28.Shakunthala A Bhagath(1933-2012)

 


 

Shakunthala  A Bhagath , probably India’s  first Civil  Engineer was  instrumental  in designing 69 bridges   from Kashmir to Arunachal  Pradesh.  Together  with   her  husband A  Bhagath , they have constructed more than 200  bridges all over the world including  USA  UK and Germany under the  banner  Quadricorn, a bridge  construction  company set up by them.

Shakuntala Bhagat  Joshi was born on 6 February 1933 – died 14 October 2012), was known to be one of the earliest  woman civil engineers in India. Shakuntala Joshi was the daughter of bridge engineer S. B. Joshi (1906–1991).In 1953, she became the first woman to earn a civil engineering degree at Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute in Mumbai. She earned a master's degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Pennsylvania

Career

Shakunthala Bhagat started   her  career as  an Assistant professor of civil engineering and head of the Heavy Structures Laboratory at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai for much of the 1960s. In 1970, she and her husband founded their own firm, Bhagat Engineering; they also founded Quadricon, a bridge construction firm specializing in a patented prefabricated modular design. She worked on design and construction of hundreds of bridges around the world, including projects in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. She worked on concrete research for the Cement and Concrete Association of London. Bhagat was a member of the Indian Road Congress and a fellow of the Institution  of Engineers. In 1972, the Bhagats received an award from the Invention Promotion Board, for their Unishear connectors. In 1993, she was recognized as the Woman Engineer of the Year.

Concrete business

In 1960, Shakuntala earned her master’s degree in civil and structural engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and went on to teach as an Assistant professor of civil engineering and head of the heavy structures laboratory at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai.

In 1970, Shakuntala and her husband launched their firm — Quadricon, a bridge construction firm specialising in their patented prefabricated modular design.Most of their innovations originated through observations of the critical needs of society. By evaluating the scope for improvements they were able to make overall developments in the field of civil engineering.

Shakuntala has worked on the design and construction of hundreds of bridges around the world, including projects in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. She has researched concrete for the Cement and Concrete Association of London and was a member of the Indian Road Congress.

Projects carried out by Quadricon

With their patented innovation, a total systems approach, the company built its first bridge in 1972 at Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. Within four months, they were able to construct two small bridges. At the same time, the word about their technology spread across other districts and states. By 1978, the company had built 69 bridges from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

It  is reliably understood that all these projects were undertaken with funds raised at personal risks. Investors, including government departments, were reluctant to invest because the company was involved in such a complex R&D which even advanced countries hadn’t taken the effort to conduct.Till date, Shakuntala and her husband have designed over 200 Quadricon steel bridges.

Innovations by Quadricon

Though steel is an ideal construction material, it was being eliminated from adoption for the construction of bridges because of the inefficient connecting and jointing systems, which continues to exist, such as riveting, bolting, and welding.

Keeping its limitations in mind, in 1968 Quadricon developed ‘Unishear Connector’ — an ideal structural jointing device for steel structures. For the same, in 1972 Mr and Mrs Bhagat were awarded the highest award from the Invention Promotion Board.

In 1993, Shakuntala also earned the ‘Woman of the Year’ title and passed away in 2012 at the age of 79.

References

1.https://thebetterindia.com/250265/india-first-woman-civil-engineer-shakuntala-bhagat-mumbai-iit-quadricon-bridge-construction-womens-day-ros174/

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakuntala_Bhagat

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

14. Chacha Nehru and Children

Image
  Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, was remarkable in many ways—a brilliant writer, the architect of the Panchsheel principles in foreign policy, India’s longest-serving Prime Minister, and a devoted disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. However, to the children of India, he is lovingly remembered as Chacha Nehru . Since 1954, his birthday on November 14 has been celebrated as Children’s Day , reflecting his deep affection for children. Here are some touching anecdotes from Nehruji’s life: 1. Panditji Who Rocked the Baby Once, Gandhiji was walking in the garden of Teen Murti Bhavan when he heard the loud cries of a baby. Curious, he followed the sound and discovered a baby lying on the ground, crying inconsolably. With no sign of the mother nearby, Nehruji bent down, gently picked up the baby, and cradled him in his arms. The baby immediately stopped crying and began smiling toothlessly at him. Nehru sat down and lovingly rocked the child in his lap. A short w...
Read more

24. PK Thresya – First Woman Chief Engineer( 1924-1981)

Image
    Mrs. A. Lalita was the first woman to get admission in Guindi Engineering College. We have written about her earlier as the  first  woman Electrical Engineer in India. However, the two engineering students who joined right behind her  were P K Thresya and Leelamma George. All three of them graduated in the same year, 1944, because World War II shortened the study period of Thresya's junior batch students to three and a half years.   Thresya chose civil engineering as her field of study.  After graduating, she joined the then King of Cochin's princely state as a section officer in the Public Works Department. At that time, it was British rule there. After getting independence, she joined Kerala  government services and became the  Chief Engineer in the Public Works Department under the Government of Kerala in 1971. Thus, she became the first woman chief engineer not only in India but also in Asia. After she was promoted to the...
Read more

11. Bala Gangadhar Tilak

Image
  Bala Gangadhar Tilak was a pioneering leader in India’s freedom struggle. He was the first to boldly demand that Indians should govern themselves (Swarajya) and called for a determined struggle to achieve it. He inspired millions with his famous proclamation, “Self-rule is our birth right.” Tilak was a mentor to Mahatma Gandhi and played a crucial role in preparing Gandhi to take over the leadership of the freedom movement after his returning to India from South Africa. Tilak’s contributions as a teacher, nationalist, lawyer, and social reformer were monumental. The British authorities recognized his pivotal role by calling him the Father of the Indian Independence Struggle. Born on July 23, 1856, Tilak passed away on August 1, 1920. Below are some key events from his life: 1. First Meeting with Gandhiji Tilak and Gandhi met for the first time in 1915. At the time, Tilak was already a veteran of the freedom movement and 13 years senior to Gandhi. Their mutual friends l...
Read more