EDITORIAL

Forensic Civil Engineering - an emerging discipline

As the December issue gets ready to be posted, a parallel sense of gratification and achievement prevailed amongst the team members of Built Expressions. Yes, with this issue, Built Expressions completes its first year and the journey has not been very smooth either, I confess. We had to cross quite a few initial hurdles and bear the pangs of competitive journalism. In spite of all obstacles at our door step we endeavoured to give our best to the fraternity.

Response from the industry in terms of receptivity has been overwhelming and this fact has sufficiently encouraged us to surge ahead with lot more confidence and keep our yacht afloat. The entire network of Built Expressions across India continues to strive hard to collect and collate the right type of information that is useful to the fraternity. Responses from international community of architects and structural engineers have also been very positive and inspiring. Built Expressions shall continue to provide you the best of contents related to construction practices, emerging technologies, expert views, engineering and architectural marvels, green initiatives, construction mechanisation and many more such topics helping its readers to have an edge over others.

On this remarkable occasion, it is with happy hearts and gratitude we express Merci mille fois to all those who have supported us in our endeavour. They lend grace, glory, and significance to the object for which we have initiated our journey. Their unlimited wisdom wealth and immeasurable inspiration shall further ensure Built Expressions to formulate new strategies in bridging the gap between the academia and the industry together with dissemination of required field knowledge.    

Now let me talk about the cover feature-Forensic Civil Engineering. Twenty-first century civil engineers and architects, driven by modern technology, are pushing their creativity to new heights by creating effective structures with modern materials using state-of-the-art design and novel construction techniques. While construction speed fathoms efficiency, structural failures due to faulty design or execution reflect non-accountability. There is an urgent need for qualified Forensic Civil Engineers today than ever. Structural failures are rarely reported and analysed in India. Why so? Reasons may be several and range from 'political interference' to 'sense of insecurity' to 'lack of stringent laws to punish the guilty' to 'lack of awareness'. A construction failure during the building process or in service generally prompts an investigation of causes and in many cases responsibilities need to be fixed. This can involve cases in civil or criminal courts. The failure analysis may provide us unique and valuable insight into the failure causes and may assist us in dispute resolution.  The role of Expert witness becomes then vital.  Engineer BSC Rao, National President of Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (I), takes out time from his busy schedule exclusively for Built Expressions and gives an overview of the entire discipline in four parts with relevant case studies - telling us as to why the Forensic Civil Engineering today is the need of the hour.

While I am writing this editorial, the news flash, "the UPA government won Parliament's approval on its proposal to allow foreign direct investment or FDI in multi-brand retail and hopefully the move will have a multiplier effect on the economy by boosting construction activities of all types and create employment for engineers, architects, designers, labourers and technicians with a spin-off benefits for the construction material manufacturing industries.

Enjoy reading Built Expressions and refer it whenever you feel like because it is one of the very few reference magazines in India designed by the professionals and for the professionals.

Wishing you all a very very happy and prosperous new year ahead.