South Delhi Municipal Corporation has opened its first technical laboratory for testing materials used for construction and road works. The lab at RK Puram can be utilised by other agencies, as well after ISO certification. Built at Rs 1.7 crore and fitted with equipment costing Rs 1.2 crore, the laboratory complex occupies a 1200 sq m area and has testing facilities for cement and aggregates, steel rebars, water for construction, bitumen for road works, bricks and soils, tiles, concrete and precast concrete, flush doors and paint. Though the complex was developed some time ago and personnel selected for the lab, they were unable to set up modern equipment due to shortage of funds, told the media Colonel BK Oberoi (retd), chairman of SDMC’s standing committee. Presently, they have been able to equip the lab with state-of-the-art digital machinery and many other equipment. The chairman continued that they were either sending test samples of materials utilised by contractors to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s laboratory. The civic bodies were additionally consulting the Sri Ram Institute of Industrial Research, near Delhi University, on certain occasions. Yet, to save cost and time, a decision was taken in 2015 to establish their lab where we could carry out testing at any time. Saying that the quality of work and longevity of the developed projects depended on the cement and aggregates, steel re-bars, bitumen, bricks, even the water utilised for construction, Oberoi told the media that it was pertinent to have all such material tested. For example, if the cement is more than one year old, then its strength reduces by 50%. It is the same with many other materials. The technical laboratory will charge other agencies to utilise its test facilities. This attempt will produce income for SDMC. After the successful rolling out of the lab, they will aim for an ISO certification, as per an SDMC authority. Image Source