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HIGHWAYS RESEARCH STATION
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INTRODUCTION |
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Highways Research
station established in 1957. and is the research and
development wing of the Highways Department. It is located in
Sardar Patel Road at Guindy opposite to Raj Bhavan, about 11 kms
from Chennai Central Railway Station and 10 kms from Meeenambakkam
Airport respectively. Highways Research Station is the first
of its kind at the state level, started for road research and has
been a forerunner for such institutions in the country. The
objective of the institution is to carry out investigation,
design and undertake applied research in the field of Highway
Engineering. The main fields of application are soils and
foundation Engineering, Bitumen and aggregate, concrete and
structures and Traffic and Transportation Engineering. There
are four regional laboratories located at and to undertake applied Research in the field
of Highway Engineering. The main fields of application are Soils and
Foundation Engineering, Bitumen, Concrete and Structures and Traffic
and Transport Engineering. There are four Regional Laboratories
located at Thanjavur, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Coimbatore which are
functioning as Regional units of Highways Research
Station.
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The Institution has experienced
Research staff who are well versed with the specifications to be
enforced in various type of works and this Institution is equipped
with required testing instruments and facilities for ensuring
quality assurance in all road and bridge works. The activities
of this Institution include consultancy services for problem solving
and conducting training programme to in service Engineers on quality
assurance. Highways Research Station plays a key role in
formulating specification for Roads and Bridges by Indian Road
Congress & BIS.
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In order to utilise the
infrastructure of Highways Research Station in a more competitive
way and to render training to the Government Engineers and award
degrees, Government have ordered to create a center of
Excellence under the name "Institute of Highways Research and
Management", at Highways Research Station under the aegis of
Anna University.
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| II.
IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES |
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| A) Soil and Foundation Engineering
Laboratory |
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1. Sub soil
investigation
2. Design of Foundation
3. Soil Stabilization
4. Design of Flexible
pavements
5. Design of Rigid
pavements
6. Design of High
embankments
7. Distress study of
pavements, embankments and suggestions of remedial measures
8. Soil reinforcement
techniques in the construction of embankments
9. Use of Geo Synthesis
in road works
10. Surface and
subsurface drainage. |
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| B) Bitumen and Aggregate Laboratory |
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1. Bituminous pavement
mix design
2. Evaluation of new
bituminous product
3.Collaborative studies
with other departments, state and central
4. Improvements of
binders using additives, polymers and rubber in different forms
5. Use of alternate
binders
6. Evaluation of
pavement characteristics.
7. Accident
investigation on road stretches prone to slipperiness
8. Pavement failure
studies
9. Maintenance
Management System / Laboratory circular test track for evaluating
new
materials |
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| C) Concrete and structures
Laboratory |
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1. Conducting load
tests to find stability of structures
2. Suggesting remedial
measure to the distressed bridges
3. Use of super plasticisers
in concrete for achieving high strength concrete
without sacrificing
workability.
4. Use of fly ash in
conjunction with cement
5. Concrete mix
design
6. Testing of materials
used in concrete including water
7. Mix proportion of
hardened cement mortar and concrete
8. Soundness of
structures by non - destructive testing
9. Creating database on
bridge information system for the state
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| D) Traffic and Transportation
Laboratory |
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1. Accident
investigation studies
2. Evaluation of
pavement riding quality
3. Techno - economic feasibility
studies of new road projects
4. Axle load spectrum
studies
5. Establishment of
Permanent Traffic Count Station and erection of weigh in motion
system |
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| E) Traffic Engineering
Division |
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1.
Conducting various traffic studies for economic feasibility
2.
Conducting field survey at the accident prone locations on roads in
Tamil Nadu
3.Conducting
census of pedestrian crossing roads on vulnerable spots
4.
Conducting traffic volume survey and field survey on junctions for
improvements
5.
Study on design and installation of signals
6.
Suggesting
guidelines to various works for geometric improvements
7.
Participating in the formulation of guidelines by I.R.C.,
M.O.R..T.H., etc.,
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Co-ordinating with Police Department for traffic improvement
9.
Compilation of traffic census particulars |
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| F) Computer Center |
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1. Latest version of
computer with terminals in each of the laboratory with appropriate
software to meet the growing demands
2. Pavement management
system for identifying the present condition of the Highway network,
fixing standards to maintain the road and assessing problem for road
patch
3. Computerising all
laboratory work
4. Works related to
research paper, seminars and other departmental publications
5. Training to staff in
computer operations
6. Desktop publishing
of
- Research Notes
- Research Reports
- Forms and Tables |
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| G) Library and
information services |
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1. Well-stacked library
with about 21,000 books
2. Books on Civil
Engineering, mechanical Engineering and allied subjects
3. Latest journals
subscribed
4. Institutional member
in various Institutions |
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| H) Photography Section |
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1. Photostat copies,
making slides for demonstration of laboratory and field tests
2. Maintaining records
if field condition before and after studies
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| I) Training Programme |
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1. Training
to newly recruited Engineers
2. Conducting refresher
courses for the Engineers in Service
3. Courses for Engineer
of other departments / organisation
4. A proposal for
setting up of full-fledged training institute is on the anvil |
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| J) Regional Laboratories |
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| There are four regional
laboratories located at Tanjavur, Madurai, Tirunelveli and
Coimbatore, which are functioning as Regional units of highways
Research Station. Routine tests on soils, cement, aggregate and
other materials are conducted in these Regional Laboratories. |
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| III.
PUBLICATIONS |
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a) Annual reports are
regularly published since the inception of the Institution
b) Research records are
published on all research projects completed successfully
c) Research digest, a quarterly
news letter, is also released periodically.
d) Technical circulars
are issued to the field officers, then and there
e) Review of technical
paper of other institutional is carried out and due recommendations
are given for publications in leading national journals including
IRC. |
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| IV.
CONTACT US |
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DIRECTOR,
HIGHWAYS
RESEARCH STATION
45,
SARDAR PATEL ROAD
GUINDY,
CHENNAI
- 600 025
TAMIL
NADU, INDIA.
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PH.
NO: 91 - 44 - 2235 2290
FAX
NO: 91 - 44 - 2235 1250
E
- MAIL ID: hrstn@vsnl.com
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