Programmes

• Structural Optimisation and Design (SOD)

• Structural Assessment and Rehabilitation (SAR)

• Concrete Technology (CON)

• Construction Technology and Management (CTM)

Thrust Areas

• Quality assessment and distress investigation (NDT) of concrete structures, buildings and remedial measures for their rehabilitation, strengthening and retrofitting.

• Performance and Durability studies on concrete with different cementitious materials, chemical and mineral admixtures, fibres, etc.

• Developmental work on newer materials and concretes such as self compacting concrete, high performance concrete, high volume flyash concrete, fibre-reinforced concrete, etc.

• Testing and evaluation of concrete-making materials and concrete including mix proportioning of concrete for different grades and with different materials.

• Planning, design, construction and project management for construction works of buildings and concrete roads

• Technical audit, quality assurance and third party checking during construction including services of mobile testing laboratories

• Structural design and optimization of buildings, bridges and towers

Select List of Important Projects Completed

• Condition Survey and Periodic Supervision for repair/rehabilitation of concrete silos for an aluminium plant

• Assessment of overall quality of concrete and assessment of weak zones for turbo-generator foundations of various thermal power plants

• Checking of structural stability of roof top communication towers supporting systems – 660 Nos.

• Design of roller compacted concrete for NHPC project

• Durability studies on reinforced cement concrete made with flyash based Portland pozzolana cements in comparison to concrete made with ordinary Portland cements.

• Technical audit and quality assurance services for reconstruction of 2.5 lakh houses in Gujarat

• Technical audit and quality assurance of 836 Panchayat Buildings for Roads & Buildings Department, Govt of Gujarat

• Design, detailed engineering, project management and consultancy for reconstruction of 226 schools in Gujarat.

• Development of self-compacting concrete with flyash and other mineral admixtures

• Quality assurance services through Mobile Testing Laboratories for Rehabilitation of Minor Irrigation Tanks in Andhra Pradesh

• Evaluation of concrete aggregate for alkali-aggregate reactivity and other parameters for hydroelectric projects and thermal power plants

• Preparation of detailed project report for 52 sites for Pilot project for construction of cement concrete roads in 12 States under PMGSY for Ministry of Rural Development

• Instrumentation of concrete roads for measuring temperature and wheel load stresses for optimizing design of concrete roads.

Figures / Photographs

• Distress investigation being carried out by NCB team

• A municipal school building completed in Ahmedabad

• Endoscopy equipment for testing of hardened concrete

• Pile integrity testing equipment

• Chloride Ion Permeability Test

• Concrete Abrasion Test on Concrete pavement

• Concrete Flexural Testing

• Monitoring quality of concrete pavement

• Instrumentation in concrete pavement for measuring temperature and wheel load stresses

• Technical audit of a house for reconstruction project in Gujarat.

FAQs

Q1) What are the parameters to be specified and the data required for concrete mix design?

A1) The following parameters are to be specified for concrete mix design

i) Grade of concrete

ii) Slump requirement / placing condition

iii) Exposure condition for durability i.e. minimum cement content and maximum water / cement ratio restrictions

iv) Type of concrete i.e. PCC or RCC

v) Maximum size of aggregate

Q2) What is the approach adopted for assessment of earthquake resistance of buildings/structures

A2) The approach adopted for checking the seismic resistance of buildings is to check structural drawings of the building for design adequacy as per existing loads and assessing the health and quality of structure using in-situ test methods. Based on this, the assessment for adequacy of the building for earthquake resistance is made. In some cases repairs and retrofitting measures for rehabilitation of any distress in the buildings and strengthening of structure are also suggested.

Q3) Is NCB in a position to provide technical audit and quality assurance services to construction projects? What is the approach adopted for such services?

A3) Yes, NCB regularly provides services for technical audit and quality assurance for construction projects. NCB provided these services to many projects including reconstruction of 2.5 lakh houses in various districts of Gujarat after earthquake in 2001. The approach adopted for such services is to carry out selective testing of materials and to depute engineers for supervision at the time of concreting. Various quality control requirements are checked through check list available with the engineers. Sometimes for large projects laboratories including mobile labs are also set up for testing of materials.

Q4) How NCB services can be availed for in-situ testing of structures?

A4) NCB is well equipped with portable non-destructive testing equipments and core testing equipments. In-situ testing services are generally provided for quality assessment of new structures, health checking of old structures and for assessing the cause and extent of damage to a distressed structure. A scope of work is prepared depending upon the details provided by the project authorities and also the requirements of testing. Sometimes a preliminary site visit is undertaken to work out a detailed scope of work. The tests to be carried out are decided by NCB based on the problem and the requirements of the project. NCB is also in a position to take up load testing of flexural members.

Q5) What are the different tests / evaluation procedures for ascertaining potential alkali-aggregate reactivity of aggregates.

A5) The evaluation of aggregates for potential reactivity starts with sample collection from the proposed queries / sources. In case sufficient time is not available then the conclusions are drawn based on petrographic and accelerated mortar bar tests. However, it is preferable particularly for hydel projects to go for complete tests including mortar bar tests at 38° C and 60° C and concrete prism tests.

Recent Beneficiaries

• Municipal Corporation Delhi (MCD)

• National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC)

• National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)

• Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation (NJPC)

• Government of Gujarat

• Government of Karnataka

• Bharati Cellular Ltd

• Reliance Infocom Ltd

• Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA)

• Delhi Development Authority (DDA)

• Gujarat Housing Board

• Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation (NHDC)

• BSES Rajdhani

• Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA)

• National Rural Road Development Agency (NRRDA)

• Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC)

• Central Road Research Institute (CRRI)

• Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC)

• Reliance Energy Ltd

• Hindalco Industries Ltd

• Jaypee Cement Ltd

• Associated Cement Companies Ltd

• Grasim Industries

Facilities Available

Centre has facilities for testing and evaluation of cement, concrete, concrete ingredients and other related materials and non-destructive testing facilities for in-situ concrete such as ultrasonic pulse velocity testing, rebound hammer, core drilling machines, cover meter, etc. The center has acquired several advanced testing facilities recently. Some of these facilities are:

· chloride ion permeability test

· corrosion analyzer

· porosimeter

· particle size analyser upto 0.6 nano micron size

· automatic flexural testing

· abrasion testing

· automatic setting time

· maturity meter

· automatic fineness testing

· automatic compression testing machine of different capacities up to 500 tonnes

· Pile integrity testing equipment, and

· Endoscopy equipment for hardened concrete