Bridges & Structures

Areas of R&D and Consultancy / Core Activities

Areas of R&D

• Development of Bridge Management System for Highway Bridges
• Design and Development of Mobile Bridge Inspection Unit
• Creation of Complete Range of Independent Facility for Testing of Expansion Joints
• Application of Advanced Composites for Bridge Construction/ Rehabilitation
• Concrete Technology & Corrosion Studies
• Field Instrumentation and Health monitoring of Bridges
• Live Load Characterization for bridge design and evaluation
• Bridge Distress Diagnostics and Rehabilitation
• Bridge Aerodynamics
• Fatigue & Dynamic testing
• Characterization of Various Loads (Temperature/wind/ earthquake) for Bridge Design

 Core Activities/ Consultancy

• Analysis and Design of Bridges
• Quality Assurance during bridge construction
• Performance Evaluation of Railway Bridges
• Health Assessment and rehabilitation of bridges
• Long Term performance monitoring through instrumentation
• Evaluation of Load carrying capacity of bridges
• Testing of Elastomeric Bearings

Infrastructure Facilities

• Structural testing Laboratory
• Dynamic cum heavy testing Laboratory at Ghaziabad with Fatigue testing System
• Wind Tunnel Facility at Ghaziabad
• Field Instrumentation Laboratory
• Prestressing Facility
• Test facility for Expansion joints

Training Programmes

Bridge Diagnostics, Performance Evaluation and Rehabilitation

Software Tools

• RM -2006
• NISA
• ATENA
• STAAD-PRO
• STAADPRO- FOUNDATION
• REVIT
• AUTOCAD
• Micrsoft Developer Sudio
• SQL
• Crystal Report

Software and database developed by the division

• DAPCOS – Dynamic Analysis of Prestressed  Concrete Structures
• CRASH -  Creep and Shrinkage analysis
• RLAB –RC – Software for Distress Diagnostics, Performance Evaluation and Remaining Life Assessment of RC  Slab and T-girder Bridge Superstructure.
• Software for analysis of  Vortex excitation, Flutter and Buffeting of Cable Stayed Bridge Decks

Laboratory and Field Testing Facilities

•  Facility for Testing of Elastomeric Bearing
•  Equipments for Corrosion studies
•  Equipments for Non-Destructive testing of concrete and steel components
•  Structural Vibration monitoring system
• Bridge Weigh in Motion (BWIM) system
• Structural Testing System
• Universal Testing Machine
• Compression Testing Machine
•  Material Testing Laboratory for aggregate, cement, chloroprene and  plastic
• Dynamic strain measuring system

Significant Achievements

• Model studies on well foundation and retaining walls to achieve safe and economical design
• Study the Effect of Edge stiffening on slab bridges led to economic design.
• Established method for conversion of two simply supported spans to continuous using external prestressing.
• Development of Indigenous Testing Facility for bridge bearings
• Based on CRRI study on Critical Evaluation of corrosion protective coatings, MOSRTH recommended the use of Fusion bonded Epoxy coated bar for bridges in coastal area.
• Development of techniques such as steel plate bonding, FRP, stitching techniques, NSM, external prestressing for retrofitting / rehabilitation of concrete bridges
• Development of Limit State Design of T- Beam Bridge
• Development of High Performance and self compacting concrete for construction Industry
• Development of design methodology for trail suspension bridges
• Methodology for design and execution of CD structures and small bridges under PMGSY program
• Guidelines and Manual of Practice for repair of Cracks and Spalls in Concrete Structures
• Guidelines for aerodynamic design of cable stayed bridges
• Simplification of Live load for Design of Highway Bridges as per IRC loading
• Evaluation of Load carrying capacity of number of existing bridges
• Performance evaluation of various types of railway bridges
• Design, Instrumentation and Quality Assurance of Roadway over Palam Drain
• Development of data base management system on performance monitoring of bridges

Contribution to Formulation of Standards

• New wind load clause in IRC:6.
• Development of IRC: SP-13 “Guidelines for Design of Culverts and Small Bridges”
• IRC- SP- 80 “Guidelines for Corrosion Prevention Monitoring and Remedial Measures for Concrete Bridge Structures”
• IS: 1893-Part (iii) “Criteria for Seismic Resistant Design of Bridges” for BIS
• RC: 6: 2010 Standard Specifications and Code of Practice of Road Bridges (Fifth Revision)
• New Clause on Barge Impact Load in IRC:6 (Approved  by Council in 2010)
• Rationalization of Seismic Forces for the Design of Bridges (Approved in 2008)
• Load combination and Load Factor for Limit State Design of Bridges (Approved in 2009)
• IRC: SP:69 “Guidelines and Specifications for Expansion Joints( First Revision) (Approved by Council in 2010)
• IRC: SP-56:2011 “Guidelines for Steel Pedestrian Bridges” (First Revision) 
• New Clause on congestion factor and snow load in IRC: 6 ( Approved  by Council of IRC in 2011)
• IRC:24-2010 “ Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for Road Bridges- Section V Steel Bridges ( Limit State Method), Third Revision