Slug: Sardar@151Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad’s destiny as a luminous metro was conceived bySardar Vallabhbhai Patel in what is today the historical Sardar Patel Bhavan at AMC, where India’s Iron Man served from 1917 to 1928 as a councillor and eventually president of the then Ahmedabad Municipality.The bhavan, assessed Grade I by AMC for its historical and heritage value, was recently evaluated as part of a student project by CEPT University on parameters such as settlement in the soil and seismic compatibility. The researchers also suggested structural strengthening for the building.Dhruvam Patel, a student of the faculty of technology at CEPT University, took up the study of Sardar Patel Bhavan under the guidance of Pratik Gajjar.According to the project details, the brick masonry structure with a jack arch roof and timber trusses was built in 1885. The structure was primarily an administrative building. The colonial-era design encompasses arched corridors and a grand facade. Today, the bhavan houses Ahmedabad World Heritage City Trust office along with the preserved assembly hall of the municipality, complete with the chair used by Sardar Patel.The CEPT project found biological growth, fading, spalling, cracks, and moisture on the structure: the classic signs of wear and tear. Most importantly, it revealed the structure settling slightly into the soil. However, researchers determined that the building is fit for the city’s seismic zone.The researchers simulated strengthening techniques such as masonry stitching on the building model.Gajjar said a detailed report on possible conservation techniques will be submitted to AMC after the completion of another project under way at the site.Historians say several initiatives undertaken by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel during his tenure at Ahmedabad Municipality between 1917 and 1928 laid the foundation for the city as it exists today. Patel rose to become president of the municipality in 1924 and remained actively involved in civic administration until April 1928, when he resigned to focus on the national freedom movement.
