New Delhi: Indian Railways have today completed the arch closure work of the iconic Chenab Bridge. This Chenab bridge is the highest bridge in the world and is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL), the Railways have achieved a significant achievement by completing the steel arches of this iconic Chenab bridge. This was the most difficult part of building a bridge over the Chenab. This achievement is an important step towards completing the 111 km long section from Katra to Banihal. This is certainly the biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history.
The 5.6-meter-long metal piece is fitted today at the highest point, which currently connects the two arms of the arches stretching from each side of the river towards each other. This has increased the size of the arch, which will loom over the risky Chenab river flowing 359 meters below. After the arch work is complete, the work of removing the stay cables, filling the concrete in the arch rib, erecting the steel trestle, launching the viduct and laying the track will begin.
Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Mr. Piyush Goyal, Chairman and CEO of Railway Board, Mr. Sunit Sharma, General Manager of Northern Railway, Mr. Ashutosh Gangal has seen the completion of the historic arch through video conferencing. .
Salient features of the arch of the iconic Chenab Bridge:
Indian Railways is constructing the iconic arch bridge over the Chenab River as a part of the USBRL project to connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.
This bridge is 1315 meters long.
It is the highest railway bridge in the world, 359 meters above the level of the river bed.
It is 35 meters higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris (France).
The construction of this bridge has 28,660 MT of steel fabrication. It has 1 million CUM clay work. 66,000 CUM of concrete has been used and construction of 26 km of motorable roads.
It is made of steel boxes in the arch. Concrete will be filled in the boxes of this arch to improve durability.
The total weight of this arch will be 10,619 MT.
For the first time, Indian Railways have constructed arches members by overhead cable cranes.
Most modern Tekla software has been used for structural work.
Structural steel is suitable for temperatures from -10 ° C to 40 ° C.
Some features are:
- Customer: Northern Railway
- Executing Agency: M / s Konkan Railway Corporation Limited
- Cost of the bridge: Rs 1486 crore
- Contractor: M / s Chenab Bridge Project Undertaking [Ultra-AFCONS-VSL (JV)]
- Total length of bridge: 1.315 km
- Number of spans: 17 pieces
- Length of main arch span span: 467 m (linear); 550 m (curvilinear)
- Design period of bridge: 120 years
- Design speed: 100 kilometers per hour
- Total steel construction: 28660 MT (approx)
- Design air speed: 266 kilometers per hour
- Designer:
a. Contracts and Foundations: M / s. WSP (Finland)
B. Arch: M / s Leonhardt, Andra & Partners (Germany)
C. Foundation Protection: Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
- Proof Consultant:
a. Foundation and Foundation Protection: M / s URS, UK
B. Superstructures of the viduct and arc: M / s COVI, UK
- Slope Sustainability Analysis: (Independent Consultant) M / s ITASCA, USA
- Slope Sustainability Analysis: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
- Seismic Analysis: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Roorkee
Unique features of this bridge:
This bridge is designed to withstand a high wind speed of 266 kmph.
This bridge is designed for blast load for the first time in the country in consultation with DRDO.
This bridge will continue to operate at a speed of 30 km per hour even after removing a pillar / support.
It is designed to withstand the earthquake forces of the highest intensity zone-V in India.
For the first time, Indian Railways has used a phased array ultrasonic testing machine for weld testing.
For the first time, Indian Railways established a NABL accredited laboratory for weld testing at the site.
Approximately 584 km of welding has been done to connect the various parts of the structure, which is equal to the distance from Jammu Tawi to Delhi.
The height of the cable crane pylons at the Srinagar end is 127 meters, which is more than 72 meters from the Qutub Minar.
Indian Railways has launched the curved viduct part using the end launching method for the first time.
Comprehensive health monitoring and warning systems are planned through state-of-the-art instrumentation.
Details about the ceremony of captive arches:
Before closing and during launching, the arch is supported by stay cables.
The arch closure includes the construction of the last 8 sections of the arch (4 upstream and 4 downstream).
The process of closing the arch began on February 20, 2021. 07 sections were constructed in advance before the ceremony of captive arches.
The block number WT 28 was erected at the time of the closure of the arch.
This section is at the kauri end (west end) of the crown.
Name: WT 28 (upstream side top cord segment)
Size: 5.6 m x 4.0 m x 0.98 m (L x B x H); Weight = 18.95 MT
After the closure of the arch, removal of stay cable, filling of concrete arches by self-compacting concrete, construction of trestles, decking above the main arch by incremental launching will be undertaken.