The Hindu 30.10.2013
15 labs of Corporation to test road quality
The Chennai Corporation will have a quality control laboratory in each of its 15 zones from Wednesday to help improve the quality of its construction works, including roads.
The equipment in the laboratory includes facility for core cutting, sieve analysis digital thermometer, one-milligram accuracy weighing machine, identification of pavement quality and camber of roads.
Improving roads
More equipment will be procured to improve quality control of roads in the city, said an official of the Corporation.
The civic body will keep an eye on quality of road re-laying in each of the 15 zones with such facilities in place.
“We have had discussions with quality control engineers for using improved technology such as pavement quality indicator to detect faulty road compaction. Faulty road compaction is one of the primary reasons for potholes,” said an official of the Corporation.
Compaction is the process of producing a road surface of maximum stability and evenness so as to improve skid resistance and increase road safety and riding comfort, the official said.
Residents will be able to seek the services of the quality control teams at the laboratories to find the reason behind damage to their roads.
A study by the Chennai Corporation found that many bus routes and interior roads in Chennai have not been compacted to the stipulated density leading to pothole formation on roads during the monsoon.
A density of 2,230 kg/m for roads will help the stretch last longer, the official said.