White-topping to be double quick with new technology

A 500-metre stretch on Old Madras Road has been taken up for white-topping by using what the BBMP calls a ‘Rapid Road’ technology.

Under the pilot project, the civic body plans to fabricate the concrete slabs (20 feet in length and 5 feet in width) in the factory and embed them on the road.

In the present system, the BBMP takes around 26 to 28 days to white-top a road. This includes milling, levelling, providing bituminous concrete and the mandatory 21 days of curing period. Under the new technology, the concrete slabs are brought to the site and placed on the road using cranes.

“The method helps in white-topping half a kilometre of road in a day. We need one or two days for milling and levelling, before placing the concrete slabs. The entire project can be completed in five days. We plan to extend the project to other roads based on the feedback received from motorists,” Prahlad B S, engineer-in-chief of BBMP, told DH.

The cost is the same for regular white-topping and the ‘Rapid Road’ project. “The new project, however, requires an additional cost of transporting the concrete slabs to the site. Under the pilot project, the innovation partner UltraTech Cement has offered to bear the additional cost,” the engineer-in-chief said.

At present, the BBMP spends Rs 11 crore to white-top a four-lane road and around Rs 15 crore to white-top a six-lane road. While the project may reduce construction time, concerns have been raised about undulation since multiple concrete slabs are used in laying the road.