MOBILE BRIDGE TESTING LABORATORIES
IN RAILWAYS
The Ministry of Railways
has approved Mobile Bridge Testing Laboratories with some Non
Destructive Testing equipment for all the 16 zonal railways. In
next five years, these laboratories will be set up in all the
zonal railways along with balance complement of essential NDT
equipment like Impact Echo testers. These laboratories will cost
about Rs. 30 crores.
Mobile Bridge
Inspection units will also be provided in each Zone in next five
years. Two such units have been sanctioned with bucket, platform
and pier inspection units. These will facilitate access to difficult
locations like top of trusses and underside of girders and make
them easy for proper inspection.
After these technologies
are absorbed over a period of five years, bridge rebuilding will
be taken up following testing and detailed evaluation of strength
and residual life.
Besides, bridge
engineers and supervisors will be provided with safety gears like
jackets with retro-reflective strips, helmets, safety harnesses
and hard boots in next two years.
In addition,
Indian Railways have introduced a modern Bridge Management System
with a focused attention to underwater inspection of bridges,
mapping of unknown foundations and integrity of foundations, non-destructive
testing techniques like ultra sonics, acoustic emission, strain
ganging and radar fatigue life and residual life assessment techniques.
Modern Bridge
Inspection and Management System is designed to improve safety
of rail bridges.
Indian Railways
have a total of 120,000 bridges.
