Recommendations of National Get-together on Road Research and Its Utilization (NGT 2012)

CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, organised a National Get-together on Road Research and its Utilization (NGT-2012) at New Delhi on March 1-2, 2012 to provide excellent forum for highway engineering fraternity – researchers, experts, technocrats, academicians, consultants and consulting firms, manufacturers associated with road developments in our country to deliberate on emerging issues of roads and road transportation for sustainable infrastructure development in the country.  The Get-Together was sponsored by 15 organisations and was attended by more than 400 delegates representing DDA, NHAI, PWDs, various R&D and academic Institutions. The Get-Together was inaugurated by Sh.C. Kandasamy, Director-General (RD), MORTH, while Lt. Gen.R.Ravi Shankar, PVSM, VSM, DG(BRO) was Guest of Honour.  The two-day meet comprised of seven Technical sessions which included Panel discussions and presentation on important themes viz., Pavement Engineering & Materials, Hill Roads and Landslide Mitigation, Urban Transportation, Road Safety & Environmental issues. The interactions resulted in a number of priority areas of R&D pertaining to road and road transportation. A copy of the gist of key issues / recommendations/ R&D Priority areas which emerged during various sessions are given below:

Technical Session 1: Pavement Engineering & Materials

Chairman: Sh.V.L.Patankar, Member Technical, NHAI

Speakers: Sh. S.C.Sharma, Prof.B.B.Pandey, Sh.Rajesh Oberoi, Dr.P.K.Jain

Recommendations

• Need of comprehensive methods for design and rehabilitation of pavements.
• Preparation of specifications and standards suitable for DBFO, EPC, PPP contracts.
• Development of Pavement Management Systems (PMS)
• Use of APTF to study ageing and long term performance of pavements.
• Cement treated bases and sub bases with crack arresting layer for bituminous pavement.
• Thin overlay of polyester polymer concrete as wearing course on bridge decks and CC Roads
• New materials and construction techniques such as SMA, WMA, and Microsurfacing, Modified binders, RAP and High volume fly ash concrete.
• Thin and Ultrathin white topping concrete overlay.

Technical Session 2: Bridge Engineering

Chairman: Prof. S.K.Bhattacharyya, Director CBRI

Speakers: Sh.Alok Bowmick, Sh.Dattatraya Krishna Kanhere, Sh.Purushottam Reddy, Dr.P.Lakshmy

Recommendations

• Need for up gradation of Indian codes
• Adoption of Limit state method of design of bridges for all codes.
• Assessment of load carrying capacity for prediction of service life
• Fast track construction of bridges by using corrugated steel plate structures.
• Use of stainless for long term durability of bridges.
• Use of wireless technology for structural health monitoring
• Under water inspection of bridge components
• Requirement of development of accelerated methods for evaluation and repair of bridges.

Technical Session 3: Hill Roads and Landslide Mitigation

Chairman: Sh.B.B.Lal,CE, BRO

Speakers: Dr.Champatiray, Dr.Rajbal Singh, Ms Minimol Korulla, Dr.Kishore Kumar

Recommendations

• Application of Remote sensing and GIS for
  1. Landslide hazard zonation mapping
  2. Liquefaction mapping
  3. Assessment of glacier movements
  4. Risk assessment, analysis and crisis management
• Importance of slope maintenance, adequate drainage system for landslide mitigation.
• Feasibility of Tunnel construction for long term solution for landslide mitigation.
• Flexible systems/structures (Reinforced earth wall, Gabion walls ,soil nailing,  Barriers, Rope mesh etc.) for landlide mitigation and rock fall control.
• Data base management for landslides
• Early warning systems for landslides

Technical Session 4: Urban Transportation

Chairman: Sh.Dinesh Kumar, DELHI, PWD

Speakers: Prof.Bhargav Maitra, Sh.D Sanyal, Sh.Piyush Kansal

Recommendations

• Overview of travel demand and supply trends of India and gaps in public transport.
• Strategies for increasing Bus patronage in terms of ordinary and special services.
• Assessment of appropriate technology and system for public transport for different cities.
• Consideration of user behavior and qualitative aspects, public transport priority, IT in public transport, facility and transfer station planning, feeder system etc. while planning for the public transportation system
• Negative impacts of decentralization of economic activities within the urban areas.
• Strategies viz. Public transport improvements; avoiding gigantism; strengthening research and implementation Institutes and co-ordination between organizations shall be implemented for improvement of urban transportation.
• Transportation planning process with due consideration to sustainable development.
• Design of transportation facility for a period of 25 to 50 years.

Technical Session 5: Road Safety & Environmental Issues

Chairman: Sh.K.K.Kapila, MD, ICT, New Delhi

Speakers: Prof.P.K.Sikdar, Dr.Nishi Mittal, Prof. A.K.Attri, Dr.B.R.Gurjar

Recommendations

• Necessity of NMT/VRU facilities to reduce accidents.
• Critical evaluation of visibility parameter for reduction of accidents.
• Need of mission mode project to eradicate accidents.
• Comprehensive training of drivers of heavy vehicles before issuing license by an independent authority/Institution
• Implementation of road safety audit reports and improvement of black spots in a time bound manner.
• Need of Travel demand management measures to reduce vehicular pollution.

Technical Session 6: Presentation by Industry

Chairman: Sh.Mahesh Kumar, Engineer in Chief, PWD, Haryana

Speakers: Sh. Satender Kumar, Sh.Saif Mobin, Sh.Rajiv Gauri, Abhishek Pattak, Sh.Shane Williams, Sh.Kars P.Drenth

Recommendations

• New chemicals (other than conventional chemicals, cement & lime) for soil stabilization
• Advanced testing equipments
• Fiber reinforced concrete for CC roads
• Road safety by using retro reflective technology: road furniture like signage, median marker, delineator etc.
• Latest developments in measuring the condition of the pavement surface.