Though the cracks were described as 'hairline', the DMRC has asked a consultant firm to examine the locations and take corrective measures.
Minor cracks have developed on 18 piers on three corridors of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the DMRC has asked a consultant firm to examine the locations to take corrective measures, taking no chances after the July 12 crash that killed six persons.
Describing the cracks as "hairline" ones, the DMRC said these were noticed by DMRC engineers and Shirish Patel & Associates, who conducted a structural audit on all the metro corridors which are under construction now.
"They found hairline cracks on eight piers of the Central Secretariat-Gurgaon corridor, two piers of the Noida corridor, and eight piers of the Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor," DMRC chief public relations officer Anuj Dayal said. "All appear to be minor in nature.
"DMRC will carry out further corrective action if required and take necessary remedial measures after Shirish Patel & Associates have examined these locations."
Meanwhile, DMRC managing director E Sreedharan visited the sites where the piers have developed cracks and inspected them personally. He has been visiting the sites from Saturday.
The developments came on a day when a meeting of the DMRC board of directors discussed the report submitted by the professor AK Nagpal panel, which went into the Zamrudpur incident.
There were reports that some officials have faced action after the board meeting, but there was no official word.
The board of directors gave its views on the report based on which action will be taken against the persons concerned, a source said.
The DMRC will make the report of the panel public tomorrow at a press conference to be addressed by Sreedharan. The panel consisted of IIT professor Nagpal, professor BR Bose from the Delhi College of Engineering, and Steven Lowry. The panel went into the aspects of material and design deficiency.
After the Zamrudpur incident that killed six persons when an under-construction bridge collapsed, DMRC began a special drive to check all cantilever piers of phase II. As part of this exercise, the firm Shirish Patel & Associates was engaged to conduct a structural audit.
The consultants were also asked to check again the design of all these 18 points in detail, apart from overall checking of phase II structures.
Dayal said surface cracks in concrete are not uncommon and there is no cause for panic. "In fact, Indian standard codes for design of reinforced concrete structures allows and permits tension cracks within limits," he said.
The spokesman said ultrasonic testing and rebound hammer testing will be done to check the integrity and quality of the concrete. In addition, the DMRC will get load testing done wherever necessary.
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