About the Book
Here is an attempt at integrating the vagaries and phases the “Bridges” have gone through in the “Past “and what may befall their “Future”- notwithstanding their “Present” which is all too struggling for the answers between “hope and despair”!!
……Their “Past” reveals how their “Form” evolved and developed over centuries, graduating from “BEAM” and “ARCH” forms to “SUSPENSION” and “CABLE STAYED” forms which display MUSICAL INDEFINITENESS - all helped by the man’s continuous endeavor at evolving improvements in the techniques of “ANALYSIS”, “DESIGN”, “DETAILING” and “CONSTRUCTION” further aided by the mighty “Computer Software” with classical MATHEMATICAL EXACTITUDE!!
Enroute, in the intervening centuries, there were “Accidents”,” Problems” and “Aberrations”, which indeed “Sharpened” the “Codes of Practice.” Today’s advanced methods of “Repair and Retrofitting” have helped prolong their Service (and Design) lives.
……. However, the prospects of possible “Climate Changes”, “Rise in Sea Water levels” and “Storm Surges”, are demanding “Resilient Structures” --- challenging and alerting the long-held concepts and beliefs of “Safety”.
……. The “Future” of bridges will laugh at their “Past”, while their “Present”, in the interim, is still debating the Probabilistic Theories of Safety and variable Load Factors in a desperate attempt to meet the unknown challenges of the mighty RAW FURY and the MAJESTIC GRANDEUR of the “SUBLIME” yet the “PUNISHING” MOTHER NATURE.
About the Author:
Dr. V. K. Raina
“Team Leader of the UN Team-of-Experts for over 10 years for multi-Billion USD Highways-&-Bridges Projects in the Middle east, Ph.D. and D.I.C. from the Imperial College, University of London, England, Double GOLD Medalist at the Engineering Graduation, Registered Chartered Engineer in the UK and Europe, Registered Professional Engineer in Ontario, Canada, Consultant and Senior Expert for nearly 17 years with The UN, The World Bank, The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and The African Development Bank, Senior Technical Advisor to many Govts. and States.
Dr. V. K. Raina is also Professor-Emeritus, Distinguished CHAIR Professor: BRIDGES (AICTE), Life-time Achievement Awardee in Civil Engineering in the fields of BRIDGE: Design, Construction, and Rehabilitation-and-Retrofitting, and recipient of the coveted S.B.Joshi Award of Excellence in Bridge Engineering.
…….He has professionally worked in over 22 Countries and trained hundreds of Engineers in the above fields, and has DESIGNED and SUPERVISED CONSTRUCTION of over 1,10,000 lane-meters of CONCRETE BRIDGES in different countries on various types of foundations in different substrata conditions [in POST-TENSIONED and PRE-TENSIONED PRESTRESSED Concrete, and REINFORCED concrete, Straight / Skew / Curved - Continuous, Semi-Continuous and Determinate - Superstructures (voided slabs, boxes, beams-and-slab), constructed segmentally, in-place or precast in place / launched; on caisson / pile / open foundations.
……Including this Book, Dr. Raina has authored 16 PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE-CLASS TREATISES of INTERNATIONAL STANDING, and over 100 Professional Technical PAPERS and ADVISORIES.
……In addition, he has INVESTIGATED and EXAMINED the STRUCTURAL and FORENSIC HEALTH of many Bridges -and Retrofitted many- in various Countries: RATU, SHIVA GANGA, JHARAI and other Bridges in Nepal, MAHAD in Maharashtra, TALLAH, DUNLOP and VIVEKANANDA Flyovers in Kolkata, SUKTEL in Odisha, KATNI in M.P., being only a few examples at random.”
