The Public Works Department is using the latest technology of rapid hardening concrete known as ‘micro concrete’ slabs for replacing the 10 expansion joints in two carriageways of the Ashram Chowk flyover. While normally concrete slabs take a week to gain strength of up to 30 MPA before the area can be opened for traffic, with the use of ‘micro-concrete’ slabs the strength is achieved in 24 hours, said PWD Secretary Arun Baroka.
“With the maturity time of concrete reduced, the total cycle of replacement has been reduced for one joint from 10 to four days. The work was taken up at three joints simultaneously and progressed in planned manner up to the last joint so that the work of half carriageway is completed in maximum two weeks,” he said in a statement.
“The second carriageway, which is the Moolchand-bound one, will be completed in half the time which means the entire work will be completed in less than two months,” he added.
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While the existing expansion joints are slab seal type of joints which are not being manufactured by many of Ministry of Road Transport and Highway approved vendors, the PWD has decided to replace them with modular slab seal joints, said officials. “Through deployment of additional machinery and working round-the-clock, first half carriageway (DND-bound lane) was completed in 16 days. The work in second half of the carriageway is likely to be completed latest by this month,” Mr. Baroka said.