A world record has been created by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) contractor Patel Infrastructure for laying the highest quantity of concrete on a four-lane highway in just a duration of 24 hours. This achievement by the NHAI contractor – Patel Infrastructure Limited – was recognized by the India Book of Records as well as the Golden Book of World Records, according to a PTI report. Within 24 hours, Patel Infrastructure set the world record for the laying of Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) for a four-lane highway of 2,580 meters length. The work was started at 8:00 AM on 1 February 2021, and the work totalling 2,580 meters X 4 lanes i.e. about 10.32 lane kilometres was completed by 8:00 AM next morning.
In 24 hours, concrete was laid on the expressway with a width of 18.75 metres, as much an area as 48,711 square metres. Also, laying of concrete of the highest quantity in 24 hours with 14,613 Cubic Meter was achieved as well. According to the report, the highway is a part of the greenfield Delhi-Vadodara-Mumbai eight-lane expressway project. The work of laying the highest quantity of concrete was carried out by the world’s largest fully automatic ultra-modern concrete paver machine.
According to the report, the feat comes in the backdrop of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways having constructed a total of 8,169 km of National Highways with a speed of around 28.16 km per day, across the country from April 2020 to 15 January 2021 in the current financial year. While during the same period in the last financial year, 7,573 km roads were constructed in total, with a speed of 26.11 km per day. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said it is hopeful that with such pace it should be able to cross the construction target of 11,000 kilometres by 31 March.