Chizokho Vero
Kohima | August 23
The maintenance of roads and quality control in highway/road construction in Nagaland is apparently heading for a drastic change as a weeklong training programme for engineers of Nagaland PWD on the related matter got underway here this morning. This training programme assumes significance in a wake of the much talk quality constructions by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and the government’s contemplating to constitute Quality Control Board in Nagaland.
A visibly delighted commissioner and secretary for work & housing Temjen Toy, was optimistic that the training programme will update the engineers on the latest technology and development. Addressing the inaugural function, Toy asserted that whatever the engineers learnt/gathered from the training would go a long way in benefiting the state. Toy said trainings are the area where the government has concern for further development. The commissioner and secretary also stated that the state needs professionals in the field and advised the engineers to always keep updating themselves with the latest information as also with the different kind of terrain and soil condition. He also looks forward more such training programme in the near future.
NITHE joint director Dinesh Sharma said NITHE had been operating from Delhi since April 1985 to September 2001 and shifted to its own campus at NOIDA, UP from October 2001 which was funded by the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways (SRT&H) under World Bank loan assistance. It organizes training in highway engineering for central / state governments, public & private sectors. It imparts training to highway professionals from India and abroad – SAARC countries, Colombo plan countries and Afro-Asian countries.
The objective of the programme is to impart training to engineers at entry level and during service at different levels of central and state governments, public and private sectors, to help highway engineers build up character and develop an all round personality as a part of human resource development, to assist various organisations in developing their training institutes and training of their faculty. It also aims to promote co-operation and foster exchange of knowledge, ideas and experience in the sphere of highway engineering among engineers in India and abroad
H.K Sharma, hill road expert said the engineers who in spite of having degrees and knowledge face many difficulties when it comes to the practical aspects and encouraged them to give their efforts in rendering their services in the field. Under training on detailed projects preparation and maintenance of roads for engineers, it will focus on survey, transact walk, alignment and geometric designs- horizontal curves, vertical curves, transition curves, table exercise with reference to hill roads, safety; super elevation, blind curves, hair-pin bends, grade compensation, design of plans, L- Section, translation of design on site, protective works, demonstration and laying of curves, CD-works; bridges, culverts and drains, safety aspects in hill roads, geometric designs, international practices and expressways, soil characterization, materials properties geotechnical investigation, maintenance of roads, landslide; prevention and control, stability of slopes, retaining walls, breast walls, drainage, use of geo-synthetics and geo-grids, prevention of soil erosion, clearance of landslides, standby resources regular during monsoon and critical season, landslide prevention and control, preparation of DPR; investigations, key aspects to be covered, check points, deficiencies in DPR and estimates, case study of DRPs of identified bridges, overview of pavement design, introduction to SBD, general aspects of contract management and procurement of consultant and contractor.
Topics to be covered under training on quality control in highway/road construction includes, QC tests for cement and concrete works and concrete mix design, application and significance of various QC tests, soil characterization, materials properties and specifications of road construction materials, special measures in landslide prone locations, sieve analysis/classification, determination of LL, PI, SL, free swelling index/pressure, water absorption, specific gravity and AIV for aggregates-lab practice, determination of OMC, standard and modified proctor test, flakiness and elongation index for aggregates- lab practice, determination of CBR, field density by sand replacement, rapid moisture meter, field density by core cutter method, visual classification, hand-feel tests, QC tests for bituminous construction viz penetration, viscosity, ductility, extraction, stripping, fire/flash/softening point, design of bituminous mixes for BM, DBM, SDBC, BC, PC etc by void content and Marshall stability method, overview of design and construction pavements.
The faculty for the training includes; Dr. SC Maiti, former joint NCCBM, New Delhi, Col. SP Tomar, team leader, NHAI Projects, Unihorn India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, Dr. Vasant Havanagi, Sr. Scientist, CRRI, New Delhi, Dr. A.K. Duggal, head, department of Civil Engineering, NITTR, Chandigarh (UT), Dinesh Sharma, joint director NITHE, Noida, UP, HK. Sharma, Hill Road expert, former SE, Uttarkhand PWD, Dehradun, Satish Sagar, former CE, Himachal PWD, Shimla, (HP), Dachiku Kiyoshi, JICA Expert to M/o RT&H, NITHE, Noida (UP), Brig. Balraj Singh, Chief Engineer, Border Roads, Dimapur Project, Nagaland, Ashok Kumar, chief engineer, M/o road transport & highways, New Delhi.
The training programme, to go on till August 28, is being sponsored by the Ministry of Road Transports & Highways, Government of India and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India and organized by National Institute for Training of Highway Engineers (NITHE), Noida and PWD Nagaland. Earlier, the inaugural function was chaired by Dr. Er. Vikuotuolie Angami, engineer-in-chief, NPWD while Er. D. Mero, chief engineer PWD (R&B) delivered welcome address. Vote of thanks was proposed by Er. I.Y Sumi, chief engineer PWD (Housing). The programme will go on till August 28.
