The stressing process is important so that the deck is as strong as the pre-stressed concrete block and is able to withstand stress and not crack or collapse due to vehicle load.
A few weeks before the inauguration of the project, the bridge deck collapse incident has already caused a loss of trust among the citizens. This is the first such incident in Ahmedabad in recent times. The state government must ensure that an inquiry committee does not fall short in mechanisms to divert public attention or even burden private consultants and structural experts. Responsibilities should be fixed. Bodies like AUDA which have shortage of engineering staff should be provided government assistance. Responsibilities should be fixed. Inspection of bridges should be regular work.
The bridge work was to be completed by the end of December and by mid-February the authorities were already looking to open the bridge for public use. Now it will be delayed by three months.
The concrete deck that had fallen was poured on 19 November and was placed on top of the bridge. It had completed the mandatory 28-day wait for consolidation. Post tension or stress exercises were done on Tuesday. The preparation for the activity began at 9 am and was to end at 10 pm on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses such as Rajesh Parmar, owner of a tea stall near the spot, claimed that some laborers and engineers were stationed at each end of the deck when the post-tensioning process was taking place. Suddenly around 10.15 a.m., a part of the deck of the bridge collapsed and collapsed within seconds with a loud noise. “I heard a bang and was shocked,” Parmar says.
About 90 engineers and laborers were present on the spot at the time of the incident.
The bridge is 853 meters long and was commissioned by the state’s Department of Roads and Buildings, along with Delph Consulting Engineers, the design consultants for each of the 114 girders. “About 113 girders, each of 48 meters span, were successfully placed. It was the 114th that broke during the post-tensioning process. This is extremely rare and takes everyone at the site by surprise,” claimed a senior AUDA engineer at the accident site on Thursday morning.
Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) chief executive officer AB Gore claimed that the ACS (Urban Development Department) had written a letter asking an expert team from the Roads and Buildings Department to inspect the site and submit a report at the earliest. was requested to do. “The department will be assisted by the AUDA team to investigate the reasons for the deck or girder giving way during the post-tension exercise,” says Gore.
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