Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project: Maharashtra Section Hits Milestone With Completion Of First PSC Box Girder Casting

The casting of the Full Span Pre-Stressed Concrete (PSC) Box Girder for the Maharashtra section of the Bullet Train project has commenced, and the casting of the first PSC box girder for the Maharashtra section has been completed.

Statement Of An Official Of The NHSRCL

"This 40-meter-long girder, similar to those used in the Ahmedabad section of the Bullet Train project, weighs approximately 970 metric tonnes, making it the heaviest of its kind in India's construction industry. It has been cast as a single unit, without construction joints, using 390 cubic meters of concrete and 42 metric tonnes of steel" said an official of National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).

"To accelerate the viaduct construction, NHSRCL has simultaneously undertaken substructure and superstructure work. While the substructure—comprising piles, pile caps, piers, and pier caps—is under progress, the superstructure is being developed in dedicated casting yards along the alignment. These yards are designed to produce Full Span Girders and Segmental Girders, enabling efficient construction" further stated official.

About Full Span Girders

Full Span Girders, preferred for their speed of installation, allow construction progress up to ten times faster than Segmental Girder launching. However, in areas with space constraints, segmental launching will be utilized.

According to NHSRCL , in Maharashtra, 13 casting yards are planned along the alignment between Shilphata and the Gujarat-Maharashtra border, with three (2 for Segment casting and one for full span box girders) already operational.

"These yards are equipped with advanced facilities such as rebar cage-making jigs, hydraulically operated moulds, batching plants, aggregate storage, cement silos, and quality control laboratories to ensure the efficient production of girders" said an official.

For the placement of the girders, heavy machinery such as Straddle Carriers, Bridge Launching Gantries, Girder Transporters, and Launching Gantries will be deployed. To maintain a steady supply, the girders will be pre-cast and systematically stored in advance.

"This technology has already proven successful in the Gujarat section of the project, where 255 kilometers of viaduct construction have been completed since April 2021. The Maharashtra section includes 135 kilometers of elevated viaduct, four major river bridges over Ulhas, Vaitarna, Jagani, and Kharbao, 11 special crossings over national highways and railway lines, three stations at Thane, Virar, and Boisar, and seven mountain tunnels" said an official.