NEW DELHI: The ministry of road transport and highways has taken a serious view about the usage of stainless steel in the construction of bridges and other components in road projects in coastal areas.
Referring to the matter, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that he had been pressing for the usage of rust-resistant metal in projects close to the sea for the last three years.
The ministry said that a note has been sent to the public works department of states and union territories, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), its regional offices (ROs) and other stakeholders on this matter.
The ministry further stated that according to the ‘Schedule D’, all materials, works and construction operations shall conform to the Manual of Specifications and Standards for two-laning of Highways published by Indian Road Congress (IRC) and ministry specifications for road and bridges.
Earlier in 2017, the ministry decided to use stainless steel conforming to certain conditions for reinforced concrete bridges on national highways located in extreme environment exposure. In locations where it is difficult to ascertain the environment exposure condition, a zone within 15 km from the sea or creek is considered an extreme environment.
Speaking at an event earlier this month, Gadkari strongly batted for construction components made of stainless steel in coastal areas. He said that the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district would not have collapsed had iron not been used.