National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has achieved a major milestone by launching the first 40m long Full Span Pre-Stressed Concrete (PSC) Box Girder in Maharashtra, for the Bullet Train project. This advancement showcases the organisation’s commitment towards infrastructure development using top-notch technologies for the construction in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor.
Introduction:
In a significant engineering feat in India’s first high-speed rail project, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has successfully launched the first 40-meter Full Span Pre-Stressed Concrete (PSC) Box Girder in Maharashtra. The milestone was achieved at Sakhare Village, Dahanu, along the ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor.
Corridor Details – Maharashtra Segment:
The 156 km Maharashtra section of the corridor features–
- Underground Station: Bandra Kurla Complex (Mumbai)
- 21 km Long Tunnel: From BKC to Shilphata in Thane
- 135 km Elevated Track from Shilphata to Zaroli (MH-GJ Border), comprising:
- 124 km Viaduct including– 103 km using 2,575 Full Span Launching Method (FSLM) girders; 17 km of Segmental Girders; 2.3 km of Steel Bridges across highways, DFCC, Indian Railways & Ulhas River; 1.3 km in stations at Thane, Virar & Boisar.
- 11 km Structures– 6 km of 7 mountain tunnels and 5 km of special earthwork structures.
Engineering Marvel – 40m PSC Box Girders:
The PSC Box Girder, measuring 40 meters in length and weighing 970 metric tonnes, is the heaviest of its kind in India’s construction industry. It is cast as a monolithic structure without construction joints, requiring 390 cubic meters of concrete and 42 metric tonnes of steel per girder. These full-span girders acted instead of segmental girders due to–
- Faster construction (up to 10 times quicker)
- Greater durability
- Reduced joints, enhancing overall structural strength
The construction utilizes domestically developed heavy equipment such as–
- Straddle Carriers
- Bridge Launching Gantries
- Girder Transporters
- Launching Gantries
Girders are pre-casted and stacked in dedicated casting yards to improve the pace of construction.
Casting Yard Strategy:
The project has planned 13 casting yards between Shilphata and Gujarat border, 5 of them are already operational. The continuous supply of precast girders are possible because of these casting yards, and they improve the momentum of the construction work across the corridor.
Gujarat already has 307 km of completed viaduct using this technology. Station slab casting initiated at Virar and Boisar.
Project Progress Highlights:
In Vadodara, track slab laying is advancing rapidly using modern slab placement machinery, marking another major milestone for the high-speed project. Using cutting-edge machinery to deploy precast slabs with precision, the project is laying the foundation for India’s first high-speed rail corridor—moving towards fast, efficient, and modern rail travel in the country.
Conclusion:
The launch of the first 40-meter PSC Box Girder in Maharashtra showcases a crucial advancement in Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project. The project is progressing rapidly with the use of advanced technology, precise construction practices, and the indigenous machinery. NHSRCL set a benchmark in infrastructure development for the future transport hubs, moving steadily towards operational readiness of the first high-speed rail corridor in India.
Source: NHSRCL – Press Release | Images Credit: NHSRCL
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