C.S. Viswanatha, no more

October 24, 2014 06:48 pm | Updated May 23, 2016 04:30 pm IST - Bangalore

A file photo of chairman of Civil Aid Technoclinic Pvt. Ltd. C.S. Viswanatha (middle) along with chairman of Pollution Control Board Vaman Acharya (left) at the inauguration of one day seminar on 'Alternatives to River Sand at PCB' in 2013. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

A file photo of chairman of Civil Aid Technoclinic Pvt. Ltd. C.S. Viswanatha (middle) along with chairman of Pollution Control Board Vaman Acharya (left) at the inauguration of one day seminar on 'Alternatives to River Sand at PCB' in 2013. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore’s leading civil and structural engineer Dr. C.S. Viswanatha, 77, Chairman of Civil-Aid Technoclinic Pvt Ltd, is no more. Family sources confirmed that he died of a cardiac arrest at his residence in Palace Guttahalli this morning (Friday) at 8-30a.m. “It was a normal day when my uncle Viswanatha had his breakfast too. He succumbed to a massive cardiac arrest later,” said Viswantha’s niece, Ashwini.

Viswanatha was appointed Chairman of the Task-Force and Quality Assurance, a Government body looking into the quality of public constructions. As the main consultants for Namma Metro in Bangalore, Civil-Aid Technoclinic has been involved (along with RITES) with the local rail from the project report, Building Condition Study to geo-technical investigations wherein the quality of materials used with pre-cast and cast-in-situ are being studied from 2004. Civil-Aid has also been involved with major Irrigation projects in Karnataka for quality controls in canal lining and design. Dr. Viswanatha never believed in applying for tenders for Government work, but got associated with projects only when formally invited, based on his credibility.

Dr. Viswanatha, also the Chief Executive of the Torsteel Research Foundation in India, graduated in civil engineering with distinction from Mysore University and subsequently obtained his Master's Degree and Ph.D in Structural Engineering from IISc, Bangalore. He served the IISc as a Faculty Member during 1963-1980.

“Viswanatha was considered the chief building surgeon. He was the doctor and advisor to public buildings associated with PWD, BBMP and BDA, apart from work for Vidhana Soudha and Vikas Soudha,” said L.N. Prasad, Senior Director, Civil-Aid Technoclinic, an 18-year-old company started by Viswanatha, that later aligned with Bureau Veritas, a world organisation involved in the testing, inspection of Civil & Structural points of a building. “When we got into the Compression Testing Mission and flagged off the cubes-cast for concrete testing, the strength-test for beam, column and slab was made easier. We were involved with major buildings and architects, even as restoration of several Heritage buildings became Viswanatha's dream,” says Mr. Prasad.

Dr. Vishwanatha always spoke of the potential of coarse ash in construction industry as a major employment-generating option. “Coarse ash, accumulated at thermal power stations, could be used in manufacturing bricks, concrete blocks and pre-cast concrete products,” was his idea decades ago. “We can create active entrepreneurs and also use a hazardous waste material to good effect,” he had said.

Civil Engineering consultations

Mysore’s Vani Vilas Market collapse was one amongst the hundreds of building-restoration work undertaken by Dr. Viswanatha. Earlier in 1983, it was with the Gangaram Building Collapse at Majestic that ‘flagged off the engineer to be permanently in action.’ He was responsible for the formation of the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (ACCE) wherein the best of civil engineers were brought under an umbrella for quality-construction consultancies. Says Aswath M.U., former Secretary General, ACCE, “Dr. Viswanatha has contributed immensely for the advancement of concrete technology and scientific knowledge in analysis and rehabilitation of structures in distress. Following his answers for building problems brought in milestone changes thereafter. His Handbook ‘Quality Construction – for public buildings’ will remain a reference material for field engineers.”

Viswanatha's certificate was ultimate

“CSV’s certificate was the ultimate for every building,” recalled civil engineer K.N.K. Swamy of KNK Group. Maintaining quality in constructions was Viswanatha’s forte that soon became his way of life and thinking. “In the construction field he was referred to as ‘Quality Guru’ as he was a mentor to thousands of engineers who conscientiously followed his advice,” said Mr. Swamy. “In one of our projects at Whitefield where we had to deal with inefficient dead-lake soil, Viswantha had recommended a rare double-reinforced ‘Vaccum de-watered concrete’ to be applied in several layers, while he himself offered to have a hawks-eye on every layer of concrete laid on site. That was the kind of sincerity he believed in!” he recalled.

Honours and Awards

C.S. Viswanatha has authored several technical papers in national and international journals, and his Torsteel Design handbook has always remained in the limelight. Amongst his string of awards, Viswanatha was awarded the ÁCCE Gaurav Award in 2000; Indian Concrete Institute’s Óutstanding Concrete Technologist’ Award for 2003; the ACCE Simplex Award for Outstanding Structure -2005 for his Sabhabhavana at Kudalasangama. Viswanatha was awarded National Design Award-2005 by the Institution of Engineers for his outstanding contribution; the ICI-L&T Lifetime Achievement Award -2006 by the Indian Concrete Institute for dedicated contribution in the fields of concrete technology and concrete structures.

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