Varanasi, Aug 7 (IANS): A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between Indian Institute of Technology in Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for improving the quality of roads in the country.

This research work will be carried out under assistant professor in the Civil Engineering department, Nikhil Saboo, as the principle investigator and Ankit Gupta as the co-principal investigator.

According to Saboo, the surface layer of the flexible pavement is the costliest component, which bears most of the vehicular loading in the highway.

The current methods involved in the mix design of bituminous mixtures has certain deficiencies and cannot assure performance of the surface layers in terms of resistance to rutting and fatigue-cracking.

He said this study will come up with more logical guidelines on rational practices for developing mixes which can sustain heavy vehicular loading on Indian highways.

Such optimized mix design will reduce the variability associated with the performance of bituminous mixes and will serve as an economical guideline for the long-term performance of flexible pavements.

This project is aimed at construction of durable and long-lasting roads in India. It will also help in reducing the lifecycle cost by delaying the need for frequent maintenance.

The outcome of this project will be implemented through construction of test sections in collaboration with NHAI.

These roads will be evaluated periodically to understand the applicability of the developed methodology. This will also help to gain more confidence in adopting the developed technology for construction of durable roads in India.

"This industry-academia relationship is anticipated to open further opportunities for exchange of ideas and expertise which will lead to sustainable development of infrastructure in the country," said Saboo.