Kerala - Kannur   

Civil engineers call for changes in building rules

Staff Reporter

Amendments aimed at ensuring safety of the people

KANNUR: The State conference of the Graduates Association of Civil Engineers (GRACE) here has called for amendments in the Kerala Municipal Building Rule 1999 to attune it with the National Building Code 2005.

A resolution adopted by the conference urged the State Government to introduce amendments in the existing building rules to ensure safety of the people. The intensity of natural disasters like earthquakes was often caused by the collapse of structures that could not resist them. The National Building Code 2005 reflected this reality, the resolution said. The code contained guidelines on the use of latest construction technologies and materials, and on construction methods suitable for urban and rural areas, it added.

Inaugurating the conference here on Tuesday, N. Ganeshan, Head of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Calicut, called on civil engineers to offer better services by keeping up-to-date with the latest technology. He also spoke on self-compacting concrete (SCC), a recently developed concept. Dr. Ganeshan said the SCC was concrete that flowed like a liquid without any segregation and filled all the voids and got compacted without using any external vibrators. This was ideal for earthquake-resistant concrete structures, he said, adding that it was also environment-friendly as it used large quantity of waste products. SCC structures also have excellent finish and high durability, he said.

Delivering the keynote address at the function, Inland Navigation Department executive engineer K.P. Ahamed Basheer emphasised the importance of cooperation between engineers in private and Government sectors.

GRACE president N.I. Varghese presided over the function. Former president A. Safarulla and former secretary K.V. Vinod Kumar were also present at the function.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Civil engineers call for changes in building rules
Milad-e-Sherif celebrated
In Kannur Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu