ABSTRACT
Radical Concrete Technology. Edited by R K Dhir and P C Hewlett. Published in 1996 by E & FN Spon, 2-6 Boundary Row, London SE1 8HN, UK. ISBN 0 419 21480 1.
ABSTRACT. Structures to be regarded as ultra structures should incorporate features which surpass the normally accepted limits of spans, heights, etc. or characterise innovation in structural system or construction. The definition has thus both time frame and locational contexts. The present paper first traces briefly the history of civil construction in India till the advent of modern materials and construction procedures. The paper then cites examples of ultra structures built in the country describing salient features in each case. Examples include description of two important bridges, one nuclear power containment vessel, one multiflue RCC chimney and one outstanding building structure. The paper concludes with prediction of an unprecedented construction activity in the country in the next decade due to current recognition of the importance of first class infrastructure. Keywords: Ultra Structures, Spans, Heights, Innovations, Concrete, Bridges, Nuclear Power Containment Vessels, Chimneys, Building Structures, Temple. Prof. Dayanand Trikha is the Director of the Structural Engineering Research Centre at Ghaziabad, India, a national research laboratory of the Govt. of India. Prior to this, he was Professor and Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Roorkee where he started his teaching career as a lecturer in 1960. He obtained his Ph.D degree from London University and D.I.C. from Imperial College of Science and Technology, London.
