NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched a ranking mechanism to rate its infrastructure assets to determine their structural safety and look for remedial measures for their upkeep and regular monitoring.
The new arrangement, the Bridge Inventory and Condition Rating System (BICRS), mandates comprehensive documentation, assessment, and inspection of bridges twice a year. As part of the rating system, the agency aims to prepare a unified repository of all its structures, and each property will be assigned a union assessment identification number.
According to officials, the rating mechanism was developed based on input from its design division to ensure the systematic management and safety of infrastructure assets.
With this exercise, the Authority will record comprehensive structural specifications, geographical coordinates, AS-IS drawings, and other related documentation. AS-IS is documentation of the measurements and elements of an existing building. This data is used in the context of renovation.
One of the key features of BICRS is the provision for systematic evaluation of health based on predetermined rating parameters and identification of structures that require immediate remedial measures, including the imposition of traffic restrictions or suspension of heavy vehicle traffic.
The officials said the rating system was demonstrated during the executive committee meeting held in March, and then they decided to launch it.
A circular issued by the NHAI on the implementation of BICRS states that the engineers will record structural specifications and details of all projects, and the first inspection of structures must be completed before the monsoon.
The project director will cross-check the data prepared by the engineers during their monthly inspections and make observations if discrepancies are found in records and the physical state of structures.
In March last year, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had outlined detailed guidelines for identification and implementation of real-time health monitoring using sensors for effective maintenance and repair or retrofitting of different categories of bridges under NHAI jurisdiction.
Bridge the gap
Assessment, inspection & documentation of bridge structures twice a year
Prepare unified database of all structures, properties by assigning unique id number
To ensure systematic management, safety of infrastructure assets