DELHI (Metro Rail News): NCRTC is using Precast construction technique on a massive scale in implementing India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor. The technique has been adopted comprehensively for construction of RRTS Stations and Viaduct to minimize public inconvenience during construction and for timely completion of Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut corridor.
All elevated RRTS Stations of Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, Muradnagar, Modinagar North, Modinagar south and all elevated stations of Meerut, including concourse and platform level are constructed with the help of Pre-cast primary & secondary beams, Pier arms etc. which is casted at the casting yards and joined together at stations & viaducts using high-capacity rigs & cranes. Even ancillary works like RCC drain, Water harvesting pits etc. have been designed as pre-cast to ensure quality and saving time during construction.
Elevated RRTS Viaduct is already being constructed using launching gantries (तारिणी) which lifts and joins segments of the girder to construct a viaduct. Pre-casting is being used in an innovative manner for this project with some of the structures being pre- casted first time in the country for such a large-scale complex project. More than 70 to 80% of the structural elements are being pre-casted and erected on with Auto Launching Gantries (Tarinis) and advanced high-capacity cranes for viaduct and stations. This whole process runs parallel to on-site construction which reduces overall project duration significantly. Pre-cast Box girder segments, OHE parapets, I-Girders, portal U-shells, track slabs, station structures etc. are enabling fast construction of viaduct. Intensive quality checks being ensured before using the precast structures.
However, handling of such a huge quantum of pre-cast elements is not an easy task. To cater for these elements along the entire stretch of 82 kms, presently 10 state-of-the-art precast yards are working 24 X 7 on a massive scale with high-tech facilities at different locations of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. These yards are also equipped with CCTV cameras and each activity is being monitored critically.
Unlike the conventional on-site construction which requires mobilization of huge quantities of 3Ms (Materials, Machinery and Manpower) at site, pre-casting of various structural elements has significantly reduced the traffic chaos, public inconvenience, and environmental issues at site. Such technology reduces the construction time significantly and results in high-end precision of casting, good aesthetics, negligible defects, safe working environment at site. It also reduces the duration of site occupancy and barricades are removed from the roads in a timely manner.
This technique proved to be a game-changer in taking up construction work during the pandemic (Covid-19) period. Pre-cast yard being a more controlled site, it is easier to train manpower, monitor and implement COVID-19 related norms amongst the labour.
RRTS is a mega infrastructure project that is set to transform the way people adopt public transport and travel across the National Capital Region. It will provide seamless connectivity across the key-urban nodes of NCR via a high-speed regional rail network.
Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, which is the first among eight corridors envisaged in NCR, passes through thickly populated areas of Ghaziabad, Muradnagar and Modinagar where the major portion of the alignment is along the median of Delhi-Meerut Road (erstwhile NH-58). The alignment also passes through the densely populated and congested areas of Delhi and Meerut.
Decongestion of the National Capital, reducing vehicular traffic & air pollution, and balanced regional development are some of the reasons behind project implementation. NCRTC is adopting cutting-edge technology to ensure safe and timely completion of the works while minimizing inconvenience to the road users, local passer-by, business owners and residents along the entire stretch. One of the techniques being used extensively for the project is pre-casting of various civil structures and reducing in situ construction at the site.
Despite three waves of Covid 19 pandemic, NCRTC has been able to keep the pace of construction on schedule due to large scale use of pre-cast technology. Presently the 20th Launching Gantries (Tarini) has been deployed to ensure rapid progress on the entire Delhi-Ghaziabad- Meerut corridor.
