The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, for a research project on laboratory and field investigations on panelled cement concrete pavements for highways.
NHAI has paid Rs 1.25 crore for the project, excluding cost of construction of trial pavement section on national highways, according to an official press release.
Highways are generally paved with bituminous material produced from refineries. However, these highways are prone to damage and need frequent maintenance due to adverse climatic conditions such as rain and hot weather.
To remedy this problem, the government has recently announced a policy for the construction of concrete pavements for all major highways due to their longevity and maintenance-free life.
NHAI, in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur, will try to develop a technology to construct panelled cement concrete (pre-fabricated in a small panel size) which can replace the design of construction of existing cement concrete road.