Category Archives: india
Build a Bridge – Over the Weekend
Innovation in Construction
The civil engineers of the world knew all about this for years now I’m sure, but I’m just a simple lay person. It took a recent feature article in the NY Times to open my eyes about this fascinating, new work in construction (of all things!).
It appears that for the past few (very few!) years, a highly innovative approach to bridge construction has been underway. It is called A B C or Accelerated Bridge Construction. With this innovation, all the elements of the bridge are fabricated offsite and away from the roads and traffic. Then, when all is ready, the bridge is put in place in a matter of a few (very few!) days.
The article I referred to, called Did Someone Order An Instant Bridge? talks about how the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT) finished a bridge in one day. ONE DAY! It was accomplished over a weekend with minimal disruption of traffic.
Done the traditional way, that bridge would have taken months. And they have been able to bring it down to this – like I said, fascinating!
In addition to minimal disruption, this innovation is said to have improved work zone and worker safety (just the reduction in time of workers on site would do that!) and improved product quality due to the controlled environment and easier access to build the bridge. Offsite.
The US Appears to be Lapping it up!
Of course, I had to explore this some more! Here’s a great primer on A B C for anyone interested in learning more about it. Turns out that more and more state DOTs are using this method, or considering using it.
In Utah, they have actually transformed their thinking and now their default position for any bridge construction is to consider A B C first. They have used some form of A B C in 19 projects and 77 bridges. In one case—in Salt Lake City—construction time was reduced by 120 days, saving drivers an estimated $4.2 million in terms of construction delays. Wow!
The concept is to fabricate entire bridge spans off-site and move them into place with self-propelled modular transports (SPMTs).
Here’s an awesome time-lapse video of an A B C project in the state of Oregan. It lasts just over 1 minute. But what’s really awesome is the way that bridge is constructed – in no more than four days!
My hats off to the civil engineers that created this innovation. Multitudes of bridges (about a fourth of the 600,000 bridges) are in disrepair in the US and I can see how this is a boon to state governments, not to mention the people using said bridges. The federal government has provided funds for just this purpose. That’s even better!
Oh dear, as for Construction in India…
Now, here’s what I was thinking. Has anyone watched anything being constructed in India? If you have been here, of course, you have. And it doesn’t take months. It takes years….long years. So, on your second, third and fourth trip here, you will see the same construction project still very much ‘in progress’. For sure, the disruption around it has not gone anywhere. 😦
Traffic is entirely disrupted, people’s lives are disrupted, businesses along the way are disrupted…but what does anyone care?
Okay, let’s ‘Think Positive’
Imagine if India could adopt this approach!
There are no real reasons why it cannot. Cost is ultimately lower. Availability of technologies is not an issue especially with an increasing number of global infrastructure firms and collaborations operating in this country. If this innovation is needed anywhere in the world, it would be here.
Just think about some of the recent technologies that this country has adopted quickly – simply leap-frogging years of testing, research and development by other countries – just because it was late to the party. The best example I can provide is that of mobile phones. Today, India has more mobile phones and a more pervasive use of this technology than any Western country that started or actually developed it.
Well, couldn’t the same thing apply to construction of bridges?
I checked to see if there were any examples or leads where there was some experimentation or even talk of using A B C in India. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any.
Yet, bridges (including “fly-overs”) are being constructed in virtually every city, big and small. And huge numbers more are yet to be built.
Anyone who Thinks this Way, Deserves to get Elected!
I can only hope that somewhere in India – whether in the public sector or private industry – this paradigm-shifting option is being seriously explored and scoped out. [Progressive Gujarat would be a good place to start].
Think what a panacea it could be if India could indeed build a bridge. Over the weekend.
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Credits:
Photo: Ashlyak at ml.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Oh “India Shining”, Wherefore Art Thou?
A Catchy Sound Bite
India Shining was a slogan popularized by one of the leading political parties (BJP) during the elections of 2004. It was supposed to reflect the economic optimism of an emerging giant.
Prior to that, the Indian government had used it to market the country internationally. Since that time, it’s no lie to say that there was remarkable success in transforming the image of this country in the eyes of so many – within the nation, as well as far and wide, outside these borders.
In fact, many Indians seem to still believe that India Shining is the reality – if not now, then soon. To me, it feels like they’re fooling themselves – either immersed in naiveté or patriotic self-deception.
But Reality Bites
Here’s some of what is happening in this country that is leading me to this conclusion:
Economic Growth: Below expectations.
Inflation: High and rising.
Rupee: Down, way down…the lowest ever against the dollar last week.
Per Capita Debt: Rising steeply.
Industrial Output: Declining.
Trade Deficit: Growing.
Government: Paralyzed – by coalitions and many pockets of self-interest. Except perhaps for removing cartoons from text books. Big 😦 .
Alternative political party strength: Not very hopeful.
Corruption: Healthy. No, make that thriving.
Innovation: Huh?
Social Indicators: Declining. (Bangla Desh has overtaken India in nearly all of them).
India versus China: Sheesh…here’s one write-up on the topic – The elephant can not fly like the dragon unless winged.
Foreign Investment: Fleeing.
BRICS: What’s on its way – The “I “for India to be replaced by Indonesia.
Okay, so go ahead and ask me…am I not being a tad harsh here? Isn’t the entire world experiencing a similar plight, especially economically? Aah, but while the entire world is experiencing this plight, the India growth story was supposedly intact and one of few exceptions. No more!
Here’s something scary I just read. The Financial Times asked a Western investor – What ails India? The reply: Everything. And then he went on further to say: “On every indicator we look at, there is a red flag. This country is close to becoming the Greece of Asia.”
Is that scary or what?!
Worried Yet?
People here need to get their heads out of the sand, stop being content with things as they are, stop believing all the hype about India Rising and India Shining, stop focusing all their attention on cricket and Bollywood, and wonder what is really happening to this country and what they can do about it!
Thomas Jefferson said about America – “I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” For all its faults, that country’s various governments over its short history have done more to accomplish this (prosperity and the pursuit of happiness) than virtually any other. And the beauty of that democracy is that it allows this to happen.
A government that genuinely takes care of its people rather than of its politicians can affect the same positive outcome in India. This is a democracy too. Isn’t it?
Mammoth Potential
You say then, is there no hope for India?
Hah! But then you are asking a Pollyanna this question. Of course, there is hope!
What is left that we can hope for are the two P’s.
PEOPLE – all that human capital (and so much of it so young!) – surely among them there are some true leaders for the nation.
POTENTIAL – all that budding energy and those resources, waiting to be harnessed.
Now, India just needs something or many someones who care enough to put these together and make them work FOR this country.
As someone once said: “The potential of the average person [nation?] is like a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channeled toward some great good.”
But as someone else once said – “Potential has a shelf life”.
Sometimes, people (and governments?) mobilize towards solutions when a crisis looms. That time is now. Time for the real “India Shining” – the one that is waiting to be discovered behind an empty slogan.
Yes, I simply talk and write. And wish. But what I would do, if it did happen in my lifetime!
If only.
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The Yin and Yang of Life Anywhere 