CSIR-SERC to come up with safeguards for railway bridges
Chennai: City researchers are working to frame guidelines for the railways to monitor and evaluate the structural health of its bridges. Experts from CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC) in Taramani are drafting guidelines after conducting studies on 10 railway bridges across the country.
They also installed devices in two bridges to absorb high-impact forces caused by increased speed and axle load, thereby reducing structural stress.
The guidelines aim to help railway engineers assess and strengthen both new and existing bridges to handle longitudinal forces generated when high-speed trains with heavier axle loads pass over them.
"Our guidelines will help evaluate the longitudinal force on the substructure of railway bridges, both steel and prestressed concrete, and suggest techniques to mitigate them.
This can be adopted for new constructions as well as upgrades," said N Anandavalli, director, CSIR-SERC, on the sidelines of a conference on Wednesday.
Following the studies, SERC installed shock transmission units (STUs) in a concrete bridge near Chidambaram and a steel bridge near Puttur, Andhra Pradesh. STUs are hydraulic devices that remain flexible under normal conditions but become rigid during sudden forces like braking or seismic activity, absorbing energy and protecting the structure.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed!
IC Markets
Start Now
Undo
Earlier, Ravindra Kumar Goel, principal executive director (bridges), ministry of railways, noted that of the 1.6 lakh railway bridges in the country, 34,000 are more than 100 years old.
Both the speed of trains and their axle load increased over the years. Since 1903, the axle load alone increased by 33%. He was speaking at CSIR-SERC's Diamond Jubilee conference on Monitoring, Assessment and Predictive Maintenance of Critical Infrastructures (i-MAP 2025).
T Archunan, Director (Projects), Chennai Metro Rail Limited, pointed to the disconnect between India's research institutions and field implementation.
He stressed the need for institutes such as SERC and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to align theoretical work with practical needs to improve execution and reduce reliance on foreign technology.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
47-million-year-old snake found may be the biggest ever, surpassing Titanoboa
47-million-year-old snake found may be the biggest ever, surpassing Titanoboa Scientists in India have discovered the fossil remains of the world's largest snake, over 50 feet (15 meters) long, around 6.5 feet (2 meters) and incredibly powerful. Giant, 47 million-year-old snake fossils pulled from mine in India may be the largest snake ever, potentially surpassing Titanoboa by around 15 feet. The newly discovered species is called Vasuki Indicus. Its name comes from Vasuki, a famous snake from Hindu mythology. In stories, Vasuki is often shown wrapped around the neck of Lord Shiva, one of the main gods in Hinduism. Over 50 feet long giant snake fossils discovered in India The researchers used two different methods to estimate the possible body length of V. indicus. They estimated the serpent's total body length using the width of the snake's spine bones and found that V. indicus could have ranged from between 36 feet and 50 feet (11 and 15 m) long, although they acknowledge there may be a possible error associated with their estimate. Both approaches relied on modern snakes to establish a link between vertebrae width and overall body length, but they used different datasets for their calculations. The team thinks that the fossils found came from a fully grown adult. According to Live science, a total of 27 fossilized vertebrae from the enormous snake were unearthed at the Panandhro Lignite Mine in Gujarat State. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Worst States To Visit in America, Ranked BigGlobalTravel Undo The fossils date to around 47 million years ago, during the Eocene epoch (56 million to 33.9 million years ago). The researchers published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. Vasuki Indicus, the giant snake found Looking at the sites where ribs would attach to the vertebrae, the researchers think V. indicus had a broad, cylindrical body and mostly lived on land. Aquatic snakes, in comparison, tend to have very flat, streamline bodies. Due to its large size, the researchers say the snake was likely an ambush predator, subduing its prey by constriction, similar to modern-day anacondas. The scientists estimate that V. indicus thrived in a warm climate with an average of around 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degree celsius)- a significantly warmer temperature than the present day. Datta said, 'There are still many things we don't know about Vasuki. We don't know about its muscles, how it used them or what it ate'. Meet Titanoboa: The giant snake from the past Around 60 million years ago, after the dinosaurs had vanished, an enormous snake called Titanoboa slithered through the hot, swampy jungles of what is now Colombia. This prehistoric snake, which belonged to the boa family, wasn't poisonous—it killed by wrapping its powerful body around its prey and squeezing tight. Titanoboa was so huge that it likely ate large fish and even crocodiles. Fossils found deep in a coal mine in South America show that the Earth was much hotter back then, which may explain how this monster snake grew so big. Titanoboa helps scientists understand more about the climate and wildlife after the age of dinosaurs. A life-sized model of this ancient beast now stuns museum visitors, reminding us that nature once produced creatures bigger and scarier than we ever imagined.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
10 smallest animals on Earth and where they are found
W hile some animals are known for their massive size and power, others capture attention simply by being incredibly tiny. Here are 10 of the smallest animals from around the world. Paedophryne Amauensis (7.7 mm) Found in the rainforests of New Guinea, this little frog is the world's smallest known vertebrate. Only 7.7 mm long, it could easily sit on the tip of your finger. It lives on leaf litter and is so small that its croak sounds more like a bug's chirp. Paedocypris (7.9 mm) This tiny fish, which inhabits Indonesia's peat swamps in Sumatra. It is barely 8 mm long making it shorter than a grain of rice. Paedocypris lives in acidic conditions in which only few other animals can. Its translucent body and tolerance to poor conditions make this fish a marvel of evolution. Slender Blind Snake (11 cm) Looking more like a piece of thread than a snake, the Slender Blind Snake is a master of the underground. Only about 11 cm long, it tunnels through soil across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Blind and venom-free, it preys on ants and termites, extracting nutrients with surgical precision. Kitti's Hog-Nosed Bat (30–40 mm) Commonly referred to as the Bumblebee Bat, this wing wonder is the world's smallest bat and lighter than a penny. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Found in Thailand and Myanmar, it inhabits caves and measures 30–40 mm in length. Its pig-like nose is what it's named after. Despite its size, it plays a big role in insect control. Speckled Padloper Tortoise (6–10 cm) This tiny tortoise from South Africa measures only 6 to 10 cm, making it the smallest in the world. They are covered in speckled shells that blend with the rocky terrain. They forage on small plants and squeeze into crevices to escape predators. Though small, they have a strong survival instinct that makes them unique. Etruscan Shrew (36–53 mm) With a weight of only up to 2.7 grams, the Etruscan Shrew is the smallest mammal on the planet. It measures only 36–53 mm in length yet has a brain to body ratio larger than that of humans. Found across Europe and parts of Asia, this insectivore eats constantly to keep up its energy. Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur (92 mm) Found only in Madagascar, this is the smallest primate in the world at just 92 mm long. With big eyes and a curious face, it's active at night, darting through treetops in search of insects and fruit. Its mini size allows it to move silently and hide easily. This mouse lemur is named after conservationist Berthe Rakotosamimanana. Pygmy Marmoset (14–16 cm) Known as the world's smallest monkey, the Pygmy Marmoset is native to the Amazon rainforest. At just 14–16 cm long (excluding the tail) and weighing about 100 grams, they look like adorable plush toys. These agile climbers live in treetops and communicate with whistles and squeaks. They're fast, social, and fun to watch and a little mischievous. Pygmy Rabbit (24–29 cm) The pygmy rabbit is the most petite of the rabbit species. They are located predominantly in North America. They weigh only 400 grams and reach a length of 24–29 cm. Their short ears, round shape, and soft coat ensure that they are geared towards life in cold climates. Bee Hummingbird (5.7 cm) The globe's smallest bird, the Bee Hummingbird, inhabits Cuba alone. It measures 5.7 cm and weighs less than a dime. It zips around like a bee and even makes the same noise. Though small, it flips its wings 80 times per second and constructs a nest as big as a bottle cap. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
What's TOI-6894b that just showed up around a dwarf star only 2.5 times its size; here's why that's weird
Astronomers have made a discovery that challenges long-standing beliefs about how planets form. A gas giant planet , roughly the size of Saturn, has been found orbiting an unusually small red dwarf star . This rare pairing defies current models, which say small stars don't have enough material in their surrounding disks to form such large planets. Named TOI-6894b, the planet was found about 241 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo. TOI-6894b is about 1.07 times the diameter of Saturn but has just over half its mass. This makes the planet very low in density, similar to that of a beach ball. Despite its large size, the planet orbits extremely close to its host star, completing a full revolution in just under three Earth days. Also Read: Sun will die in 5 billion years but life could survive on Jupiter's moon Europa; here's how by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Elegant New Scooters For Seniors In 2024: The Prices May Surprise You Mobility Scooter | Search Ads Learn More Undo The star it orbits, TOI-6894, is a red dwarf with only about 21% the mass of the Sun and roughly 250 times dimmer. In terms of physical size, the star is just 2.5 times wider than the planet itself, a remarkable size ratio rarely seen in planetary systems. Live Events Why This Is a Big Deal The formation of such a large planet around such a small star has puzzled astronomers. According to the well-accepted 'core accretion' model, large planets are thought to grow from small rocky cores that gradually gather gas from the star's surrounding protoplanetary disk. But small, dim stars like red dwarfs are believed to have disks too thin and short-lived to form massive planets before the gas disappears. Dr. Teruyuki Hirano, the lead researcher from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan, noted that this planetary system 'is completely inconsistent with what we thought we knew.' He said the discovery 'forces us to question our assumptions about planet formation .' Detected by TESS, Confirmed by Ground Telescopes The planet was first flagged by NASA 's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which detects periodic dips in starlight caused by planets passing in front of their stars. Follow-up observations using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) confirmed the planet's mass and orbit. Also Read: Rare superorganism 'wormnadoes' caught on camera for the first time; what is it exactly? More data will be needed to determine how TOI-6894b formed. Future observations by the James Webb Space Telescope could reveal more about its atmosphere and structure, including how much of it is made up of hydrogen and helium and whether it has a large core. Red dwarfs are the most common type of star in the Milky Way, making up about 75% of the stellar population. They're also seen as good candidates for hosting habitable planets due to their long lifespans. Discoveries like TOI-6894b suggest there's still much to learn about the diversity of planetary systems these stars may host. Though this is not the first time a massive planet has been found orbiting a small star, it is one of the most extreme examples yet.
