ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has introduced new technologies and non-conventional materials for the first time in Pakistan on national highways and motorways.
An official of NHA told APP on Sunday that the new technologies introduced include Hot & Cold Recycling, of Asphalt Concrete Pavements, Polymer Modified Bitumen, and Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen.
Other technologies, he said these include Stone Mastic Asphalt Technology, Cellulose Fibre Technology by Forta FI Fibres, Rigid Pavement Technology, Composite Pavement Technology, Geo-grid Reinforcement of Pavements.
He said that these technologies entail technical advantages of varied nature as also cost savings, assessed through detailed research and trial projects. He said that the NHA follows an in-place code of practice during construction of new highways and maintenance of existing roads. He said that the authority has devised the General Specifications to ensure material specifications are met promptly.
During construction, he said, the quality of construction is also ensured through supervision consultants whose primary responsibility is to guide the contractor on proper construction methodology and carry out checks and balances for quality control issues.
During project implementation, along with the supervision consultants, the quality of material is also verified through Inspection and Monitoring (M&I) wing of NHA with a mandate to carry out random checks on the quality of material used in road construction.
The material quality checks are documented in a prescribed format, he said payments are verified subject to specifications compliance. The official said that NHA being the owner of its highways and motorways bears responsibility for the success of the project and follows a well-defined procedure in Quality Control and Quality Assurance procedures in-place for any project under its jurisdiction.
