MUMBAI: In a bid to promote self-reliance and eco-friendliness, the world’s first bamboo-made crash barrier was installed on the Vani-Warora Highway in the state of Maharastra.
Crash barriers are an important safety feature added to both sides of the roads of the country, especially on the highways. These structures prevent out-of-control vehicles from going out of the road and causing damage to both the passengers inside the vehicle as well as the people on the roadside. These are usually made from steel because of their strength and its ability to resist corrosion for a long duration of time.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari called this development a “remarkable achievement” for the country and its bamboo sector. “An extraordinary accomplishment towards achieving #AatmanirbharBharat has been made with the development of the world’s first 200-meter-long Bamboo Crash Barrier, which has been installed on the Vani-Warora Highway, ” he tweeted.
The minister also informed that these crash barriers have been made from a variety of bamboo called the Bambusa Balcoa. The raw materials have been mentioned to have been treated with creosote oil and coated with recycled High-Density Poly Ethylene.
These crash barriers are expected to be a perfect alternative for steel as comparatively environment friendly and have the requisite strength to stop a speeding vehicle according to the minister.
The bamboo crash barrier has been named ‘Bahu Bali’ and is about 200 meters in length. A statement from the Ministry of Road and Highways mentioned that the crash barrier had undergone rigorous testing at various government-run institutions, including National Automotive Test Tracks in Pithampur, Indore. It was also rated Class 1 in the Fire Rating Test which was conducted at the Central Building Research Institute in Roorkee. It has also been accredited by the Indian Road Congress.
This new material is said to have a recycle value of 50-70% compared to the 30-50% of the traditional materials.
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