Hyderabad to test safety of 24 major bridges
HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to assess the structural safety of ageing flyovers, railway overbridges (ROBs) and railway underbridges (RUBs) as traffic continues to increase across the city.
Alongside road widening, flyover construction and underpass projects, GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan has directed the engineering wing to evaluate the condition of bridges built decades ago. As part of the exercise, the civic body will conduct load and structural capacity tests on 24 key bridges using advanced technology.
Non-destructive testing to assess structural strength
The bridges will undergo Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), enabling engineers to evaluate their internal strength and identify defects without causing damage to the structures. GHMC will engage a specialised consultancy to carry out the assessment.
The testing programme includes Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) testing to examine the internal density and quality of concrete. A total of 3,330 test points have been identified for this process.
Rebound Hammer Testing will be carried out at 790 locations to assess the surface hardness of the concrete.
Repairs to be prioritised based on findings
Engineers will also inspect girders for internal voids, damaged bearing zones and deteriorated expansion joints. Defects in piers, pier caps and diaphragms will be identified during the inspection.
Based on the severity of the defects, GHMC will prepare bridge-specific repair and rehabilitation plans and execute the works in phases.
GHMC Chief Engineer Sahadev Ratnakar said the assessment would help prevent accidents on bridges used daily by lakhs of vehicles. He said restoration work would be prioritised based on technical reports, adding that the programme would also help extend the service life of the bridges.
