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R.N. DELB.U2007121973DL-SW-16/4123111-13

Price : Rs. 5/- December 2011i

EDITORIALBOARI)Chief Editor: R.N. DandekarMembers : Pradeep Mittal

P. S. Chadha

INDIAN BUILDINGS CONGRESSSector - VI, R.K. Puram, New Delhi - lI0 O22 Phones : Oll-26169531,26170197 Fax : 011-26196391

Website : www.ibc.org.in E-mail : info@ibc.ors.in

IBC Samachar

M a t e r i a l s u s e d i nst ructures are the basicsubstances that decide thetechnological process. In orderto reduce the impact of technoprocess ofmaterials from use towaste, we must consciouslythink about materials we

deploy to construct our structures. Because of itsoverall large share of impact, the built environ-ment can substantially reduce the use of newmaterials from geo-sphere and utilize wastes byuse of right kind of material technology. InGermany a unique concept "Bau-biologie"originated which is concerned with promotingthe use of healthy building materials andprinciples with the idea of improving living andwork spaces. The built environment which

houses the home or workplace should providefor a pleasant, comfortable, and healthyenvironment to all the occupants. A healthystructure can be designed to trap the harmfulemissions easily by using the right kind ofbuilding materials and methods and payingattention to details of methodology of construc-tion. Another important concem is to makestructures space efficient by combining utilitiesand various functions. The planners andarchitects should concentrate on building theleast area suiting the needs of the particularproject, that will require the least use of materi-als thus bringing economy in construction.Reducing the bio-degradation should be theprimary concem of all engaged in constructionindustry.

(Mahesh Kumar)

CHIEFPATRONKamal Nath

Hon'ble Minister of Urban Dev.

PATRONDr, Sudhir Krishna

Secretary Ministry of Urban Dev.

PR.ESIDENTMahesh Kumar

E-in-C, Haryana PWD (B&R)

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTBhishma Kumar Chugh

Former Director General, CPWD &Special Advisor GNCTD

FOUNDER PR"ESIDENTO.P. Goel

Former Director General, CPWD

SENIORVICE PRESIDENTC.S. Prasad

Director General, CPWD

VICE PRESIDENTSS.P.S. Bakshi

CMD, Engineering Project (I) LtdShobhit Uppal

Dy. MD, Ahluwalia Contracts (I) Ltd.Parimal Rai

Principal Secretary (Power) GNCTDMaj. Gen. R.K. Mattu

DG (Works) E-in-C's Branch

HONORARY SECRETARYDinesh Kumar

Chief Engineer, PWD, Delhi

HONORARYTREASURERBrig. Rajesh Tlagi

DDGW(Designs), E-in-C's Branch

EXECUTWE MEMBERSPradeep Mittal

Chairman, SR Tech. InstituteProf. S.K. BhattacharyyaDirector, CBRI, Roorkee

Dr. S.P. BansalCommissioner (Planning), DDA

S.K. ChaudharyExecutive Director, HUDCO

R.K. KakarFormer ChiefArchitect, CPWD

P.S. KohliCentral Builders Association

BUILDING COLLAPSNS IN WEST DELHI

Four people were killed and several injuredwhen a 15 year old three storeyed building camedown as a pack of cards on December 3, 201 1 inUttam Nagar, West Delhi. The collapse wastriggered due to unauthorized excavation beingdone in the adjoining plot for construction ofabasement flooq this was the fourth such incidentduring the current year and highlights theMunicipal Authorities-Builder nexus and theabsence of structural engineers. In Septemberthis year seven precious lives were lost when abuilding collapsed in Chandni Mahal in WalledCity due to excavation in the adjoining plot. InNovember, two labourers got trapped in thedebris of an under-construction building inPaharganj while digging a basement. After LalitaPark building collapse last year, MCD hasidentified a number of vulnerable unsafestrucfures but hardly anything has been done toeither demolish them or alternatively to retrofitthem.

A team of structural experts from IndianBuildings Congress inspected the Uttam Nagarsite and found that unsafe foundation design ofthe three storeyed building was perhaps one of

the reason for its collapse. As per the codalprovisions, the isolated foundations of astructure should be properly tied with each otherso as to give them ample rigidity in case ofseismic forces as well as minor unevensettlement. Further the neighbourer of adjoiningplot who wanted to construct a basement shouldhave provided proper underprinting/support tothe existing foundations so exposed. Had thesetwo precautions been taken, there would nothave been any reason for failure of existingbuilding.

The main reason for reoccurrences of suchbuilding mishaps is rampant unauthorizedconstruction in the capital. Although thecommon man does not recognize the importanceof structural/civil engineer and is carried awayby the false asswances of local builders who areactually responsible for construction ofunauthorized structures without any structuraldesign what so ever. The result is well before thesociety.

The problem is further compounded byregularization of unauthorized colonies in andaround the city. The local authorities due to the

influence of political parties initially allow development of suchlocalities and subsequently regularize them without taking carethat no rescue operations can be carried out in case ofa calamitydue to narrovr roads where Fire Brigade, cranss, kucks etc cannotenter. This situation actually existed in Uttam Nagar area where thelanes ars so narrow that with great diffrculty the rescue team couldsomehow manage to gst two small JCBs through. There isabsolutely no space for them to maneuver properly and work totheirfull efficiency.

ZOO}{ TO AGRA ON YAMUNA EXPRESS-WAYCommuters on 165km Yamuna Expressway between Greater

Noida andAgra will be able to zoom at 100 kmph when it is thrownopen to the public shortly. The speed limit of 100 kmph for lightmotor vehicles and 60 kmph for heavy vehicles has been fixed inaccordance with the norms set bv the union ministry of RoadTransport & Highways. To ensure safety of the road users, theexpressway will have certain reshictions like, a few categories ofslow moving vehicles e.g. pushcarts and bullock carts shall bebarred from using the expressway; overtaking and parking on the e-way will be prohibited; in case of a breakdownvehicles will beallowed to park only on a marked parking site along the shoulder ofthe expressway, etc.

To be opened two years ahead of schedule, the Rs I I ,000 croreaccess-controlled and elevated Yamuna Expressway corridorwould benefit an estimated l.2 lal<h commuters heading towardsAgra and beyond daily. The six-lane toll road between GreaterNoida and Agra will provide commuters seamless connectivityalong a six-lane main carriageway and a single-lane shoulderroad,besides the option for extending the expressway by another lane inthe future. The expressway is completely concretized and has beendesigned for speeds up to l20kmph. Commuters using theexpressway would be able to cover the distance between the twocities in a mere 90 minutes, compared to the present 3 hours. Theexpressway will have six interchanges along its path located atl0km,36km,48km, I l0km, l53km and finally the last one exitingat Agra at 165km. Ramps will be provided for exiting along theexpressway. To provide connectivity to the areas along theexpressway, 70 underpasses for vehicles, 76 underpasses forpedestrians and cart track crossing and 4l bridges will also beavailable foruse.

CCTVcameras willbe fixed at an interval ofevery 5km alongthe expressway for safety. Moreover, mobile radars to monitorspeed will be put to use and there will be one highway patrol forevery 25km, besides exclusive fire brigades. Emergency serviceslike towing, ambulances, petrol sheds, rest-houses and food courtservices will be available along the expressway at regular intervals.99 per cent of the work is complete and construction of two tollplazas and cloverleaves is under progress. Toll plazas are being setup atthe two interchanges that areunderconstruction.

TALLEST BUILDING OF INDIANoida will soon have some of the tallest buildings in India.

Supertech unveiled its plan to build a 300-metre, 80-floor mixed-use tower Spira in Sector 94 of Noida. In contrast the height of

Qutab Minar in Delhi is 71m. This comes after the realty majorlaunched a 255-metre-tall and 60-floor residential tower namedNorth Eye in Sector 74. High-rise construction specialist BEBillimoria has been given the confiact for the tallest residential

building. The project, spread in an area of 70,000 sqm with a builtup area of 50 lakh sqft, will cost Rs 2,000 crore and will becompleted in four years in three phases at Delhi-Noida border.

Spira would be the tallest mixed-use tower in India. This 80storey tower will come with an observation deck, a helipad,exclusive rooftop clubhouses, automated elevators and dedicatedlifts. The tower will have 4 bedroom luxury apartments till the 18'"floor. From 19" to 40" floor, the tower will have Spira Suites orstudio apartments, each 595 sq. ft. The floors from 41 to 50 willcomprise service apartments, while a 5-star hotel will be located onfloors above the 51"'floor.

As per rules, in case of buildings with a height of 30 metersand above, clearance from the National Airports Authority of Indiais required. For buildings above 60 metres, structural stabilityclearance from recognised institutions like IITs, PunjabEngineering College, Regional Engineering College and NationalInstitute of Technology is required. Fire safety clearance isrequired from the Institute ofFire Engineers, Nagpur.

RS.15,680 CRORE ROAD PROJECTS COMING UPThe Govt. has approved 15 highway projects spanning over

l,8l4km worth Rs 15,680 crore to give a boost to road constructionactivity and lead to better connectivity. Barring one, all otherprojects are four or six lane. The government has been focusingmore on awarding of highway projects to accelerate the highwayconstruction to reach the ambitious target of 20km per day. Thiscould be a reality by 20 | 4.

NHAI will award all these projects shortly, and this wouldhelp them reach the target of 4,600 km. So far, the authority hasawarded contracts for 3,051 km. This will help NHAI to meetalmost 70%o of the road ministry's target for the current fiscal.While 14 projects would be taken up on Build, Operate andTransfer toll model, only one venture will need govemmentassistance through deferred payments to the private developer.Some of the major projects include building four lanes ofMaharashtra/Karnataka border-Sangareddy section on NH-9,Hospet-Chitradurga section on NH-13 in Kamataka, Cuttack-Angul section on NH-42 and Cuttack-Angul section of NH-42 inOdisha, Raipur-Bilaspur section on NH-200 in Chhattisgarh,Lucknow-Rae Bareilly section on NH-24B and constructing sixlanes ofAgra-Etawah bypass on NH-2 in UP.

HIGTTWAYS ARE GOING FOR PREMIUMThe National Highways Authority of India has got over

Rs 2,000 crore as premium from awarding highway projects during

the current financial year. Highway sector is emerging as a sunriseone amid Indian economy which is coming under slowdown gnp.In case of projects going with.premium, the developer raisesfinances and on top ofthat pays an annual upfront amount to theNHAI. Usually, the developers quote premium, taking into accountlikely increase in traffic on specifrc roads based on the presenttrend. The annual premium amount will increase by 5o/o everysuccessive year during the entire concession period of20 years.

Infrastructure majors like L&T quoted premium of Rs 8lcrore for the four-laning of 145 km between Maharashtra,/Karnataka border and Sangareddy at a cost of Rs 1,3 I 8.66 crore. Itwas no different in case of 160 km corridor between Etawah andChakeri (Kanpur), where Oriental Structural Engineers havequoted Rs. 85 crore as premium.

NEW GURGAON ROAD TO EASE CHAOSA new 2.7km road, will link Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road to

NH-8 at the Shiv Murti junction, where an underpass will alsoprovide a connection to the Dwarka Link Road. This will enableDwarka commuters to avoid the heavily congested Rao Tula RamRoad (RTR) and the airport stretch. The road will largely passthrough uncultivated government land and will be complete withservice lanes and other street design features. The road will ease theflow of traffic at the three major bottlenecks that form on the OuterRing Road near RTR,near the airport and on NH-8.

As commuters bound for Dwarka and Gurgaon can take thenew road,the outer Ring Road will become clearer for the airporttraffic as well as those bound for the residential colonies alonsOuter Ring Road. This proposed stretch will be wide enough foitrucks to pass and the direct connection to Dwarka will allow theDwarka Link Road to act as a fast transit.

AFGHAN _ IRAN RAIL LINKIndia is to construct a 900-km railway line that.will connect

Chabahar port in lran, being built with Indian help, to the mineral-rich Hajigak region ofAfghanistan. Chabahar is just 72 km west ofPakistan's Gwadar port, being built with Chinese help. This linewill throw up following geo-political and economic opportunitiesforlndia:o It will give Afghanistan access to the sea, thus, reducing its

dependence on Pakistan.o It will open opporhmities for Indian companies to explore

Afghanistan's mineral wealth, believed to be worth Rs 50-150lakh crore, for mutual benefit. Just consider: the entire Indianeconomy is valued at Rs 60lakh crore.

TIER-II CITIES QUALIFY FOR METROThe union urban development ministry has decided to

consider the proposals for Metro in cities with 20 lakh pluspopulation. With this anrcuncement, Tier II cities like Lucknow,Kanpur, Patna, Jaipur Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Indore, Nagpur,Kochi, Coimbatore, Kozhikode qualifyto getthe Metro rail systemwithCentre'ssupport.Smaller cities like Chandigarh, Ludhianaand Bhopal are moving ahead with the proposal for the Metroproject although they did not fit in the population cut-oflcriteria.

From the above, Jaipur is expected to be first to get the swankymode of transportation as state government is funding the entirecost of Rs 1,250 crore of the 9.25km. Kochi has also movedforward for the modern transport for 25.3-km sfretch costingRs4,722crore.

From times unknown we, in India, havebeen regarding our rivers as very sacred andpious entities. Many towns and cities havesettled and survived around the banks of majorrivers and they are testimony to development ocivilizations. However over the years, the riversin India have been turned into dumping place oall kinds of polluting materials and wastes.Hardly any day passes when there is no storyabout pollution ofone form or another in the rivers. The naturalwater resources like rivers, lakes and underground stores hold lessthan lo/o of all the fresh water and this tiny amount has to providethe fresh water needed to support the Earth's population. Freshwater is a precious resource and the increasing pollution ofourrivers and lakes is a cause for alarm. Most fresh water sources getpolluted by the addition of wastes which is mainly organicsewage, Industrial and chemical pollutants in the form ofcyanide,zinc,lead, copper, and mercury from factories etc. Bacteria andother micro-organisms feed on these matter and develop largeconcentrations consuming substantial dissolved oxygen.Normally oxygen is present in high quantities but even a smalldrop in the level has a harmful effect on the living species of therivers. Most often our actions lead to this pollution but definitelysomething can be done about it.

Let us welcome year 2012 with a pledge as a part of NewYear resolution that everyone amongst us would contribute anddo whatever little we can do to reduce river pollution and bringback our rivers to the past glory.

Wishing our readers aNewYear!

very prosperous and healthy

Dandekar)

SENTOSA PARK COMING TO DELHIIndian tourism is looking up. With an initial outlay ofRs 1,000

crore,20 theme parks, on the lines of Sentosa (Singapore) andCancun (Mexico), are being proposed by the tourism ministry. TheCentre, besides providing core infrastructure and tax incentives,will provide R50 crore for every park with the rest being raisedfrom state govemments and private entities in Public privatePartnership mode. The states besides providing the land willprovide tax incentives, speedy clearances, higher FloorArea Ratioand connectivitv.

Each park, sized at about 50 acres, will comprise hotels,convention centres, entertainment parks, skill training centersbesides entertainment and amusement centres, food streets, andfacilities for sports and hosting ofcultural events and festivals' Thecoming year is going to be the Year of India. The additional 5million tourist arrivals will create 25 million jobs in the country.

SANCHI; BLIND-F.RIENDLY HERITAGESITEBuddhist sites in Sanchi are the first friendly world heritage

monument in the country for the visually challenged. Specialtactile walkways, signages in Braille, beepers and a Braille mapmakes the famed Buddhist monuments, including the Stupa, comealive for the visually challenged, who will also be allowed to "feel"the grandeur in every sense.

This is the first archaeological site in the country whereASI istaking a visually challenged person from the gate of the site to themonument and even allowing them to touch and feel themonuments. ASI authorities generally prevent visitors fromtouching the monuments for their better preservation.

DELHI GOVT. HIKES CIRCLE RATESFor the second time this year, the Delhi government

announced a steep hike in circle rates in a bid to garner morerevenue and check the use ofblack money in property transactions.In most cases, the actual rates ofproperties are not shown on paperdue to which the govemment suffers loss in revenue in stamp dutyand registration fees. The city government expects the revised ratesto bring in additional revenue to the tune ofRs 800 crore annually.

Circle rates are the government's valuation of land in the citydifferentiated into eight categories, A to H below which arcaltydeal cannot be registered. After doubling the circle rates inFebruary this year, the government has now further revised therates with a hike in the range of 15%o to 250%o. The new circle rateregime is unlikely to affect real estate prices in the city. The hikemay only result in a price correction in certain areas as the blackmoney component in property deals comes down. Even the revisedrates are much below real property values in the city.

HOW TO PREDICT AN EARTHQUAKEA new theory says ozone gas emitted from fracturing rocks

could warn us of an impending earthquake. Scientists at theUniversity of Virginia, set up experiments to measure ozoneproduced by crushing rocks. Different rocks produced differentamounts of ozone. Some time prior to an earthquake, pressuresbegin to build in underground faults. These pressures fracturerocks, and presumably, would produce detectable ozone.

It occurred to Scientists that iffracfuring rocks create ozone,then ozone detectors might be used as waming devices in the sameway that animal behavioural changes might be indicators ofseismic activity. Such an array, located away from areas with highlevels of ground ozorie, could be useful for giving early warning toeadhquakes.

WORLD'S LIGHTEST MATERIALA metal developed by a team of researchers from University

of California and the California Institute of Technology is shownresting on a dandelion fluffwithout damaging it. With a density of

0.9 mglcc, the metal, which is about 100 times lighter thanstyrofoam, is the world's lightest material. The scientists were ableto make a material that consists of 99.990/, air by designing the0.01% solid at the nanometre, micron and millimetre scales. Thetrick is to fabricate a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with awall thickness I ,000 times thinner than a human hair.

RADIO THAT RUNS ON WATERScientists have created the world's first water-powered radio.

It's inventor, Vivian Black, says his water-proof radio is poweredby the motion of water flowing into a shower. Creating the microturbine technology, which allows the radio to operate solelythrough the flow of water, was the key to the new innovation. TheHrO water-powered radio clips onto the water pipe that runs up to a

showerhead.

ARCTIC SEA WILL BE ICE - FREE BY 2015According to Prof. Peter Wadhams of Cambridge University,

the ice that forms over the Arctic sea is shrinking so rapidly that itmay vanish altogether in four years destroying the natural habitatof animals like polar bears. The mass of ice between northernRussia, Canada and Greenland waxes and wanes with the seasons,currently reaching a minimum size of about four million squarekilometres.

Most models, including the latest estimates by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, track the decline in thearea covered by ice in recent years to predict the rate at which it willdeteriorate. But citing research compiled by Wieslaw Maslowski, aresearcher from the American Naval Postgraduate School,Wadhams said that such predictions failed to spot how quicklyclimate change is causing the ice to thin.

NANO HOME BY MAHINDRAS AT $3OO?Last year, a marketing expert, had written a blog on the

website of Harvard Business Review about the possibility of ahouse for less than $300. The post received phenomenal response,a forum had announced a $25,000 award for anyone who suggeststhe best way for its construction. A team from Mahindra Partnershad submitted an entry and has now been invited to the US for aprototype workshop. The project is at just at an ideation stage. Butif the concept is selected as a feasible option in the US, then therewould be a global commercial application. The design ofthe houseincludes material that is easily available and affordable inemerging economies such asAfrica, India and SouthAmerica. TheMahindra's low- cost house is made out of bamboo and boasts ofsafety features apart from solar operated lights.

I IIfIN'ID ATITI ATTr|NqCONGRATULATIONS

Shri K. K. Kapila, Past President IBC & CMD i

Intercontinental Consultants and Technocrats rPvt. Ltd., on receiving a unique award dedicated ito the 20'h anniversary of Commonwealth of ;Independent States, post grouping of CIS icountries on 22"0 Novemb er 20ll at Moscow for ihis outstanding contribution to the road sector in ]theworld. or

Printed and Published by Dinesh Kumar, Honorary Secretary, IBC, on behalf of Indian Buildings Congress,Sector-Vl. R.K. Puram, New Delhi-l10022 and Printed at I G Printers Pvt. Ltd., Okhla Phase-L, New Delhi-I10020

Chief Editor : R.N. Dandekar