NHAI engineers to personally inspect construction materials for quality

Thiruvananthapuram: Engineers of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will now inspect the raw materials brought for construction of the NHs in the country. 

It has been made mandatory that the testing should be done in laboratories in front of engineers. At present, 50 percent of the inspection of construction materials is carried out by contract companies and 50 percent by the National Highways Authority.

The construction companies should now examine construction materials, mixtures and products at these laborataries set up at each project site and submit a report to the authority every month. Since the maintenance period of various projects is from five years to 15 years, the National Highways Authority has taken the contract companies into confidence so far.

The new order is part of ensuring quality of the materials used in construction. It will also be ensured that the construction materials mentioned in the tender document are used for the work. The construction should follow the norms prescribed by the Indian Roads Congress. The quality assurance plan prepared by the contractor should be approved by the NHAI engineer within 21 days.

The National Highways Authority usually undertakes constructions costing more than Rs 100 crore. Authorised consultancies are usually appointed for supervision.