BRO enquiry team from Delhi to investigate Rangchang Bridge collapse

NEVER SEEN SUCH HUGE VEHICLES ANYWHERE: BRO OFFICIALS ON THE 48-WHEELER THAT FELL ALONG WITH BRIDGE ON MONDAY
GANGTOK, 20 Dec: The Border Roads Organisation has initiated an inquiry into the Rangchang Bridge collapse of Monday which claimed eight lives [not 10 as reported in NOW! of 20 Dec 2011]. The bridge collapse, apart from raising concerns over quality control and maintenance, also raises pertinent questions over responsibility of power developers towards road norms and the suitability of restrictions on plying of such heavy loads reaching almost a 100 tonnes and other loads in excess of the strength of the bridge. Speaking to NOW!, BRO officials commented that the bridge buckled under, what they believe, was a substantially heavy load – a loaded 48-wheel trailer.

Now, a team from the Director General, BRO, New Delhi, is expected to arrive in Sikkim shortly to initiate what is being termed as a “thorough and complete enquiry and investigation” into the incident.
Preliminary reports on the incident have been sent to the BRO head office and a detailed report will be forwarded to the DG by tomorrow, it is informed. Then, the enquiry will cover each and every stage of the bridge construction from tendering to soil investigations etc. Thereafter, a report will be put up and action initiated accordingly.
BRO officials, when contacted at the Project Swastik headquarters in Burtuk here, expressed that they have never seen such huge vehicles with such heavy loads plying anywhere in the country but Sikkim. And while elsewhere, the load of heavy vehicles is broken up or spread out, here, the concerned companies do not seem to bother with such precautions, it was stated.
“In this regard, we cannot do much; the only thing we can do is bring this to the notice of senior officials and the State government,” informed BRO officials.
In fact, it is stated that numerous such “complaints” had been lodged with the government bringing this fact to their notice.
While the Rangchang Bridge had a load capacity of 70R or 100 tonnes, the weight of the 48-wheeler along with its load comprising of a transformer, has been stated by BRO representatives to be in excess of the permissible capacity of the bridge.
It is also opined by them that the vehicle had parked on the bridge for some time, creating a “point load” directly on one spot on the bridge resulting in it buckling.
“Bearings have been installed in the bridge as a safety precaution against earthquakes which assist in withstanding to and fro motion, but it will not withstand sideways movement of the bridge as must have happened when a vehicle of such proportions swerves,” stated officials.
It was further informed that all bridges in Sikkim are constructed to the 70R norm and all are subjected to various tests and different levels and different agencies as well.
“There are several parameters which have been framed for quality control and a bridge has to pass through all this,” it was stated.
There is a Quality Inspection Team led by a Director level official, then a quality control cell of Project Swastik and quality inspections by 87 RCC and 764 BRTF as well. A bridge is also subjected to a test of 118 ton weight.
It is learnt that BRO officials had been conveyed a message by their field staff that the proportion of the vehicle was ‘scary’.
“We have not seen such huge vehicles anywhere,” it was reiterated.
It was also informed that regular maintenance is undertaken and that the Rangchang Bridge had been checked after the 18 Sept earthquake as well. “No damage was seen on the outside, but we cannot say if there were any damages inside,” BRO representatives stated.
They also express that the continuing string of tremors may have also lent their weakening impact on the bridge.