Here’s how Bogibeel Bridge was constructed!
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

Here’s how Bogibeel Bridge was constructed!

India recently welcomed one of its biggest landmarks! The country’s longest rail-cum-road bridge—Bogibeel Bridge over river Brahmaputra in Assam—was recently inaugurated, after having encountered several engineering and other challenges, almost 22 years after its foundation stone was laid in January 1997.

For the construction of this mammoth bridge, HCC set-up huge facilities on the left bank of the river for the three sequences of fabrication, assembly and launching.

Fabrication: Fabrication shops of 2,000 mt per month capacity were set up with two parallel bays. The team had assembled customised platforms in house to fabricate and fit various joints employing gas metal arc welding (GMAW). To ensure error-free welding, magnetic particle testing, dry penetration testing and ultrasonic testing were deployed. A specialised beam-making CMM machine from Italy has been used for the first time in India for the fabrication of box and I-sections using the submerged arc welding (SAW) procedure. A blasting gun was used to achieve the surface roughness of SA 2½ before applying paint.

Assembly: Thereafter, these fabricated sections were moved to the assembly shop where they were installed on their designated beds. They were correctly positioned through jacking and welded by GMAW process. These segments were arranged in a sequence and sent for the vertical assembly using horizontal lifters. After installation of the top and bottom girders, the final truss bridge dimension design chambers were examined thoroughly and approved to complete the fitout. A nose was fabricated and fitted on the first truss before launching it on the piers.

Launching: While determining the methodology of erecting the steel trusses on pillars, the engineers had two choices: lift the spans with floating cranes or erect them with a launching truss. They had to choose the more practical and economical option. After weighing the pros and cons, the HCC team came up with the solution of pulling the steel trusses with a set of jacks and winches on the pillars. This eliminated the need to enter the river, which was often turbulent during monsoons. Besides, it also ensured safer working conditions, precluded the mobilisation of a giant set-up on either side of the river having a width of 4.8 km, and accelerated the pace of the project. A 1,000-tonne hydraulic jack and strand jacks linked with the substructures have been used for moving the steel truss over the pillars. Two sets of steel cable strands were anchored to the end cross beams of the truss and hauled by hydraulic jacks. The truss slides over the launching bearing with the help of sliding plates, which were inserted at one end and taken out at the other, thereby moving the truss towards its desired position. To limit the required launching forces, the superstructure was pulled in four launching segments of 10 spans each. Thus, the superstructure was pulled over the pillars just like a train of 10 spans, with each span weighing 1,700 mt. Finally, the launching bearings were replaced by final bearings. The tracks were laid and the road was constructed adapting RCC construction. After fulfilling the electrical and other ancillary requirements, the assignment was completed.

India recently welcomed one of its biggest landmarks! The country’s longest rail-cum-road bridge—Bogibeel Bridge over river Brahmaputra in Assam—was recently inaugurated, after having encountered several engineering and other challenges, almost 22 years after its foundation stone was laid in January 1997. For the construction of this mammoth bridge, HCC set-up huge facilities on the left bank of the river for the three sequences of fabrication, assembly and launching. Fabrication: Fabrication shops of 2,000 mt per month capacity were set up with two parallel bays. The team had assembled customised platforms in house to fabricate and fit various joints employing gas metal arc welding (GMAW). To ensure error-free welding, magnetic particle testing, dry penetration testing and ultrasonic testing were deployed. A specialised beam-making CMM machine from Italy has been used for the first time in India for the fabrication of box and I-sections using the submerged arc welding (SAW) procedure. A blasting gun was used to achieve the surface roughness of SA 2½ before applying paint. Assembly: Thereafter, these fabricated sections were moved to the assembly shop where they were installed on their designated beds. They were correctly positioned through jacking and welded by GMAW process. These segments were arranged in a sequence and sent for the vertical assembly using horizontal lifters. After installation of the top and bottom girders, the final truss bridge dimension design chambers were examined thoroughly and approved to complete the fitout. A nose was fabricated and fitted on the first truss before launching it on the piers. Launching: While determining the methodology of erecting the steel trusses on pillars, the engineers had two choices: lift the spans with floating cranes or erect them with a launching truss. They had to choose the more practical and economical option. After weighing the pros and cons, the HCC team came up with the solution of pulling the steel trusses with a set of jacks and winches on the pillars. This eliminated the need to enter the river, which was often turbulent during monsoons. Besides, it also ensured safer working conditions, precluded the mobilisation of a giant set-up on either side of the river having a width of 4.8 km, and accelerated the pace of the project. A 1,000-tonne hydraulic jack and strand jacks linked with the substructures have been used for moving the steel truss over the pillars. Two sets of steel cable strands were anchored to the end cross beams of the truss and hauled by hydraulic jacks. The truss slides over the launching bearing with the help of sliding plates, which were inserted at one end and taken out at the other, thereby moving the truss towards its desired position. To limit the required launching forces, the superstructure was pulled in four launching segments of 10 spans each. Thus, the superstructure was pulled over the pillars just like a train of 10 spans, with each span weighing 1,700 mt. Finally, the launching bearings were replaced by final bearings. The tracks were laid and the road was constructed adapting RCC construction. After fulfilling the electrical and other ancillary requirements, the assignment was completed.

Next Story
Technology

We’re building robots that flow, not just move

Founded in 2021, Flo Mobility is reimagining construction automation with vision-AI robots designed for seamless movement through complex sites. In conversation with CW, Manesh Jain, Founder & CEO, discusses the company’s origin, its LiDAR-free tech stack, and expansion plans in the Middle East and US.What inspired the name Flo Mobility? Why ‘Flo’ and not ‘Flow’?When we started the company in 2021, our focus was on building autonomous navigation systems for robots. Since our work centred around robot movement, ‘mobility’ naturally became part of the name. We wanted to co..

Next Story
Real Estate

We’re committed to setting benchmarks in sustainable luxury living

From a landmark land acquisition in Boisar to ambitious launches across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru and Pune, Birla Estates is driving future-ready growth with a strong focus on sustainability, partnerships and premium living, firmly anchored in its LifeDesigned® philosophy. K T Jithendran, Managing Director & CEO, outlines the company’s premium, sustainable growth playbook in conversation with PRATAP PADODE, Editor-in-Chief, CW. Excerpts:Birla Estates recently acquired a 70.92-acre land parcel in Boisar, Maharashtra, for..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Mumbai’s land crunch and ageing homes call for structured renewal

Founded in 2022, Etonhurst Capital Partners is a real-estate fund management platform focused on the Indian market. As the firm achieves the first close of Rs 1.8 billion for its debut Rs 5 billion fund, Bamasish Paul, Co-founder, Managing Partner & CEO, discusses its sharp focus on redevelopment-driven value creation in Mumbai’s urban core with CW. Excerpts:Etonhurst Capital has achieved a significant milestone with the first close of Rs 1.8 billion for its Rs 5 billion fund. What factors contributed to this early success and how do you plan to attract further investments to r..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?