By
Kaushal Kishore
Materials Engineer, Roorkee
I myself and Dr. G.C.Nayak remain engaged in consultency work long after our retirement. One day about 8 A.M Dr. Nayak phone me: Kaushal Engineers of irrigation department Haridwar are sitting at my house, they have a problem of granite blocks at BHIMGODA BARRAGE site. You have to go at this site at what time you will be ready to go, I said with in 30 minutes I will be ready to go.
Granite blocks are used at the fall of the BHIMGODA BARRAGE in Haridwar to control water flow and prevent erosion of the river bed. The blocks are used to dessipate the kinetic energy of the falling water, reducing its destructive power as it hits the downstream river bed.
I visited the site, at site were present S.E and other staff. Seeing the place I asked where are the granite blocks, they told me they are broken in pieces and washed away. Every now and then this happens and the blocks are very costly.
I came back direct to Dr. G.C.Nayak house told him the details. O.K what you suggest, I said I can designed a ultra high strength concrete, the blocks can be cast at river bed site itself and no need for any transportaion. My plan was submitted to the department and approved.
I designed this ultra high strength concrete with superpladticizer formulated by me which is being manufacturing at Meerut.
From this concrete the blocks were cast at river bed site. I along with S.E and site Engineers were present first day of concrete. Other irrigation site’s such blocks were also made, the performance of which found satisfactory.
For cost wise I suppose their cost was 25 percent of granite blocks.
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