Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune

NIRMITEE 2003
A National Level Technical Paper Presentation Competition
Transportation Engineering
A paper on
HIGHW! T" H"PE
#y
Ma$aran% P& 'hi(ane Mano) M& *erul$ar
+ano)(erul$ar,re%iff+ail&co+
G"*T& -"..EGE "/ ENGINEERING , 0RNG#1&
'!N"P'I'
India accounts for 15% of world population, but onl has !% of world road
networ"# The importance of infrastructure development in India is now well accepted b
all the participants in $i%hwa sector# $ence there is need to reconsider the e&istin%
policies# The areas for innovations are financin%, desi%n of $i%hwa pro'ect, $i%hwa
safet, traffic mana%ement, maintenance strate% and environmental issues# (e never felt
an need to investi%ate as we could afford to use e&tra factor of safet to the care of
i%norance# The need is bein% felt to reduce factor of safet b increasin% the behavioural
understandin%# The main ob'ect of paper is to create awareness amon% the students and
road users about $i%hwa sectors with respect to opportunities available# The paper
%ives collective information about $i%hwa sectors with respective to opportunities
available and also collective information about present scenario#
Intro%uction 23
$i%hwas are lifelines of countr# )evelopment of an nation depends upon the
development of road networ"# *ut e&istin% resources in terms of mone, technical
manpower, construction e+uipment, speed and +ualit of construction are ver
inade+uate# This present situation needs oun% blood with fresh new ideas for we people,
this field is more interestin% and challen%in%# Isn,t it a %reat opportunit to do somethin%
for our countr- Also $i%hwa en%ineerin% is associated with different branches of civil
en%ineerin% which add flavour in our "nowled%e#
The main ob'ect of this paper is to create awareness in the students about
$i%hwa s and to %ive the clear picture of present situation#
PRE'ENT '-ENRI" 23
National $i%hwa s authorit of India .N$AI/ has made a perspective plan for
the ne&t 01 ears for development of e&presswa, national $i%hwas and stren%thenin%
improvement of total len%th of 2!,111 "ms# of roads, re+uirin% 3s# 1!5,111 crores of
investment in first decade# In addition various state level bodies have their own plans
which will have to fit in between schemes#
The 4overnment in 1556 has ta"en initiative b plannin% for e&presswas, si&7
lanin% and four lanin% of National $i%hwas connectin% four metros )elhi78umbai7
Chennai7Col"ata7)elhi, which is phase7I of N$)P "nown as G".1EN
401RI.TER. .49/ coverin% 565 "ms of $i%hwas# A world ban" stud has
estimated economic benefits of 3s# 6,111 crores per ear on account of the 4olden
9uadrilateral# It will %enerate emploment of about 161 million man7das# The phase7II
under N$)P covers si& lanin% of North3'outh corri%ors and East3West corri%ors
connectin% :hrina%ar to ;ana"umari and :ilchar to Porbandar respectivel which
covers about <=11 "ms of National $i%hwa # >er recentl the tar%et len%th has been
increased to 1!111 "m and estimate of pro'ect Roa% 1e(elop+ent Plan3*ision 2025&
The Indian roads con%ress has brou%ht out the road development plan vision 0101
on behalf of 8inistr of road transport and $i%hwas# As per this, an additional len%th of
00,111 "m would re+uired in ne&t 01 ears in the N$ sstem there b raisin% the total
len%th of National $i%hwas to 61,111 "m# A tar%et of 11,111 "m of e&presswas has
also been proposed to provide safe and speed movement of %oods and passen%ers# (ith
due re%ard to vision 0101, the 11 the five ears plan is bein% finali?ed b plannin%
commission#
THE R"1W! T" INN"*TI"N 23
$i%hwa @n%ineers is the field havin% lot of scope for innovations# These
innovations are most challen%in% and interestin% also# $ere we are discussin% the
different areas in which innovations are re+uired, present situation about new innovations
and scope for further innovation#
The different are of $i%hwa @n%ineerin% are classified under followin%
headin%s#
1# Ainancin% of $i%hwa pro'ects#
0# )esi%n of $i%hwa pro'ects#
=# $i%hwa safet and traffic mana%ement#
!# 8aintenance strate% and environmental issues#
In above each area we will discuss necessit of innovation, scope for further studies
and present efforts done#
5& /inancing of High6ay pro)ect
Necessity2 3
Thou%h 4overnment havin% different pro'ects, funds available are insufficient#
The 4overnment is aware of the need of more funds for $i%hwa sector and hence
efforts are made b 4overnment to have special funds for development of $i%hwa s#
There is %eneral resistance from financial institutes for fundin% the $i%hwa pro'ect# The
concession period for tpical $i%hwa pro'ect ma %o to 10 to 15 ears# Presentl the
debt instruments are not available to cover this lar%e period# The cost of the $i%hwa
pro'ect is also ver lar%e and for such lar%e fundin%, financial institute hesitate to %ive
mone#
Means of financing2 3
(orldwide there are five broad mean of financin% road construction and
maintenance##
a/ *ud%etar support from central and state 4overnment#
b/ Creation of an e&tra bud%etar fund b lev of specific user tariffs#
c/ )evelopment and maintenance of $i%hwa on Busers pa, toll basis#
d/ 4overnment borrowin% from multilateral a%enc and other#
e/ Private participation#
I+portance of econo+ic analysis23
$i%hwa and road are economic ventures# @conomic analsis are therefore
becomin% of increased importance for the desi%n en%ineer to reach at most
economical and serviceable desi%n# :till more to decide whether a $i%hwa facilit
should be build at all or not#
No one would dispute that India needs more and better roads which in fact are the
main arteries throu%h which life blood of economic activit follows# *ut then we
would re+uire ver lar%e sums of mone, much beond the limits of available
resources#
2& 1esign of High6ay pro)ect
Tra%itions23
$i%hwas are made for movement of men and materials# The nature of vehicles
used for transport has under%one considerable chan%e over the ear# In advanced
countries in advancement of mode of transport led to replace of old one b advanced one#
*ut in India on or road pedestrians, animals and most modern cars C truc"s co7e&ist#
Mansoon an% roa%s 23
In mansoon the urban roads becomes a valle as surroundin% plots are located
above the road level water from these plots dama%es the crest of roads, such dama%es
causes accidents and also reducin% in speed of traffic flow#
'u7soil 23
The road spread is such that it e&periences varied subsoil conditions# The soil also
chan%es its state as per the season and is e+uall affected b air pollution caused b
traffic# Thus the situation is e&tremel complicated# :o desi%ner tends to se%re%ate the
factors and considers onl factors, which he can tac"le b usin% "nown desi%n models
evolved in advance countries# :o the draw ima%inar se%re%ation lines and tr to
se%re%ate are as of responsibilit#
Materials 23
The $i%hwa construction involves mostl natural materials such as soil stone,
which are bein% used from a%es# :o everone carries the impression that there is nothin%
technical about it# (e never understood the behavior pattern of stone and soil and it
remains as celestial ob'ects# This is because we never felt an need to investi%ate as we
could afford to use e&tra factor of safet to ta"e care of i%norance#
The need is bein% felt to reduce factor of safet b increasin% the behavioral
understandin% of conventional $i%hwa material and usin% more and more en%ineered
materials for ma"in% $i%hwa #
Thus additions of polmers in bitumen are resultin% into increase in compressive
stren%th and stiffness of bituminous laers# :imilarl development of hi%h perform
concrete is resultin% into concrete of hi%h stren%th# It can result in reduction in thic"ness
of crust# This development will need simultaneous improvement in stiffness of base laer
as an lar%e variation in base and top laer can create compatibilit problem#
E+pirical Rules 23
If we loo" bac" then it can be seen that the road desi%n is evolved b empirical
rules# The empirical formulae are developed b e&perience or observation and some
e&perimentation# The desi%n models bein% used are empirical which limits to use within
the levels of factors for which it is tested# The e&trapolation of blac" bo& derived
constants is alwas frau%ht with dan%er of it bein% useless, if its limit is crossed#
3& High6ay safety an% traffic +anage+ent 23
A driver e&periences about = to 5 incident of miraculous escape from accidents in
ever len%th 511 "ms# It is estimated that about 05 persons are "illed annuall in India
per 11111 motor vehicles#
The ma'or drawbac" in the present sstem affectin% the road safet is the absence
of sin%le a%enc to deal with all aspects of road safet# The first aspect of the present
scenario is the ne%lect of the accident victims at the roadside, partl because of 8acci%ent
%oes not happen to +e9 attitude and partl due to the fear of the li"el inconvenience
and sometimes dan%er involved in ta"in% an accident victims to hospital# :Pehle ap;
culture is totall missin% in road traffic, thou%h in everda life of the same driver it ma
be +uite prominent# 3e%ardin% environment around the road we are familiar with
encroachment on the road space with cattle roamin% around with children plain% on
roads are adults ta"in% nap on blac" topped surface#
The ob'ective in road safet is not onl to reduce road accidents but also to reduce
the in'uries and fatalities and also to see that accident victims are rehabilitated properl#
The concept of :forgi(ing; $i%hwa in relation to desi%n of safe hi%h speed
facilities has alread %ained credibilit and worldwide acceptance amon% the $i%hwa
en%ineers# >arious road safet strate%ies and counter measures are re+uired to be
underta"en in plannin%, development maintenance and operation of the road networ"#
Dnfortunatel, in developin% countr li"e ours, the road environment is after inade+uate
to %uide the road users for safe travel on road# The concept of three :E;s >i?#
Engineering Enforce+ent an% E%ucation, if followed in practice, will decidedl %uide
all "e plaers directl or indirectl involved with road safet for a sstematic approach
towards safet conscious plannin%, desi%n and operation for the road networ"#
In order to solve the traffic problems the e&istin% infrastructures the road user, the
width of the road, e&istence of intersection cannot be chan%ed#
$owever the intensit of the traffic problems can be reduced b followin% three
was#
1# Traffic re%ulator measures#
0# Traffic control measures#
=# Traffic mana%ement measures#
The fundamental approach in traffic mana%ement measures is to retain as much as
possible the e&istin% pattern of streets but to alter the pattern of traffic movement on these
so that the most efficient use is made of the sstem# In doin% so, minor alternation to
traffic lanes, islands, curbs etc are inevitable and are part of the mana%ement measures#
The %eneral aim is to reorient the traffic pattern on the e&istin% streets so that the conflict
between vehicles and pedestrians is reduced#
<& Maintenance strategy an% en(iron+ental issues&
A (orld *an" polic stud of road maintenance needs in developin% countries
ma"es the followin% observation#
EFver the past two decades .152671566/ an estimated !5 billions worth of road
infrastructure has been lost owin% to inade+uate maintenance in the 65 developin%
countries reviewed in this polic stud# The loss could have been avoided with preventive
maintenance costin% less than G 10 billionsH
The above observation can be summed up b the ada%e : stitch in ti+e sa(es
nine;# The overall situation in 0110 is not different#
)ue to lac" of maintenance the operation cost of vehicles is %oin% upto 15 to !1
percent# Proper maintenance of road is ver important in order to enhance the life of
pavements and to reduce the cost of operation vehicles# 3oad deteriorates faster due to
improper constructions, lac" of +ualit control, fault desi%n, dama%e due to weather,
improper camber etc# If the concrete pavements are constructed as per +ualit stand the
onl maintenance re+uired is maintenance of 'oint# In case of bituminous pavements if
proper camber is provided so that water drains out there are less chan%es of formation of
pot holes# *ut in case of bituminous pavements the stren%th of sub%rade is ver important
when compared to concrete pavement#
In view of the deterioratin% environmental condition and around the development
activities, it has become necessar to account for the environment while plannin% for an
pro'ects# It is an inescapable fact toad that an En(iron+ental I+pact ssess+ent
=EI> report needs to be prepared in a manner, which conforms to national and
international re%ulation and %uidelines# @IA is defined as a comprehensive environment
evolution of an activit before it is underta"en to ensure that all possible primar and
secondar effects of the underta"en alon% with all possible alternatives# It must be seen as
a proactive, rather than a purel conformist document# The basic ob'ective @IA are to I
1# Predict environmental impact of pro'ects#
0# Aind was and means to reduce adverse impact#
=# :hape pro'ect to suit local environment and
!# Present the predictions and options to the desi%n ma"ers#
@IA can help in achievin% followin% %oals I7
1# Achievin% balance of interests between development and environment#
0# Achievin% sustainabilit#
=# Accruin% benefits for proponents, interested %roups and the environment#
-"N-.0'I"N
The future trends re+uired drastic chan%es in our concepts and also desi%n models
which will be needed to be based on hard data about present re+uirements and trends in
future developments# Dse of copied concepts and solutions would not find place in near
future as $i%hwa users are becomin% aware about standard of services the can %et due
to their e&posure to those in advance countries# Their point of view cannot be i%nored an
more# :o High6ay planners are re+uired to learn to be more responsive to local needs
and aspiration of user within the available resources# Customer care will be the "eword
in future $i%hwa desi%n#
RE/EREN-E'
1# The $indu I7 National $i%hwa pro'ects to be over b 011=, the $indu, New
)elhi )ate I 1!C16C0111#
0# Proceedin%s I National seminar on financin%, desi%n, construction and operation
of $i%hwa s# )ate I <C6C0110#
=# The times of India I $i%hwa to hope in interview with )eepa" )as 4upta,
Chairman, NA$I, the times of India, Pune, )ated I !C<C0110#
!# The economic times I (e have tied up the fundin% for %olden +uadrilateral in
Tuesda interview with )eepa" )as 4upta, Chairman, NA$I, the economic
times, 8umbai, )ated I 6C6C0110#
5# C#C# *hattachara, BAn overview of road development in India, lecture notes on
advanced road infrastructure plannin% and development, IIT ;hara%pur, 1< to 0=
Jul, 171#
2# C#C# *hattachara, B$i%hwa safet7Indian scenario, lecture notes on advanced
road infrastructure plannin% and development, IIT, ;hara%pur, 1< to 0= Jul, 571#
<# A#;# )i"shit, BAssessin% environmental impact for $i%hwa pro'ect,# Lecture
notes on advanced road infrastructure plannin% and development, IIT ;hara%pur,
1< to 0= Jul, 671#
6# :#;# ;hanna, C#@#4# Justo, B$i%hwa @n%ineerin%,, 0111#