The Making of

Bandra Worli Sea Link

INTRODUCTION A TRIUMPH OF PRECISION ENGINEERING

Introduction:
HIGHLIGHTS IN BRIEF
The Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) is a civil engineering marvel spanning an arc of the
Mumbai coastline. With its cable-stayed towers soaring gracefully skywards, the sea
PROJECT OVERVIEW
link is a reflection of the modern infrastructure that Mumbai is adding in its progress
towards becoming a world-class city.
CHALLENGES
ENCOUNTERED
The BWSL project is a part of the Western Freeway Sea Project, which, in turn, is a
KEY PEOPLE
part of a larger proposal to upgrade the road transportation network of greater
Mumbai. In the first phase it will connect Bandra to Worli whereas in the subsequent
EQUIPMENT USED phases the plans are to take it further to Haji Ali and then to Nariman Point. It is a
connecting bridge linking the city of Mumbai with its western suburbs and has the
FASCINATING FACTS potential to bring about permanent and far reaching changes in the travel patterns of
the area.

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link is primarily meant to provide an alternative to the Mahim
Causeway route that is presently the only connection between South Mumbai and the
Western and Central suburbs. The project starts from the interchange at Mahim
intersection, i.e. intersection of Western Express Highway and Swami Vivekanand
Road at the Bandra end, and connects it to Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road at the Worli
end. The project has been commissioned to offer a quicker alternative to the north-
south traffic that presently amounts to approximately 125,000 cars a day.

The project has been commissioned by the Maharashtra State Road Development
Corporation Ltd (MSRDC) and the Maharashtra Government and is being built by HCC
(Hindustan Construction Company). As a builder of landmark infrastructure projects
around the country, HCC has handled numerous challenges both in terms of location
and technology. The BWSL project offered HCC an opportunity to accomplish one
more feat: to construct an eight-lane freeway over the open sea for the first time in
India.

HCC is the first engineering company in India to have all three international certifications for Quality, Occupational Health & Safety and Environment
Highlights in brief:

Ÿ India's first bridge to be constructed in open-sea conditions

Ÿ 4.7 km, twin, 4-lane independent carriageway bridge across the open sea
Ÿ 16-lane toll plaza with 20-m wide promenade together with state-of-the-art traffic
Ÿ monitoring, surveillance, information and control systems
Ÿ 2342 pre-cast segments for total bridge with varied width
Ÿ 40,000 MT of reinforcement, 23,0000 cum of concrete, 5,400 MT of Post tensioning
Ÿ strands and bars used
Ÿ Osterberg cell technology used for the first time in India to check pile strength (for up to
9600 MT).
Ÿ Engagement of Asian Hercules, one of the largest floating shear leg crane in the world for
shifting 1,260 MT launching truss from Bandra end to Worli end of the main cable stay
Ÿ bridge
Ÿ Largest span for cable-stayed bridge in India
Ÿ Up to 25-m high pier in open sea, giving ample headroom to marine traffic
Ÿ Use of Polytron Disc in bearings on piers for the first time in India

Project Overview:

The entire project was originally conceived as one large project comprising, different components, but in order to
accelerate the overall construction schedule, the project has been divided into five construction packages :-

Package I: Construction of flyover over Love Grove junction at Worli

Package II: Construction of cloverleaf interchange at Mahim intersection
Package III: Construction of solid approach road from the Mahim intersection up to the start of the Toll
Plaza on the Bandra side and a public promenade
Package IV: Construction of Cable-Stayed Bridges together with viaduct approaches extending from
Worli up to the Toll Plaza at Bandra end, Intelligent Bridge System (IBS).
ŸPackage V: Improvement to Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road

Package IV is the largest and main phase of Bandra-Worli Sea Link Project. Main features of this technically
challenging package are :
Ÿ Cable-Stayed Bridge including viaduct approaches extending from Worli up to Toll Plaza at
Bandra end
Ÿ Modern Toll Plaza

The work under this package was awarded to HCC.

Details of Package - IV

Main Bridge Structure

The bridge consists of twin continuous concrete box girder bridge sections for traffic in each direction. Each bridge
section, except at the cable-stayed portion, is supported on piers typically spaced at 50 meters. Each section is
meant for four lanes of traffic, complete with concrete barriers and service side-walks on one side. The bridge
alignment is defined with vertical and horizontal curves. The bridge layout is categorized into three different parts:
Ÿ Part 1 - The north-end approach structure with Pre-Cast (PC) segmental construction.
Ÿ· Part 2 - The Cable-Stayed Bridge at Bandra channel is with 50m -250m-250m-50m span
arrangement and the Cable-Stayed Bridge at Worli channel is with 50m-50m-150m-50m-
50m span arrangement.
Ÿ Part 3 - The south end approach structure with Pre-Cast segmental construction.
Part - I North End Approach Structure
The bridge is arranged in units of typically six continuous spans of 50 meters each. Expansion joints are provided at
each end of the units. The superstructure and substructure are designed in accordance with IRC codes.
Specifications conform to the IRC standard with supplementary specifications covering special items. The
foundation consists of 1.5 meters diameter drilled piles (4 nos. for each pier) with pile caps. Bridge bearings are of
Disc Type.

The bridge has been built utilising the concept of Pre-Cast, post-tensioned, segmental concrete box girder
sections. An overhead gantry crane with self-launching capability is custom built by the company to lay the
superstructure of the precast segments. The Pre-Cast segments are joined together using high strength epoxy
glue with nominal prestressing initially. The end segments adjacent to the pier are short segments "cast-in-situ
joints". Geometrical adjustments of the span are made before primary continuous tendons are stressed.

Segment types are further defined by the changes in the web thickness and type of diaphragms cast in cell. The
segment weights vary from 110 tons to 140 tons per segment. The segment length varies from 3000 mm to 3200
mm. Deck post tensioning is performed at the completion of the erection of each 50m bridge span.

Part- II Cable-Stayed Bridge

The cable-stayed portion of the Bandra channel is 600 meters in overall length between expansion joints and
consists of two 250-meter cable supported main spans flanked by 50 meters conventional approach spans. A
centre tower, with an overall height of 128 meters above pile cap level, supports the superstructure by means of
four planes of cable stay in a semi-harp arrangement. Cable spacing is 6.0 meters along the bridge deck.

The cable-stayed portion of the Worli channel is 350 meters in overall length between expansion joints and
consists of one 150 meters cable supported main span flanked by two 50 meters conventional approach spans. A
centre tower, with an overall height of 55 meters, supports the superstructure above the pile cap level by means of
four planes of cable stay in a semi-harp arrangement. Cable spacing here is also 6.0 meters along the bridge deck.

The superstructure comprises twin precast concrete box girders with a fish belly cross sectional shape, identical to
the approaches. A typical Pre-Cast segment length is 3.0 meters with the heaviest superstructure segment
approaching 140 tons. Balanced cantilever construction is used for erecting the cable supported superstructure as
compared to span-by-span construction for the approaches. For every second segment, cable anchorages are
provided.

A total of 264 cable stays are used at Bandra channel with cable lengths varying from approximately 85 meters
minimum to nearly 250 meters maximum. The tower is cast in-situ reinforced concrete using the climbing form
method of construction. The overall tower configuration is an inverted "Y" shape with the inclined legs oriented
along the axis of the bridge. Tower cable anchorage recesses are achieved by use of formed pockets and
transverse and longitudinal bar post-tensioning is provided in the tower head to resist local cable forces.

A total of 160 cable stays are used at Worli channel with cable lengths varying from approximately 30 meters
minimum to nearly 80 meters maximum. Like the Bandra channel, the tower here is also cast in-situ reinforced
concrete using the climbing form method of construction but the overall tower configuration is "I" shape with the
inclined legs. Similarly, tower cable anchorage recesses are achieved by use of formed pockets.

The foundations for the main tower comprise 2 meter-drilled shafts of 25 meters length each. Cofferdam and
tremie seal construction have been used to construct the six-meter deep foundation in the dry.
Part - III South End Approach Structure

This portion of the bridge is similar to the North end approach structure in construction methodology with span by
span match cast concrete box girder sections.

Toll Plaza

A modern toll plaza with 16 lanes is provided at the Bandra end. The toll plaza is equipped with a state-of-the-art toll
collection system. A structure is provided at this location to house the control system for the ITS.

Intelligent Bridge System

The toll station (TP) and collection system will provide for three different types of toll collection, as follows:

Ÿ Fully automatic system: Electronic payment through On board Units mounted on the vehicles which
allow passage without stopping.
Ÿ Semi-automatic system: Electronic payment through a smart card, which allows payment without
having to pay cash.
Ÿ Manual toll collection: Payment of toll by cash, requiring vehicle drivers to make cash payment to a toll
attendant, and stopping for cash exchange.

The intelligent bridge system will provide additional traffic information, surveillance, monitoring and control
systems. It comprises CCTVs, traffic counting and vehicle classification system, variable message signs, remote
weather information system and emergency telephones. The control centre located near the toll plaza is housed
with the electronic tolling controls. The transmission system comprises fiber-optic cable housed in PVC conduits
running parallel to the Bandra-Worli corridor. In addition, facilities to assist enforcement are provided in the form of
pullout locations, which will allow drivers and enforcement officers to safely pullout of traffic.

Power Supply Distribution and Road Lighting System

A reliable and dependable power supply has been arranged for the entire project. It will also house diesel
generator sets and auto mains failure panels to cater to critical load, e.g., monitoring, surveillance and
communication equipment emergency services like aviation obstruction lights. Adequate levels of lighting levels
have been maintained and energy saving luminaries have been installed. Special emphasis has been given to
incorporate lighting protection at bridge tower and control room building to protect those building/ structures and
the sophisticated monitoring and communication equipment installed therein.

Challenges encountered during execution of the project:

Engineering challenges:

BWSL Project is a unique and pleasing structure, but before undertaking the construction, following were the
major challenges to be addressed:-
Ÿ The foundations of the bridge included 604 large diameter shafts drilled to lengths of 6m to 34m in
geotechnical conditions that varied from highly weathered volcanic material to massive high strength
rocks.
Ÿ The superstructure of the approach bridges were the heaviest spans in the country to be built with span-
by-span method using overhead gantry through a series of vertical and horizontal curves.
Ÿ A one-of-its-kind, diamond shaped 128m high concrete tower with flaring lower legs, converging upper
legs, unified tower head housing the stays and a throughout varying cross section along the height of
tower.
Ÿ Erection of 20000 MT Bandra cable-stayed deck supported on stay cables within a very close tolerance of
deviations in plan and elevation.
The challenges were varied and started right from the Pre-Cast yard.

1. Ground Stabilisation for Pre-Cast Yard

The Pre-Cast yard is located on reclaimed land. The yard caters to casting, storing and handling of pre-cast
segments for the project totaling 2342 in numbers. The storage capacity requirement of yard is to be about
470nos. As the area available is limited, the segments are to be stored in stacks of three layers.

The bearing capacity of the ground is of paramount importance to enable three-tier storage of segments. As the
pre-cast area is on reclaimed land, the bearing capacity of existing ground was very poor and found to be less than
2 T/Sqm.

Hence detailed ground stabilization was carried out, which involved following:

Ÿ Excavation of the ground to a depth of ~ 2.5Mtrs.

Ÿ Strengthening the ground using rubble soling and filling the voids with sand. The soling thus done was
compacted layer by layer using vibratory rollers.
Ÿ Total area of the Pre-cast Yard was covered with a layer of PCC.
Ÿ RCC Footing done to facilitate storing of segments.

These measures offered the required strength to the casting yard.

Marine Works:

Foundation and Substructure

The foundations for the BWSL project consist of 2000-mm diameter piles numbering 120 for the cable-stayed
bridges and 1500-mm diameter piles numbering 484 for the approach bridges. The project's site geology consists
of basalts, volcanic tuffs and breccias with some intertrappean deposits. These are overlain by completely
weathered rocks and residual soil. The strength of these rocks range from extremely weak to extremely strong and
their conditions range from highly weathered and fractured, to fresh, massive and intact. The weathered rock beds
are further overlain by transported soil, calcareous sandstone and thin bed of coarse grained conglomerate. The top
of these strata are overlain by marine soil layer up to 9m thick consisting of dark brown clayey silt with some fine
sand overlying weathered, dark brown basaltic boulders embedded in the silt. The major engineering problems that
needed suitable solutions before proceeding with the work were as follows:

1. Highly variable geotechnical conditions of the foundation bed as explained above.

2. Highly uneven foundation bed even for plan area of one pile.
3. Presence of Intertidal Zone (Foundation Bed exposed in low tide and submerged
in high tide).

The key to success was a program of pier by pier in-situ testing. An extensive
subsurface exploration and drilling program (total 191 bores inside sea) was
undertaken to define the subsurface stratigraphy, determine the rock types and
obtain material properties for optimizing the foundation design. Owing to a highly
variable geology, the design calculations were performed on a pier-by-pier basis and
the unit side shear values were checked that they did not exceed the load test
results under similar rock conditions. The working load on the approach piles ranges
from 700 tons to 1500 tons whereas for the piles below the cable-stayed bridge
working load is 2500 tons.
For conducting the load test on the piles, the load to be applied varied from 4500tons to 9600tons. Arranging
reactions for such loads either by normal kentledge method or by soil anchor required massive scale arrangements
in the sea waters. This was completely avoided by a careful planning of load test using the Osterberg load cell
method (Refer sketch 1).

The award winning Osterberg Cell, or "O-Cell', gets its name from the inventor, Dr. Jorj O. Osterberg. The O-cell is
a hydraulically driven, high capacity, sacrificial loading device installed within the foundation unit. Working in two
directions, upward against side-shear and downward against end-bearing, the O-cell automatically separates the
resistance parameters. By virtue of its installation within the foundation member, the Osterberg Cell load test is
not restricted by overhead structural beams and tie-down piles. Instead, the O-Cell derives all reaction from the soil
and/or rock system. End bearing provides reaction for the skin friction portion of the O-Cell load test, and skin
friction provides reaction for the end bearing portion of the test. Load testing with the O-Cell continues until one of
three things occurs: ultimate skin friction capacity is reached, ultimate end bearing capacity is reached, or the
maximum O-cell capacity is reached.

Each Osterberg Cell is specially instrumented to allow for direct measurement of the end bearing and skin friction.
O-Cells range in capacities from 0.7 MN to 27 MN. By using multiple O-Cells on a single horizontal plane, the
available test capacity can be increased to more than 200 MN. At BWSL, four test locations were selected for the
following criterion.

Reverse Circulation Drilling method is adopted for foundation construction. The highly uneven foundation beds and
the presence of intertidal zone
brought in lots of difficulty in
terms of Liner pitching. This
problem was solved by
constructing a gabion boundary
at the bed level around the
casing, pouring concrete
between the casings to make an
artificial penetration of the
casing. After setting of the
concrete under the water, drilling
was commenced using RCD.

It is interesting also to mention that loss of water head

during continuous drilling operation was a major problem
while working in the intertidal zone. This water head loss
leads to very slow production rate and very high
consumption of drill bits. To overcome this problem, pits
were made in the low tide at each foundation location
using an Excavator and the casing was placed at the
bottom of the pits. Then the casing was placed in the pits
and was concreted to make an artificial penetration,
maintaining the proper water head for continuous drilling.

For several locations, cofferdam construction using steel liner and sheet piles, was not possible due to very hard
and uneven strata. Here the problem was solved using circular steel caissons. These caissons were fabricated
outside and towed to location using A-frame barge. The caissons were sunk at the location using counterweights.
The unevenness at the bottom was sealed using the gabion method. The benefit of this method was that it
completely eliminated deployment of resources like Jack up Platform, Crane, Vibrohammer, Compressor, etc for
liner pitching. It also eliminated substantial amount of field works and is pre-fabricated in principle.

2. Superstructure:

The BWSL Project has (9+2) approach bridge modules. These modules range from 3 continuous span units to 8
continuous span units. The deck of the carriageways consists of triple cell precast box girders supported on piers
founded on independent substructure. The Concrete Grade for the superstructure is M60. The average weight of
the span is 1800 tons, whereas the heaviest span in the bridge (to be erected with the Launching Gantry) weighs
2000 tons. In addition, the trusses were to be designed to receive the segment from the already erected deck as
well as from barges parked directly under the truss.

The Technical Data for the superstructure is as follows.

Max Longitudinal Gradient = 1.72%

Max Crossfall = 6%
Max Radius in Plan = 600m
Min Radius in Plan = 246m
Typical Span Length = 50m and 30m in Link Bridge
Max Span Weight = 2000 tons

The erection gantry is 1260MT truss designed to erect spans for the above configuration. The unique feature of the
truss indeed is the maximum span weight it can handle and that it can launch the pier and EJ segment itself. The
truss also has the capacity to align the total span in hanging condition after the gluing is completed. The truss is
fully mechanized for self launching and aligning. An individual segment can be aligned on the truss using a set of
four hydraulic jacks mounted on each suspension frame. In order to eliminate the casting or erection errors within
a span, two wet joints are provided on either end of the span. The wet joints are cast after finalization of the span
alignment.

For the fabrication of the truss, the entire structural steel (grade Fe 540) was sourced from within India. The
accessories and components however were procured from India and abroad. A full scale load test was conducted
before putting the erection gantry into actual operation.

The erection gantry comprises the following:

a. Main truss
b. Front/rear pylons
c. Front/centre/rear legs
d. Front /rear trolley
e. Cross beams
f. Stressing gondola
g. Suspension frames
h. Connection beams-Type A/B
i. Spreader beams- Type A/B
j. Pier bracket
k. Chain Support

A Typical 50m span of the approach bridges comprises 15 field segments, a Pier segment and 200mm (nominal) in-
situ wet joints. During the span construction, all field segments are suspended from the Gantry, glued and
temporarily stressed together. Once the gluing operation is completed, span alignment to the Piers is followed.
After alignment, the wet joints are cast including grouting of bearings top plinth. Once the wet joints achieve the
required strength, stressing of longitudinal PT is commenced followed by load transfer of Span to Piers.

Sketch - Erection Gantry Operation

Relocation of Launching Trusses using 1600MT capacity Barge Mounted Crane - Asian Hercules

After the successful erection of the deck on Bandra side, the trusses were required to be shifted across the
Bandra cable stay bridge by 600 meters to Worli side to take up the spans beyond the Bandra Cable Stay.

Various options like (i) dismantling of the trusses at present locations and reassembling them at new locations, (ii)
lowering the trusses on a suitable floating craft and shifting and erecting them, and (iii) shifting the total truss using
a floating crane, etc were analyzed in detail. Taking into consideration various constraints like limited working period
available to execute the work in sea, the effect of open sea on dismantling and re-erection, etc, the best option
available was the relocation of the trusses in one piece using a floating crane.

Asian Hercules is one of the biggest floating shear leg cranes in the world. This crane is mounted on a barge which
is over 240 feet long and more than 130 feet wide, weighs 5,900 tons and has enough lifting capacity (1600 MT) to
lift a weight equal to 2,000 small cars. It started its voyage from Singapore on October 9, 2006, and arrived at
Mumbai's shores on October 27, 2006. After obtaining the necessary regulatory clearances, it commenced
operations from November 06, 2006, including trial runs and realignments in its settings. Selection of equipment
was done considering various challenges, like the draft and space available at working locations, tide limitations,
and other weather constraints.

The process: The biggest hurdle on the Asian Hercules operation was that the draft at the required locations was
not good enough to carry out the operation smoothly without disturbing the VSNL cable lying underneath. This
problem was overcome by using sophisticated global positioning system and carrying out the entire operation in a
series of smaller operations during the favourable high-tide. First the Asian Hercules Crane was positioned at the
required lifting position. A complex operation of balancing the vessel using ballasting was carried out as per the
predetermined stages. Positioning of the vessel was done considering the draft requirements. A specially
fabricated lifting spreader was fixed to the truss to facilitate the lifting.

The truss load was taken by the crane in stages so that the lifting operation was smooth. Through computerized
central monitoring, the load in individual lifting points was monitored to ensure that no point was overloaded.

After taking the load, the Asian Hercules crane was moved to a safe location where enough water depth (draft)
was available to park the crane with the truss. Then the crane with the truss was moved to a new location during
the next high tide. The truss was then lowered on to the final location. The lowering of truss at the final location
was achieved through Guides, which helped to achieve a final placement accuracy of ±50mm. The operation,
which otherwise would have taken one complete year, was completed in matters of a few days.

Cable Stay bridges

It is for the first time that cable stay bridges have been attempted on open seas in India. Coupled with the fact
that the aesthetically designed pylons have an extremely complex geometry and one of the longest spans for
concrete deck, the challenges encountered were indeed formidable.

Bandra Cable Stay Bridge

 Worli Cable Stay Bridge

Construction of Pylon Tower Legs:

The salient characteristics of the pylon tower that make it complex and challenging from the point of view of
constructability are as follows:

(a) The section decreases gradually with height;

(b) There are horizontal grooves at every 3m height and vertical grooves for circular portion that
requires special form liners as well as it requires attention for de-shuttering;
(c) The tower legs are inclined in two directions, which creates complexities in alignment and
climbing of soldiers;
(d) Construction joints permitted only at 3m level. Inserts were permitted only in horizontal grooves
provided at 3m height.

On not being able to get immediate solution from reputed worldwide formwork manufacturers, the project design
team designed an automatic climbing shutter formwork system, which was fabricated on site and employed to
execute all tower leg lifts below deck level. To affect further reduction in time cycles, HCC approached Doka,
Austria. Doka then devised a customized solution based on their SKE-100 automatic climbing shutter system.

Construction of Tower Legs before Deck Level

 DOKA SKE-100 Automatic Climbing Scaffolding System Erected on Tower Legs

a. Survey of Tower Legs:

The complex pylon geometry was another challenge for surveyors. Coupled with geometry, the construction stage
analysis indicated leaning and progressively increasing inward inclination of pylon legs during construction. HCC's
Principal Surveyor devised a sophisticated technology to measure coordinates through a combination of total
station and prisms mounted on pylon legs. The temperature and construction stage analysis factors were applied
to derive the corrected coordinates. The pylon legs were constructed within an accuracy of ±5mm, which speaks
volumes about the technique employed.

b. Anchorage Box

Anchor Box for Bandra Cable Stay Bridge Anchor Box or Worli Cable Stay Bridge

Anchorage Box is used as inner shuttering for tower head. Bearing plates with guide pipes are fixed to the
anchorage box. Guide Pipe and Bearing Plates actually transfer the deck loads to tower concrete which are
generated due to stressing of stay cables. The anchorage box is fabricated with 12mm thick high grade steel
plates. It is fabricated in pieces and then bolted at tower head portion. The bearing plates and guide pipes of
anchorage box are galvanized and the remaining portion was painted with anticorrosive polyurethane based paint.
Anchorage boxes are fixed with the help of co-ordinate system for accurately fixing the anchorage point and angle
of stay cable.
c. Compression Struts

Compression struts are provided at various levels of tower legs. These were basically provided to keep the
alignment of all tower legs in their required position. During construction, due to geometry it was possible that the
tower legs might lean inwards due to weight and stresses involved in the base. In order to avoid that, compression
struts were provided and jacking done to desired load to maintain the alignment.

d. Erection of Pier Table Segments:

The pier table segments numbering 42 for both the carriageways were another hurdle encountered. The reasons
being –
(a) Launching Truss could not be deployed;
(b) Being generally over the pylon pile cap, lifting segments from the sea was not possible. To
overcome this hurdle, HCC's Expat devised a brilliant and ingenious solution in the form of –
-Pier Table Trusses (PTT): One each was erected for each carriageway. It
had rails on top to move segments with the help of hydraulic jacks from one end to another.
-Lifting Frame: This was an ingenious little devise mounted at either end of PTT. SLU (Strand
Lifting Units) were mounted on top to lift the segment from barges anchored in the sea. After
lifting the segment, the front frame closed down, where the segment was lowered on the rails.
The rear frame lifted up to enable the segment to slide across the PTT hydraulically.

STAGE: 1

Open the Support Bracket and Lift the Segment. Close the Support Bracket, Slide in the Trolley and Lower the
Segment on Sliding Trolley
STAGE: 2

Opening of the Lifting Boom & Strut, Slide out the Segment and Close the Lifting Boom and & Strut. Repeat
operations for the other segment lifting.

e. Erection of Segments of Cable Stay Bridge by Derrick

The method used for erection of segments at Cable-Stayed bridge was balance cantilever construction method.
During construction, the length of free cantilever for Bandra Cable-Stayed bridge was 215m and for Worli Cable-
Stayed bridge it was 73m.

The segments were lifted by the instrument named Derrick which was fixed on both ends of the pier table
segment and then forwarded. Lifting operation was done simultaneously on both ends. At a time, Derrick can lift
one segment. Deck is constructed of alternate stay and non stay segments joined to pier table segments.

Lifting of Segment with Derrick

f. Dry Matching, Epoxy and Temporary Stressing for Gluing

When the segment is positioned, it is to be joined with the existing segment. Therefore, the segment was first dry-
matched with the already erected segment. On completion of dry-matching, the segment was moved back by
sliding the lifting beam for a distance of 400mm of the derrick and epoxy was applied on the face of both
segments. After application of the glue, the segments were joined together and were stressed by Temporary PT
bars. Post this step, the segment lifting beam on derrick is moved forward to lift the next segment i.e. stay
segment.

g. Erection of Stay Segment

These segments were also erected similarly as the non-stay segment and were also joined in the similar way. After
this, guide pipes were installed over the ducts left behind during segment casting.
h. Stay Cable

Stay Cables used are 'Parallel Wire Stay Cables'. They were manufactured by
“Shanghai Pujiang Cable Co. Ltd” China. Each cable consists of a group of different
number of steel wires. Each wire is made up of high tensile steel. Diameter of
single wire was 7mm with a breaking limit of 6.28 Tones. Six different sizes of
cables were used in the cable-stayed portion. The difference between them was
only on the basis of number of steel wires in each cable. Six different types used
were of 61, 73, 85, 91, 109 and 121 steel wires. Group of these wires was packed
in two layers of HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene) material to protect them from
atmospheric effects.

i. Closure Pour

In Bandra Cable-Stayed Bridge, closure pour is provided between main cable-stayed cantilevers and back span. In
Worli Cable-Stayed bridge, closure pour is provided between two cable-stayed cantilever decks

j. Longitudinal stressing and grouting

When all the segments and cables were erected, the segments were post tensioned longitudinally. This post
tensioning was done by stressing the steel tendons placed in the ducts provided inside the body of segments. This
helps the members to stay together and to increase their load carrying capacity as a large number of segments
were joined together to make single unit. Once the stressing was done as per requirement, these holes or ducts
were filled with cement grout and were plugged at both ends.

k. Fine Tuning

After completion of closure pour and post-tensioning of the deck, fine tuning of stay cables is done. Fine tuning is
fine force adjustments of the stay cables to achieve the required stresses in the deck and profile of the deck.
During fine tuning, forces in the stay cables are adjusted to suit further addition of super-imposed dead loads such
as wearing coat, crash barriers, handrails and also vehicle loads. During fine tuning operation, longitudinal and
transverse deck profiles are also monitored to provide smooth curve.

l. Wearing Coat over south bound bridge deck

Bridge deck surface of south bound carriageway is provided with 40mm thick Polymer Modified Bituminous
pavement in conjunction with water-proofing system to seal the bridge deck.

3. Working during monsoon:

The Maritime Board does not allow marine traffic in monsoon season. Thus, work was halted mid-May only to re-
commence in October, effectively reducing the work schedule to only seven months in a year. To overcome this
hurdle and to use this time to speed up the construction activities at Bandra Pylon, HCC put forth the solution in
the form of an innovatively designed temporary bridge. This bridge had a total length of 325 metres. It had the
facility of a walkway, a concrete pipe line, an electrically-operated trolley mounted on rail, water line and a pipe line.
It paved the way for successful continuation of work during the monsoon season when the sea was rough and the
winds were strong.
4. Logistics:

Another challenge was ensuring effective supply chain at all working locations spread across the alignment in the
sea and formulating measures to ensure the same. A diligently worked out logistic plan was put into action to
ensure that commodities were handled at dedicated location and dispatches monitored meticulously. State-of-the-
art electronic devices were placed on the barges to cut down on idle timings.

During peak construction activities, innovative procedures and specialized equipments were required to enable
high accuracy. Expert crews had to also exercise good judgement in assessing sea behavior and priorities during
foundation/ substructure constructions and final placement of concrete in situ. Navigation and transporting 19
precast segments in 24 hours at different open sea locations was a challenge. Secondly, concrete consumption at
the peak had been at the rate of 50cum/hr. Under marine conditions, the consumption rate has been in the order
of 700cum per day. To add to this, maintaining adequate food supply for around 2500 people (in a shift) working in
the sea at over 30 locations was a big challenge. These complete requirements were met with an effective
utilization of a fleet of 30 marine vessels including 13 barges for concrete, segments and material transport, eight
steel boats for material and workers transport, three tug boats and six smaller passenger boats.

Around four passenger boats were used for carrying food to approximately 30 locations in the sea. Each employee,
while starting his day, entered the log indicating the location at which they would be working. Thereafter began the
clockwork of gathering tiffin boxes, washing and cleaning, allocation and dispatch as per the log entries along with
the drinking water supply including tea supply at two time intervals per shift. During rough sea conditions in the
normal working season, extra tiffins were carried to take care of possible spillage while transferring the tiffins from
boats to working locations. Thus workers were also suitably cared for, while meeting the engineering challenges
posed during construction of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

5. Psychological conditioning

With a long track record and experienced in building large infrastructure projects, HCC follows strict guidelines for
occupational health and safety and environment protection. Safety is extremely important to HCC and the company
officials worked towards sensitising labour and creating greater awareness of safety standards with gentle
persuasion, consistent motivation and tool box meetings. The kind of structured processes that were implemented
by HCCfor ensuring safety is nothing short of phenomenal.

Lack of awareness is the biggest hazard for safety. Since the primary safety hazard are related to engineering
control, equipment, job methodology, material handling, structural fabrication and emergency preparedness, HCC
made sure that every worker is taken through the HSE program. The orientation program made them aware of the
various safety hazards associated with a project and necessary precautions to be taken to prevent them. They are
also taught how to evacuate during any emergency. For its meticulous planning and implementation of safety
practices for the BWSL project, HCC has won the prestigious “Golden Peacock Award” for safety, health and
environment in June 2007.

Key people

Over 3000 workers were employed to work on the project. Several teams of HCC engineers and foreign engineers
and technicians have been involved in specialised tasks on the structure of the Sea Link. These include
professionals from China, Egypt, Canada, Switzerland, Britain, Serbia, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong,
Indonesia and the Philippines. In terms of language, cultural differences and methods of work these key people
were different, yet the engineering challenges kept the group creatively involved, and they worked enthusiastically
as a team.
Some of the key people engaged in the construction of the bridge include:

Name Designation Experience

Col Satish G. Diwanji Project Manager 30 years in the Indian army. Has been
involved with three highway projects

D.K. Sharma Project Chief Engineer Involved with this project right from day
one. He has been a key link between
MSRDC, HCC and Dar Consultant. Overall
incharge of the project from engineering
perspective

Debashis Ray Planning executive 17 years of civil engineering experience

from project planning to execution in India
& abroad

S. Natarajan Works manager super structure Has extensive experience in the field of
pre-stressing and pre-cast segmental
construction

Dinseh Paradkar Chief Design Engineer Handled design-related issues.

Coordinated with expats, consultants,
provided site inputs and assisted in
implementation.
M. B. Joshi Works manager More than 20 years of experience working
(Marine Works) in marine environments

K. V. Nigade Project Mechanical Engineer Has handled the equipment resources.

R. A. Patil Section Incharge Has successfully completed this complex

(Cable stay Bridge) structure with world class workmanship
and excellent geometry control.

B. D. Lale Section Incharge In charge of cable erection and

(Cable stay Bridge) construction of Worli cable Stay Bridge
Santosh Rai Planning Executive Involved in the micro planning of the cable
stay works and coordinated with various
agencies, execution team, expats, and
suppliers during the construction stage.

Azad Quality Assurance incharge Has 15 years of experience and has

handled various Quality control & Quality
assurance aspects of the project.

Aashish Naik Manager – Bandra Cable Stay He was responsible for day-to-day
construction activities of the Bandra cable
stay.

Sunil Bhosale Manager Marine Works Has successfully completed the foundation
works
Some of the key experts engaged in the construction of the bridge include:

Name Designation Experience

Max Meyer Technical expert from Switzerland Looked into the total precast
segments production and Launching
gantries design and methodologies.

A. Fessler Swiss Technical expert An expert in design of enabling

structure and erection
methodologies for cable stay bridge

Pascal Klein Swiss design expert – Construction Worked out the construction stage
analysis engineer analysis for Pylon and deck of cable
stay bridges
Dr. Chen Expert from China Worked on construction stage
analysis

Len Gower Canadian survey expert Worked as the principal surveyor,

evolved survey methodology for
complex geometry of pylon

Mohd. Zia Ullah Australian Looked into the site implementation

of pre cast segmental methodology
Henry Ray Frame Scottish expert Contributed his expertise on the
marine work

Partners involved:

1. VSL Singapore Pvt Ltd : Technical Consultants

2. Ultra Tech : Supplier of cement
3. Metco group of companies: Supplier of bearings
4. Tata Steel, RIN Ltd & SAIL: Supplier of steel
5. ELKEM International Ltd.: Norway-based company supplier of micro silica
6. SPCC: China-based company supplier of stay cable
7. DOKA Australia: supplier of Plyon fromwork

Equipment used:

The major equipments deployed for this project are:

Ÿ Jack up platform, launching truss, reverse circulation drilling machine floating barrages, boats, crawler
crane, tower crane, gantry crane, derrick crane, placer boom, diesel generators, concrete pump, transit
mixers & 'A' frame barrage.
Ÿ The equipment was brought together from various countries.

The construction of the mammoth bridge structure required huge cranes and other structures to lift material for off
shore and on shore structures. Some of these included:

1. Launching Truss: Weighing 1250 tonnes and measuring 112 m in length, it was used for lifting segments
each weighing 130 tonnes. This has been fabricated in India.
2. Jack up platform: Size 18.3x30x2.1m (Width x Length x Depth) having four legs of 30m. It is a floating
equipment used for marine work.
3. Flat barge: Size 30x12x2m. Like motor boats, they are driven inside the sea for material transportation.
4. Self-propelled barge: It is a barge with a machine component and is used for concrete transportation.
5. Crawler crane: Capacity ranges from 75-150 tons. It is used for material and heavy lifting activities.
6. RCD drill bit: Dimension 1.5m x 2m diameter. Imported from Korea, the RCD drill bit is used for pile drilling
work.
7. Vibro hammer (PTC): Imported from France and used for driving of steel liners.
8. Fushun crawler crane: Imported from China, Capacity 80 tons.
9. NCK Eiger crane: Imported from England, capacity 65 tons.
10. Kobelco crawler crane: Imported from Hong Kong, capacity 150 tons.

Fascinating Facts

Ÿ The project has already been acclaimed by the viewers as an engineering marvel of modern India.

Ÿ First Cable-Stay Bridge in India in open sea.

Ÿ The length of the bridge is 63 times the height of the Qutub Minar in Delhi.

Ÿ Its weight is equivalent to 50,000 African elephants.

Ÿ The length of the steel wires used is equivalent to the circumference of the earth.

Ÿ The height of the cable-stayed tower is 128 m, which is equal to a 43-storey building.

Ÿ A total of 424 cables were used for both Bandra cable stay as well as Worli cable stay bridges.

Ÿ The cables have been sourced from Shanghai Pujyang Cable Company, China. The cables were subject to a
series of quality and engineering tests to meet the special requirements including fatigue tests of two
million cycles.

Ÿ The cables are made of high tensile steel and are designed to take the maximum load of 900 tons.

Ÿ 92,000 tons of cement was utilized to make BWSL.

Ÿ Environment friendliness was top priority during the construction – fly ash, a waste product extracted from
thermal power plants, was mixed with concrete, to make the construction durable as well as eco-friendly,
thus making good use of waste material.

Ÿ The construction team is like a mini United Nations: several teams of foreign engineers and technicians
have worked on specialized tasks on the structure; these include professionals from China, Egypt, Canada,
Switzerland, Britain, Serbia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines, Australia.

Ÿ The Launching Trusses, each 112 meters long, were custom built to precision by HCC for this project. The
pre-cast concrete segments of this four-lane road are fabricated at the Bandra site location. These
segments are then carried on a barge to the construction location and are lifted by the Launching Truss to
the designated height and assembled between two piers, each 50 meters apart. Fifteen such segments
are fitted between two piers and the Launching Truss can lift all fifteen segments together, weighing 130
tons each, between two piers. Once these segments are fixed between two piers, the Launching Truss
crawls to the next piers on its mechanical legs.

Ÿ Given the gigantic size of the project, mega equipments were used in construction; bringing them to the
project site and operating them was a feat in itself. Asian Hercules, one of the biggest floating shear leg
cranes in the world, was hired from Singapore to lift the massive 1250 tonnes, custom-built Launching
Trusses with its mechanical arm and relocate them on the Worli side of the bridge.