Triumph in precision engineering

Record Holders

The Sutong Bridge over the Yangtze River in China currently has the largest span of any cable-stayed bridge at 1,088metres. Hong Kong’s Stonecutters Bridge comes second at 1,018metres while the 890metre Tatara Bridge in Japan is the third longest. The main span of the cable-stayed portion of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, measuring 500metres, is the largest in the country superseding Vidyasagar Setu in Kolkata and shares the 20th position with Thailand’s Kanchanaphisek.

Work Equipment

• Launching Truss: Fabricated in India. Weighing 1250 tonnes and measuring 112m in length, it was used for lifting segments, each weighing 130 tonnes.

• Jack up platform: A floating equipment used for marine work, measuring 18.3x30x2.1m (Width x Length x Depth) and having four legs of 30m each.

• Flat barge: Size 30x12x2m. Like motor boats, they are driven inside the sea for material transportation.

• Self-propelled barge: It is a barge with a machine component and is used for concrete transportation.

• Crawler crane: Capacity ranges from 75-150 tonnes. It is used for material and heavy lifting activities.

• RCD drill bit: Dimension 1.5m x 2m diameter. Imported from Korea, the RCD drill bit is used for pile drilling work.

• Vibro hammer (PTC): Imported from France and used or driving of steel liners.

• Fushun crawler crane: Imported from China, Capacity 80 tonnes.

• NCK Eiger crane: Imported from England, capacity 65 tonnes.

• Kobelco crawler crane: Imported from Hong Kong, capacity 150 tonnes.

• Placer boom, diesel generators, concrete pump, transit mixers and ‘A’ frame barrage

Golden Gate to Mumbai

At Klein Engineering in Zurich’s Turnerstrasse, bridge structural design and construction analysis expert, Pascal Klein is proud of his association with the Bandra Worli Sea Link which celebrated a year of its existence recently. Such is the impression the project has left on his mind that he is currently working on the longest spanning arch bridge in Switzerland which derives inspiration from the Mumbai landmark. “BWSL has served as my reference project,” says Klein in an interview with Shrikant Rao.

“Our role was to prepare the construction stage analysis: The overall design of the cable-stayed portions of the Sea Link was prepared by Dar Consultants. As one can imagine, the number of intermediate stages during the erection of a cable-stayed bridge in cantilevering method is substantial. For each segment lifting and cable installation, the stability of the system has to be assured, stressing forces have to be calculated and expected deck elevations have to be provided. Our job was to run the corresponding calculations, to get them approved by the contractor (HCC) and also to follow up the pylon and deck erection stage by stage.

“The challenges have been many. This first of its kind experience was sometimes hard. But it was also an enormous driver. The further we reached, the stronger was the energy which came out of what was already achieved. I never before experienced a comparably enthusiastic team power over the complete period of a bridge construction. Each person on this site was proud to be part of it. In most of the countries now-a-days this experience does not exist because of the constant change of team members and staff. The men physically building the bridge are often cut away from the project offices and therefore, not fully dedicated.

“The project has raised the bar for technology and architectural standards. I have observed that big towns always try to surpass each other in cleverness in creating outstanding landmarks. Great designs, therefore, stimulate the construction culture enormously. Mumbai sets the benchmark high. I am definitely convinced that many others are working on their plans.”

Material Contributors

• Shanghai Pujiang Cable Co Ltd: The Chinese company provided parallel wire stay cables, made of high tensile steel, for the BWSL project.

• Tata Steel: The company’s Wire Division was the sole supplier of pre-stressed concrete strands used in the construction of precast segments for the bridge.

• Ultra Tech: The Aditya Birla company supplied cement for the project.

• Metco Industries: The Kolkata based company provided structural and bridge bearing and expansion joint systems.

• Doka Australia: Suppliers of pylon formwork.

• Elkem International Ltd: The Norway based company supplied micro silica.

• Elcome Technologies: Equipment for high accuracy coordinate measurements like Leica Total and GPS equipment.

• Bajaj Electricals: Lighting systems on the bridge.

HCC: High On Development

Hindustan Construction Company is a leading engineering, construction and infrastructure development firm with a rich heritage of experience over eight decades. Deploying new age construction technologies in multiple areas, HCC leads India’s transportation segment with a strong track record in the construction of roads, highways, bridges, railways and Mass Rapid Transport Systems. The company has constructed over 2,300kms of roads and expressways including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway – India’s first six-lane concrete pavement expressway. It has also been associated with construction of the elevated toll expressway at Badarpur near Delhi as well as the Mughal Road project built at an altitude of 10,000 feet in Jammu & Kashmir.

Access Control

Presently the Sea Link is strictly out of bounds for people – and animals – wanting to take a casual trudge on the bridge. Entry is only for four wheelers while cyclists are barred. MSRDC, which is in possession of the bridge, is examining plans to provide a viewers’ gallery at the top of the towers to offer visitors a bird’s eye view of the city. While security, managed from a control room, is currently under the aegis of the MSRDC and the Mumbai Traffic Police, toll collection at the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) has been assigned to Mumbai Entry Point Limited (MEPL), an Indian Road Builders (IRB) group subsidiary.