Pamban to become India’s first stainless steel railway bridge

Indian Railways has decided to deploy stainless steel for its visionary Pamban railway bridge project, connecting Rameswaram island with the mainland. Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL), Chennai, an extended engineering arm of the Indian Railways, has included SS 2205 duplex stainless steel grade as an integral component of the fabrication of four spans/girders of the new Pamban bridge, considering that the bridge is located in the second most corrosive region in the world.

Compared to carbon steel, duplex stainless steel is an optimum techno-commercial solution to avoid corrosion in this engineering marvel. SS 2205 duplex grade of stainless steel has an excellent combination of strength, toughness and corrosion resistance. Given the inherently high strength-to-weight ratio of duplex stainless steel, it provides the possibility of reducing the thickness of the components, thereby leading to a lighter structure. With lower weight of the structure, the consumption of concrete will also see a significant reduction. Along with high resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion, it provides excellent impact and fire-resistance and can be used in an unpainted condition, thus requiring minimal maintenance. From an environmental perspective, too, stainless steel, being a completely green metal, provides a sustainable and long-term solution.

To kickstart this project, RVNL had floated a tender for the supply of 120 mt of stainless steel, for which Jindal Stainless has decided to bid. “We are a consistent supplier to Indian Railways in the wagon and coach segments with a market share of 70 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively,” says Abhyuday Jindal, Managing Director, Jindal Stainless. 

“It is encouraging to see Indian Railways opting for sustainable infrastructural solutions.”