity, load bearing. The main objective of the test is to check the strength of the cement concrete road,” the civic body’s statement said.
The BMC noted that a total of 324 km of roads in Mumbai are being concretised under the first phase, of which 29.37 km has been completed.
“Quality checks are essential to ensure that cement concrete roads not only exist, but their quality is top notch. It will also ensure that contractors get a message that sub-standard work is not acceptable and realise their obligation to deliver on requirements,” said Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (projects).