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A desirable gadget now at hand

NAC has the answer to quality testing at different levels of building activity, writes M. Srinivas

Want to check the structural stability of a flat before purchasing it? Not quite sure of the quality of sand, brick and cement used for constructing a house? Entertaining doubts on the status of soil before laying the foundation?

Then, here is an answer to all your doubts. The National Academy of Construction (NAC) has acquired the latest apparatus for conducting quality tests on different construction material that goes in setting up your dream home.

The new apparatus include half-cell potential meters, rebound hammer, rebar locator and compression test machine to name a few.

“We will collect 0.5 per cent of the total building cost from builders for conducting these tests,” says NAC advisor V. Prabhu. A mobile quality control unit will be launched within a few days to facilitate the middle class in having a better idea of the material and also plan accordingly. This comes as a boon given the fact that most are not aware of the finer nuances of construction activity .

One can assess the stability of steel that was used for construction of a building with the help of half-cell potential meter. The concrete strength of the slab can also be established with rebound hammer. “We will give a stroke to the slab by placing rebound hammer in 90 degrees position and calculate the strength,” explained NAC Quality Control Engineer K. Venkat Rao.

The rebar locator will help identify the diameter of iron rods and space left between them. The strength of ordinary and fly-ash bricks can also be ascertained with a compression test machine. Not only buildings, the latest equipment brought in by the Academy can be taken out to understand the composition of the roads which can be of help to Government machinery. With the aid of a bitumen extractor, officials can now know the bitumen content in either freshly laid or existing roads.A non-destructive equipment will find out the strength of concrete even after completion of work without disturbing the component. The corrosion value of steel in old structures and quality of steel present in completed concrete components can also be known. For more details, the NAC can be contacted at 9948925661 and 9848535444.

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