GHMC relaxes norms for structural engineers http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXL...

Publication: The Times Of India Hyderabad;Date: Jun 19, 2009;Section: Times City;Page: 2

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Hyderabad: There are only 49 licensed structural engineers in Greater Hyderabad. With the High Court directing the Greater
Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to make structural stability certificate compulsory for clearing applications under the
building penalisation scheme (BPS), applicants may face problems to get their buildings regularised.

According to corporation officials, only 49 structural engineers have registered with the GHMC. These licensed engineers are
post-graduates in engineering and practising engineers as per norms.

As more number of structural engineers are needed to issue certificates, the municipal administration and urban development
(MA&UD) department on Wednesday relaxed qualification norms for engineers and issued a memo.

As per the new guidelines, the minimum qualification for a structural engineer is a graduation in civil engineering of a recognised
university with minimum three years experience in the area. In the case of post-graduates, two years experience is sufficient and
one year for a doctorate.

Even after giving relaxations, the number of structural engineers available in the city would not be more than 400. These 400
engineers are expected to give stability certificates for nearly two lakh BPS applicants which is a big task, a senior GHMC official
said.

Of nearly 2.01 lakh applications, 83,000 pertain to apartments and 33,000 individual houses and 5,748 commercial complexes.
And all these applicants would have to get structural stability certificate from these engineers.At the time of submission of BPS
applications too, applicants had faced problems in getting drawings from architects.

Also, it might take a minimum of one week for an engineer to check a building for its stability.

Engineers have to verify the drawings of the structure, columns, beams, steel used, foundations and concrete used in the
building. Most of these parameters cannot be tested after completion of any building. The engineers can estimate stability by guess
work. There are some tests like rebound hammer, ultra sonic pulse velocity test and core cutting test to ascertain the stability, but
they are very expensive and time consuming, a GHMC superintending engineer and structural engineer said. Apart from non-
availability of experts, GHMC officials said it would be financial burden on small flat owners and independent house owners.

Faced with such practical problems, the corporation is planning to approach the court seeking exemption for buildings below 15
metres height apart from filing a caveat in the Supreme Court on the BPS case, a senior official of the town planning wing said.

ON SHAKY GROUND

All 2.01 lakh applications for regularisation, including 83,000 for apartments and 33,000 for individual houses and 5,748
commercial complexes have to get structural stability certificate

Presently there are only 49 structural engineers

Even after norms are eased, there would be only 400 structural engineers

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