Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Chenab Train Bridge– the highest train arch bridge worldwide which is 35m taller than the Eiffel Tower.
Towering at 359m above the Chenab river in the Reasi district of the federal area of Jammu and Kashmir, the bridge is a crucial part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) task and links the Kashmir area with the remainder of the nation through an all-weather railway.
Covering 1,315 m in between the towns of Bakkal and Kauri, the bridge was built utilizing over 28,000 tonnes of steel and developed to last 120 years. It includes 93 deck sectors, each weighing around 85 tonnes, and can endure wind speeds of as much as 266kmph and seismic tremblings as much as magnitude 8, according to the Indian Express
After the inauguration, Mr Modi published on X, previously Twitter: “It’s a sensation of enormous pride that this bridge perfectly mixes aspiration with execution, showing India’s growing ability to construct futuristic facilities in the most difficult surfaces.”
Among the main engineering difficulties was stabilising the slopes in an area marked by fractured Himalayan geology and high seismic activity. The bridge’s structural durability consists of the capability to stay functional even if among its piers stops working, at a limited speed of 30kmph. It is likewise developed to endure explosive forces as much as 40 tonnes of TNT.
G Madhavi Latha, a professional in rock engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), was generated by Northern Railways and Afcons Facilities to recommend on slope stabilisation and structure style. “We could not choose a stiff style. The information we discovered throughout excavation was really various from what surface area mapping had actually shown,” Ms Latha informed Deccan Herald
Explaining the procedure of developing the bridge, Ms Latha described that the group required to frequently customize building strategies in real-time based upon brand-new geological information. Cement grouting, support with steel rods, and deep excavations into rock mass were utilized to stabilise the structures; Ms Latha included that numerous modifications needed to be included due to the high, unsteady slopes and extremely alternate rock developments.
Furthermore, without any pre-existing roadways to the remote website, carrying heavy equipment postured a significant difficulty. Employees needed to construct over 26km of motorable roadways before primary building might even start. This seclusion, integrated with weather condition extremes and logistical restrictions, prevented the bridge’s building development several times.
The USBRL task as a whole has actually been under advancement because it was authorized in 2003 throughout previous prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s administration. It consists of 36 tunnels covering 119 kilometres and 943 bridges, developed at an overall approximated expense of Rs437.8 bn (₤ 3.7 bn), with the expense of the Chenab Bridge alone being around Rs14.86 bn (₤ 128m), reported Indian media.
The Chenab Bridge was built under the guidance of the Konkan Train Corporation and included numerous Indian and global partners. The viaduct and structure were developed by WSP Finland, while the steel arch was developed by Germany-based Leonhardt Andrä und Partner. Building was performed by a joint endeavor consisting of Afcons Facilities (India), South Korea’s Ultra Building & Engineering, and VSL India. Seismic analysis was performed by IIT Delhi and IIT Roorkee, while the Defence Research Study and Advancement Organisation (DRDO) added to making the bridge blast-resistant.
The bridge pushes a shift curve– an area where a straight positioning shifts to a curved one– including intricacy to its style and building. Advanced Tekla software application was utilized for 3D modelling of the structure, Swiss company Mageba provided round bearings, while the Steel Authority of India supplied the raw products for the arch.
Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah checked out the bridge a day before the inauguration to evaluate plans and shared images on X, composing:” Tomorrow is a landmark day for J&K when, lastly, the valley will be linked to the remainder of the nation by a train link to be inaugurated at the hands of the Hon PM.”
At its peak in 2017, the Chenab Bridge task used around 3,200 employees and engineers working concurrently, according to a report in The New Indian Express. To support this big labor force in the remote and challenging surface, a devoted domestic nest with 52 real estate blocks was developed near to the website, guaranteeing undisturbed development regardless of the difficult conditions.
Now totally functional, the bridge is planned to function as an important link for both civilian and tactical transportation. The rail path linking Katra in Jammu to Srinagar in Kashmir is anticipated to considerably cut travel time to 3 hours through the Vande Bharat Express, compared to the previous 5 to 6 hours.