ROAD WITHOUT DRAIN A GREAT DISASTER - A case Study By Er . Nandanandan Das

1. ROAD WITHOUT DRAIN A GREAT DISASTER- A case Study By Er. Nandanandan Das Ex. E.I.C cum Secretary, Works, Govt. Of Odisha

2. The good road net work system is the symbol of development of the country. Good road creates easy transportation. Even if the road is improved and made good motor able condition, can be damaged due to inadequate provision of drainage system. . • The provision of drains use:- • To carry storm water, waste water. • Act as cut off, which protect to entry of outside ground water to inside of road. • V-Type line (Fig-I) drains act as prevention of accidents while passing through villages and towns. Typical Section of V-Type Lined Drain

3. Author joined in the project after three years of starting of work. He was in charge as Sambalpur - Rourkela ADB project road (S.H. -10) 163 km in length in the state of Odisha. The entire reach was taken up in three separate contacts (1) Sambalpur to Jharsuguda(2) Jharsuguda to Sundargarh (3) Sundargarh to Rourkela. • Work was taken up in three phases. First phase was completed by the time author joined in the project. It was noticed, deterioration had been started on some portion of the road surface after passing through three monsoons. • Contractor of the project was L & T and consultants were Inter National Consultant and (ICT). The work was under the control of ADB project. The reason of such damage of road was in debating stage. • It came to author's notice that where ever the G.S.B. layer of the road were blocked either by dumping of excavated material from road or inadequate drainage provision, the sagging and depression on top of the road was occurred • This road was constructed in international standard and was new for the Engineers. As per the contract condition the excavated material was to be dumped within one km. There was usual practice of dumping of excavated material from the road on the slope of embankment for which the G.S.B. layer was blocked.

4. The drainage layer is provided to release the water inside the road to outside but when the same was blocked, the function of drainage of water from inside of road to outside was stopped. Rather outside water easily entered to drainage layer making up ward pressure from bottom of GSB & WMM layer to top during monsoon. • This created deterioration of surface of road due to vertical water pressure from bottom and by running of traffic on top. The formation of the road was with 7m carriage way. The typical cross section of road has been given in (Fig. -II). • Crosses Section details - thickness of G.S.B. - 275mm. W.M.M. -250mm, D.B.M. -100mm, B.C -40mm total 665 mm i.e. 0.665m. The depth of drain should be 665mm + depth of storm water flow in the drain i.e. about 400mm below G.S.B. layer. So total depth was 1065mm. i.e. 1.065m. Slope of road was 1:2, so the horizon coverage was 2.13m. Total effective length from centre of road was 6+2.13 m. I.e. 8.13m. Fig-II Typical Cross Section of Sambalpur– Rourkela (SH-10)

5. Since earth work was completed on almost entire stretch of road and payment on earth work item was released, subsequent bill was held up for rectification of defects and trimming the slope of embankment and providing V-type earthen drain where ever necessary (See Fig.III). 1M • Fig-III Contractor was unwilling to attend such defect, as the length of road was more than 100 km and complained that this would have been pointed out from the starting of the work.

6. When the contractor understood that the maintenance for the road for one year was to be made at their cost and the road will be damaged gradually, if the over burden earth were not removed. • Contractor was given option to move J.C.B on both side of road at a distance of 8.5m from the centre of the road for a depth of 1.m from the formation level with 0.75m width, which was suitable. • The option was accepted. The contractor could complete making drain on both side for a length 110 km from Jharsuguda to Rourkela covering two packages, since Author was in charge of those two packages. The road was saved from further deterioration. Vide Fig-IV Fig-IV • Always Engineers should derive the solution on problem as per the site condition for arriving qualitative and quantitative work.

7. The End