INDIAN RAILWAY INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

PUNE

Sr.Professional Course (Bridges and General)

Session No. 822
(From 21-04-08 to 16-05-08)

PROJECT REPORT
CASE STUDY ON LAUNCHING OF PSC BOX GIRDERS IN
MASS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM (MRTS)
ELEVATED STRUCTURES
CHENNAI

M.Muhamed Saliya
Deputy Chief Engineer/Bridge Line
Southern Railway
Case study on Launching of PSC Box Girders in
Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) Elevated
Structures, Chennai.
1) Need for alternative transport system

2) Mass Rapid Transport System, Chennai

3) Funding of the project

4) Salient Features of the Project

5) Salient Features of the Elevated Structure including

foundations

6) Various methods of launching of girders

7) Load testing of PSC Girders

8) .Painting of girders+

9) Permanent Way

10)Conclusion

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 1.Need for alternative transport system

Introduction:

1. Need for an alternative transportation system:~

Transportation in India – both, road and rail – is indeed a major problem.

Despite the impressive growth in the road network from four lakh km in 1950 to 23 lakh
km in 1992, the road transport scenario does not present an encouraging picture. This
is mainly because the vehicle population has grown more than fifty times in the same
period and the axle loads on the roads have also increased manifold. With the
economic liberalization underway, the automobile industry has seen a great upsurge.
For instance, the number of vehicles registered in Mumbai has increased from about
160-170 to around 250 per day in the last year itself! This increase in the volume and
intensity of road traffic has taken a toll of our roads. The problem is compounded by
the fact that the outlay on road construction has been progressively dwindling over the
successive plans. As a result, more than 50 percent of the road network needs to be
surfaced. As per the 1981-2001 Road Development Plan, it is essential to construct
31,942 km of national highways, besides taking up 17,000 km of strengthening and
15,000 km of widening of the existing roads. In addition, 44 bypasses and 10,000 km
of expressways are also needed.

The rail transportation scenario is not much different. Though India can boast of
having the third largest rail network in the world after the United States and Canada, a
major portion of this network is subjected to an ever increasing load, in terms of the
number of trains plying on them, the speed, and the axle loads. The railway authorities
are seriously trying to modernize the existing rail network. The ongoing gauge
conversion projects and the programme of replacement of wooden sleepers with
prestressed concrete sleepers are some of the examples of modernization. Here
again the paucity of funds is one of the major hurdles in the modernization process.

Transportation has a direct bearing on the economy and the bottleneck in

transportation are seriously affecting progress in various spheres of industry. Just to
cite an example, there have been instances in the recent past when the production of
cement was hit due to the shortage of wagons, which prevented the timely supply of
coal to the cement plants. Similarly, the movement of cement to the consumption
areas were also affected which led to obvious difficulties.

When viewed with a broader perspective, it is quite clear that the amount of
losses that the country incurs on account of transportation problems is enormous. This
is more so in the case of our metros and big cities. Precious man hours are lost on
account of the traffic snarls, which is a routine affair; not to speak of the wastage of
fuel, a resource that the country imports. The increased pollution levels pose other
health hazards which again affect productivity. Rail transport in most of the cities is
equally bad if not worse. People hanging out of running trains and traveling atop them

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at peak hours is a common sight in Mumbai, which speaks volumes on the enormity of
the task ahead.

Considering the nature of the transportation problem, there is no alternative to

the modernization of the existing network. However, this alone may not be sufficient.
There is an urgent need of simultaneously creating diverse transport systems,
especially for big cities and metros, where land is scare and there is little scope for
expansion of the existing road and rail networks. The mass rapid transit system
(MRTS) offers a good solution. Such systems have been successfully implemented in
many parts of the world. The MRTS, Chennai is the first project of its kind in India and
as per reports, many more projects are being planned in the near future. As many as
23 big cities in the country are likely to be covered under the MRTS. In fact, offers for
MRTS in Delhi and Bangalore have already been invited. Considering the importance
of the topic we are pleased to publish this Special issue on the first MRTS project in
India.

Construction of alternative transport systems like the MRTS would require a

high level of technological competence and sound financial input. With the present
level of technical know-how in the country technical problems posed by the new
system may not be insurmountable. Finance, however, is a major impediment. In this
context, it is heartening to note that in order to overcome this difficulty the government
has decided to throw open various activities in the transport sector to private parties. A
number of steps have been taken to encourage private sector participation, one of the
most important being the declaration of the road sector as an industry and being
included as infrastructure. In the union budget for 1995-1996, the government
announced a five-year tax holiday for any enterprise that builds, maintains and
operates infrastructure facilities in the areas of highways, expressways, new bridges,
airports and rapid transport systems.

When India is poised for rapid progress in all sectors of economy, it can ill-afford
to neglect the transport sector. MRTS, Chennai is an example that is bound to be
emulated in other parts of the country. It is undoubtedly a step in the right direction,
one that has not come a day too soon.

2. Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) -

Chennai
The Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) from Chennai beach to Chepauk
opened for the public on November 16, 1995. Though the length of the rail route
opened is only 5 km, it is an important event in the transportation sector in Chennai
city. About 50 percent of the route consists of elevated track, which is the first of its
kind in the country (the elevated system on the harbour line of Central Railway is built
on a structurally different concept).

It is considered view that cities where the concentration of people is high

perform as engines for the development of the country due to their very high
productivity. The productivity of the population elsewhere in the country is much lower.
This is a worldwide phenomenon, because of the easy availability of labour, materials
and money. Productivity naturally depends upon the infrastructural facilities like
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communication, transport, etc. Good transportation is absolutely necessary so that the
average time taken for the movement of people is reduced, thereby enhancing
productivity. Along with this aspect, it is also to be ensured that the population in any
city is able to live in a reasonably healthy ambience with least pollution. It is in this
connection that rail transportation with electric traction assumes a unique role.

From the point of view of energy consumption, rail transport is the cheapest
mode of transport costing only about one-sixth of that of road transport. Rail transport
with electric traction is pollution free. It could be made noise-free with proper selection
of the track structure features. The rail transport in the form of MRTS has got a higher
passenger carrying capacity and is generally preferred for traffic densities above
30,000 passenger trips per hour per direction. For lesser densities, Light Rail Transit
System (LRTS) can be adopted.

Chennai, has a modern harbour, a big railway marshalling yard and two big
railway passenger terminals and various bus terminals, most of them right in the
Central Business District (CBD). The city has a large number of industries and
commercial, educational and cultural institutions. The population of the city, presently
about 6 million, is expected to grow to 10 million by 2011. It is growing into a mega city
with high demands on the infrastructural facilities.

The total number of passenger trips is about 93 lakhs. The predominant modes
of transport and their respective shares are as under:

Mode Percentage
share
Walk 30.0
Buses 38.0
Two wheelers 21.0
Rail 4.0
Others 7.0

It can be seen that the transportation by rail is quite low and is about 1/9th that of
by buses. Also, although the roads are already congested, the population of
automobiles on the road is in increasing rapidly. The ratio of the road surface area to
the city area is around 18 percent. The average speed of a motor vehicle on city roads
is as low as about 20km/hr. The traffic carried by the congested road is low because
of the lack of grade separations, condition of the road surface and the mix of vehicles
moving on the roads. Thus, the need for increasing rail capacities through new rail
corridors and additional services is very ob vious.

The Chennai Area Transportation Study Unit (MATASU) set up by the

government of Tamil Nadu made a comprehensive transportation study of the Chennai
metropolitan area. They identified eight transportation corridors, of which, the heaviest
concentration of trips was on the north-south-eastern corridor. The Buckingham canal
happens to run almost along the heart of the corridor and sufficient government land
was available alongside. It was therefore decided to go in for an elevated railway
system along the Cooum/Buckingham canal bank.

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Organisation:

The Metropolitan Transport Project (Railways) Chennai was established by

Indian Railways in 1971 to study the feasibility of ha ving a metro rail facility in Chennai.
It undertook a detailed survey for a mass rapid transit system and came up with two
alternatives one on a street alignment and the other on a street-cum-canal alignment.
The proposals were considered by the government and finally the canal alignment was
considered due to the lower financial outlay and facility of construction. The work was
started in the year 1983.

3. Funding of the project

The Planning Commission provided necessary funds for the project and the
government of Tamil Nadu provided the necessary land, free of cost. The railways had
to pay the cost of land belonging to Central government, Defence department and the
Reserve Bank of India. The private lands were acquired by the state government and
were handed over to railways, free of cost. The project estimate sanctioned is
Rs.185.61 crores. In future funding of such projects, there are possibilities of
mobilizing private finance through Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Build-Operate-
Lease-Transfer (BOLT) schemes. In Mumbai, the Mankhurd-Belapur railway line has
been built from funds contributed by the railways and state government in a mutually
agreed proportion. This model will be a trend setter.

Though the rate of return is quite low, a metro corridor should not be considered
as a system in isolation. The catalytic action in accelerating the growth of the town has
to be taken into consideration. The beneficiaries are the people of the city, employers,
property holders, etc. For these reasons the subject of metro rail transport projects is
entrusted to the ministry of urban development and not to the ministry of railways. The
Metropolitan Transport Project (railways), Chennai now works as a part of the
construction branch of the southern railway.

One of the disadvantages of an elevated track is the high level of passenger

platforms, at about 10m or so and the need for the passengers to climb to this level.
Lifts will be only of limited capacity and can cater only to handicapped and old people.
The escalators are quite costly in installation and maintenance. The cost of these
facilities push up the costs of the project. The station buildings need to be built as
multi-level stations and the cost of the station buildings are high. However, with a view
to reduce the cost, the building could be made on structural columns with platform
facilities and staircases. The rest of the structure columns with platform facilities and
staircases. The rest of the structure can be exploited for commercial utilities. Such a
course of planning can improve the cost effectiveness of the project.

The Chennai MRTS is the single largest prestressed concrete (PSC)

construction work in India involving casting and launching of 602 PSC girders of
varying spans between 18m to 30m, weighing 180 tonnes to 280 tonnes each. As the
alignment runs through thickly populated regions with the Buckingham canal running
close by, there were severe space constraints and the task of casting and launching
such heavy PSC girders in large numbers became very challenging. All the technical
problems have been successfully overcome with indigenous know-how.
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4. SALIENT FEATURES OF THE MRTS
PROJECT:
Chennai Beach to Tirumailai Phase I:

Length: 8.96kms. (Double line)

2.75kms. Surface
6.21kms. Elevated

Alignment : Chennai Beach to Part Town alignment is

along Existing MG suburban system and
the alignment rom Part Town to Tirumailai
is along the Buckingham Canal

Anticipated cost: :Rs.269 Crores.

Date of opening: :Chennai Beach to Chepauk - 16/11/1995

Chepauk to Tirumailai - 19/10/1997
Stations opened : Chennai beach, Chennai port, Park Town,
Chindadari Pet, Chepauk, Triplicane, Light
House and Thirumailai

THIRUMAILAI TO VELACHERY – PHASE – II:

Length : 11.166kms. (Double line)

7.84kms. Elevated.
3.31kms. Surface

Alignment : From Tirumailai to Tiruvanmiyur along side

Buckingham canal and thereafter deviates
from the Canal towards west through lands
Belonging to directorate of Technical
Education, Anna University of Chennai and
other low Lying government lands and
through private lands.

Anticipated cost : Rs.669 Crores

Date of commence of work : March 1998

Date of opening : Thirumailai to Thiruvanmiyur – 10/12/03

Thiruvanmiyur to Velachery -

Requirement of land: 113 Ha to be transferred on free of cost

including 7.1 Ha ULC land.

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Private land : 4.2 Ha – private land acquisition in progress
Stations opened : Mandavalli, Green ways Road, Kotturpuram,
Kasturibai Nagar, Indira Nagar,Thiruvanmiyur,Tharamani I,
Tharamani II and velachery.

Phase II Extention progress Pulidivakkam,Adampakkam and St. Thomos

Mount work commenced.

5.Salient Features of the Elevated Structure including foundations

Substructure and foundations

The substructure is designed to cater for BGBL loading of 1926 of railway bridge
rules. Substructure has been designed as portal frames with columns-2 numbers and
trestle beams with cantilevers at both ends, the columns being fixed at the bottom in
pile caps.
.

Piles have been structurally designed to cater to the horizontal and vertical
reaction due to the transferred loads from above. The piles are designed as end
bearing piles

Every trestle beam has provision for accommodating an OHE mast.

The vertical reinforcement in the piles has been reduced downwards taking into
account the reduction of moment downwards on the piles.

Foundation: Two types of foundations are adopted.

1.Cast in situ driven piles in small reaches.

2. Cast in situ bored piles for the remaining length of the alignment.
Sub Structure : Trestle Columns of dia 1m and 1.2 m are used. Trestle beam of
varying 2-3m and depth of 0.9 – 1.2m. The pile cap depth 1 to 1.8m Mix design
used M20,30,35 grade concrete for various substructure parts. The typical cross
section showing pile configurations, pile cap, columns, .trestle beams, PSC girders
and overhead electrical traction installation is shown hereunder.

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.

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Salient design features of MRTS:~

The alignment from Chennai Beach to Liz covering a distance of 8.97 km was finalised
after detailed traffic studies. The following were the technical considerations in
finalizing the alignment.

(i) The alignment chosen runs mainly along the Buckingham Canal and M.G.
Suburban section of the Southern Railway where the land belongs to the
state/central government. Thus, the cost of acquisition, time required for
acquisition and dislocation of the residents were kept minimum.
(ii) Existing BG suburban facilities were optimally utilized for having inter-
running between RTS from Chennai Beach to Luz and existing suburban
railway system so as to give through services to commuters and avoiding
breaks at Chennai Beach. Due to inter-running of trains between existing
system and proposed RTS, the existing car shed facilities at Avadi for
maintenance of rakes were proposed to be utilized, thus saving cost of new
maintenance shed for EMU rakes. However, some works were required to
be undertaken in Avadi shed.

Ele vated type of s ystem

The system can run on ground, or be elevated or underground. After detailed

analysis, elevated system was favoured due to the following reasons.

(i) Surface system cannot function effectively unless grade separation is

achieved at road crossings, thus avoiding level crossings. The proposed
alignment crosses the Cooum river and important roads. The topography of
many of the road crossings does not permit grade separation as the
proximity of south Beach Road causes prohibitive gradient for approaches of
road over bridges. Hence, surface system was designed from Chennai
Beach to Park Town only without any level crossings.
(ii) The underground system is generally very costly and the execution is time
consuming. Also, it disrupts the surface transport and civic life of the city
during construction. The Calcutta experience is fresh in everybody’s mind.
Hence, underground system was not favoured.

(iii) The elevated system provides necessary grade separation at road/river

crossings and therefore turned out to be cheaper in the final analysis. It is
faster in construction than the underground system. All expertise needed is
available in the country for design and execution of the elevated system.
Hence, the system was designed as an elevated system from Park Town to
Luz station covering a distance of 6.22km.

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 In a transit system, which passes through thickly populated areas,
environmental considerations dictate the choice of types and shapes of the structures.
Noise, vibrations, interference to road traffic lights and air pollution need to be within
tolerable limits. The design of substructure and superstructure has been made to
improve the environmental and aesthetic quality of the area. The construction
methods should be such that public activities are least affected.

Where the MRTS is proposed to be taken above the ground level, the proposed
structure consists of prestressed concrete box (PSC) girders on reinforced concrete
(RC) trestles founded on piles.

Based on soil conditions obtained along the alignment and the requirements of
handling of PSC girders it was decided to adopt 22.5 m spans generally, being the
most economical. However, in river crossings, road crossings, larger spans are
provided as required. In certain stretches, 18.0 span was finalised based on site
considerations. Total number of spans from Park Town to Luz in the elevated portion
are 302.

Superstructure: Due to the large number of girders involved with depth restrictions
inside station building and at road/river crossings, it was proposed to use prestressed
concrete post tension girders for superstructure.

Section of girders: Single box girder for each BG track was found to be most suitable
and economical for the loading standards, (Table), large number of girders, working
space paucity and curved alignment for most part of the length.

Comparison of material quantities for 22.5m span, 2.1m depth:

Sl.No. Item Twin 1 girder per track Single box girder per
track
1 Concrete 108m3 80 m3
2 HTS 2.88 t 1.93 t
3 Cement 51 t 38 t
4 Weight of girder 157 t (two girders 200 t
excluding deck slab)

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Dimension of box girders:

The dimension of box girders were

decided based on codal requirement as
well as the following:
(i) Width between kerbs required
for machine maintenance or
track.
(ii) Periodical manual inspection of
girders
(iii) Placement of reinforcement
rods, cable profile and ease of
concreting.
From the point of view of the
design, execution and economy it
would have been preferable to have
one type of box girder for the entire
alignment. However, due to a steep
gradient of 1 in 70, road crossings,
vertical clearance above mezzanine
floor, it was not possible to have one type of girder.
General features of box girders

Under each track, a single cell prestressed concrete box girder with inclined
webs is provided. The box is provided with cantilever footpath and internal transverse
diaphragms at two ends over the bearing. Outer profile of the box is kept the same
throughout the span while
the web thickness towards
the bearing is increased
inside the box. Suitable
ballast retainers, parapets,
footpath slabs, median slabs
and wearing coat are
provided over the box girder.
The track is laid over the
girder between kerbs.
Opening is provided in the
diaphragms at ends for
inspection inside the box.
The box girder rests on
elastomeric bearings over trestle beams.

Presenting cables are arranged in the webs as well as in the soffit slab of the
girder. Centre line of track is kept at half versine with respect to center line of box in
curved spans. In straight span, track center coincides with center line of box.

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Dimensions of various girders:

Effective Normal Depth, No. of

Sl.No. Deck system
span, m span, m m girders
1 21.2 22.5 2.2 One girder per track 29
2 21.2 22.5 1.9 One girder per track 231
3 21.2 22.5 1.6 One girder per track 4
4 21.2 22.5 1.4 One girder per track 6
5 16.7 18.0 1.25 One girder per track 70
6 16.7 18.0 2.2 One girder per track 139
7 16.7 18.0 1.6 One girder per track 4
8 16.7 18.0 1.9 One girder per track 75
9 25.7 27.0 2.2 One girder per track 2
10 25.7 27.0 1.9 One girder per track 20
11 25.7 27.0 1.6 One girder per track 20
12 28.7 30.0 1.6 One girder per track 4

Footpath and parapet

A footpath of 1,100 mm width is provided for each box girder to facilitate
maintenance and inspection. The footpath enables commuters to reach the nearest
station in case of emergency.
RC parapet walls 1,110 mm tall are provided at the end of footpath to serve as
protection to users as well as reduced noise pollution in the built up areas.
The footpath is provided at the level of the kerb. The space below the footpath
slab is utilized for carrying electrical, signal and telecommunication cables.

Kerbs: 600km high RC kerbs are provided 4500 mm apart to retain ballast. Height of
kerb is increased at curved locations to accommodate the increased height of shoulder
ballast.

Expansion joint: A gap of 30 mm is kept longitudinally in between the girders to allow

expansion and contraction. The gap is covered by a galvanized T-section for the full
width of girders to prevent ballast getting in between the girders and interfering with
their movements.

Median slab: A gap of 400 mm is provided between up and down line girders and is
covered with precast slabs for enabling maintenance and safe movement of
maintenance staff at the elevated level.

Drainage: A transverse slope of 1 in 90 is provided at top of the deck slab by keeping

the wearing coat thickness 75 mm at center of girder and 50mm at the ends. 50mm
diameter PVC drain pipes are provided at 2.0m intervals along the length of girder.
The same slope is kept underneath the footpath also with 50mm diameter PVC drain
pipes at 2.0 m centers.

Waterproofing: Waterproofing compound conforming to IS:2645 is used the wearing

coat for purpose of waterproofing.

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PSC Box girders: The girders have been designed by two different approaches.

First method:
The girder is designed a un-symmetrical section due to the presence of footpath,
parapet and cable loads on one side of the girder. Due to unsymmetry, the stress
along any of the fibre at top or bottom of the section are not the same. Rigorous
analysis has to be made to arrive at the stresses.

Second method:
The section of the box girder is made pseudo-symmetrical by introducing transverse
slits at 2m intervals in the cantilever portion along the length of girder. Due to this, the
unsymmetrical behaviour of the section is eliminated. The participation of the
cantilever portion of the deck slab in the longitudinal bending is prevented due to
provision of slits. The symmetrical behaviour of the girder due to the above was
checked by finite element analysis. The stress at the entire width of the top and
bottom fibres become uniform in this method and longitudinal analysis becomes
simple.

The cantilever unsymmetrical portion of the deck slab along with footpath,
parapet and cables have been accounted for the torsion across the cross section as it
induces warping and distortion, which in turn increases the longitudinal moment.

In both the methods, girders on curves are designed as straight box girders.
Unequal loading due to eccentricity and curvature are compensated by placing the
centerline of the girder at half versine of the track.

Design criteria

The box girder is designed based on the following codes and specifications:
(i) IRS bridge rules: For loadings
(ii) IRS concrete bridge code: For girder design
(iii) UIC 772 R: For elastomeric bearings

Analysis and design:

The following analyses are done for box girders.

Longitudinal analysis
Theory of simple bending is adopted. Initially a set of concrete dimensions and cable
profile are assumed at various sections along the span. With the assumed cable
profile and prestressing force with varying eccentricities because of parabolic profile,
the stresses at the required extremes of top and bottom fibres are worked out along
the span. Also, the stresses along the span due to dead load, superimposed dead
load and live load bending moments are worked out. Trials for the concrete
dimensions, cable profile, prestressing force are done so that the girder will have a
reserve compression of 5 percent of the maximum permissible compression
everywhere along the span during service. However, a small amount of tension is
permitted during transfer of prestress, as per codal provisions.

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Analysis of the effect due to eccentric loading
Due to eccentricity of dead load, superimposed dead load and live load, the girder will
be subjected to torsion. There are two components which will affect the longitudinal
stresses.

(i) Distortional warping: The method of “Beam on elastic foundation analogy for
analysis of box girders” by Richard W. Wright, Sans R. Abdul Samad and
Arthur R.Robinson is followed.
(ii) The longitudinal stresses due to the above two components are added
algebraically with stresses due to longitudinal bending. The effect due to
torsion/distortion on longitudinal bending is negligible since the box is highly
effective in resisting torsion. However, it will have considerable effect for the
girders on crossovers due to abnormal eccentricity of the track.

Shear analysis

The girder is checked at critical points along the span for various load combinations of
dead load, super-imposed dead load, live load with impact, live load on footpath along
with torsional effects etc. For live load on track, the combination of various axle loads
of RBG loading are considered. The section is analysed for (i) maximum shear with
co-existent bending moment (BM) and (ii) maximum BM with co-existent shear.
Capacity of sections, both for cracked and uncracked conditions, are worked out,
compared with design shears and shear reinforcement is evaluated.

Transverse analysis

Bending moments and shear forces at various nodes are calculated for different loads
vi z. dead load, superimposed dead load, live load on track with impact, live load on
bottom slab, live load on footpath and distortion due to torsion. The maximum
BM/shear given by the combination of above loads is taken into account for designing
the reinforcement.

Due provisions were made in the design for the following situations:
(i) one pour /two pour concreting
(ii) single stage/two stages stressing
(iii) system of lifting, rolling and lowering the girders.

Bearings

Neoprene bearings have been designed and installed for all the PSC girders. By
adopting neoprene bearings, the effect of the longitudinal force on the substructure is
reduced to a great extent (40 percent additional relief on the longitudinal force of
minimum 16 tonnes).

The elastomeric bearings with suitable layers of steel laminations were

designed as per UIC 772 R accounting for longitudinal forces, horizontal forces due to
curvature, in addition to the maximum and minimum vertical load conditions. It was
found that higher the grade of concrete of the substructure, the lesser the size of the
bearings. It was also found that the sizes of the bearings on cross-over girders were
larger, due to large difference in the maximum and minimum loads and the eccentricity
of track.
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 The elevated structure consists of PSC box girders one for each track placed
over trestles founded on pile foundations. Box girders were preferred as the closed
box section has a better torsional resistance. The alignment for major portion of the
length is curved. Hence eccentricities of curved tracks on straight girders cannot be
avoided. Further, where the points and crossings are located the eccentric loading
becomes a substantial torsional load. The girders are having varying spans such as
18m, 22.5m and 30m, with the normal depth being 2.2m. A depth of 1.25m is adopted
inside the station buildings and 1.6m depth is adopted on road crossings. At road
crossings a minimum headroom of 5.5m has been kept as per the standard practice.
The girders are placed on neoprene bearings.

The reinforcement rods used in the girders, piles, pile caps, columns, trestle
beams and station buildings have been given anti-corrosive treatment through a
process developed by

Central Electro Chemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, to ensure long life. The PSC
box girders were designed by MTP (Railways)’s design wing. Casting and launching of
PSC girders have been done by using three different methodologies.

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Girder installation methodologies:

Methodology-1: The box girders are cast in casting yard with cable ducts to the
correct profile for prestressing. Steel shutters designed for the purpose are use. After
the concrete attains adequate strength the girders are prestressed and moved from the
casting yard to the stacking yard and later it is moved to the launching yard where the
girder is lifted to the trestle beam level with stationary lifting gantries. The girder is
moved to the launching trolleys and later to the destination by winches and lowered on
to the neoprene bearings with the help of jacks of sufficient capacity. In the case of
prestressed concrete girders the girder can be supported at cross girder locations only

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Methodology-2: Here the girder is cast in casting yard situated at the elevated level
itself. The girders are cast and finished as in methodology 1. Here the girder is moved
to the location with the help of a giant launching girder. The launching is done in serial
and continuous stretches as the movement of girder and launching girder requires the
finished track support for their own movement.

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Methodology-3: In this method, the girders are cast and prestressed in its final
location itself. This requires the formwork support right from ground level to the
elevated level. For this, the railways’ cribs of size 0.60x0.60x1.20m are generally
used.

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6.Various methods of launching of girders ~

In MRTS projects the girders are launched in the following way .

1.Conventional steel cribs launching methods

2 Launching with temporary launching girder.

3.Casting and placing in situ by truss method.

4.Casting in the yard and launched with simple launching method.

5. Casting of girder at elevated casting yard and launching with Giant launching

girder.

1. Conventional steel cribs launching methods : This method is adopted for small

heights. In this methods, girders are launched manually by steel cribs stage by

stage by the laborer. It is slow and time consuming process for launching.

2.Temporary Launching girder Method: The mount road crossing, girders are

casted at elevated level and launched by this method using temporary launching

method using heavy duty trolleys.

It is a 14 degree skew crossing .

It has 4 girders of span 28m 27m,26m and 28m. Weight of each girder is 300MT.

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3.Casting and placing insitu by truss method:

In this method adopted along the Buckingham canal alignment where support from

bottoms are not possible due to slushy casnal.

The designed two trusses to take care of 200 MT capacity are placed overe the

trestle beam at insitu and connected with bracing. Over this truss, the girder was

casted lifted and placed in position.

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4.Casting in the yard and launched with simple launching method.

In this method the girders are casted in the yard along the alignment one over the

above and launched a girder per day as per the simple launching method as shown

below. This method is improved conventions steel crib staging method which

consume more time for launching.

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- - 28
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5.Casting of girder at elevated casting yard and launching with Giant launching

girder

In this method girders are casted in the elevated level, of the launching girder

already laid in the casted yard and transport the same with giant crane girder

mechanism and launched in position.

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7. Load Test :
Details of load carried out at MRTS elevated structure girder is show below.

8. PAINTING OF STEEL AND GIRDER:-

Of late painting of reinforcement bars has acquired lot of importance considering

the damage it would otherwise cause to the important RCC/PSC structure. The
following system of painting are being followed by various organizations.

(i) Cement Slurry/Phosphate jelly

(ii) Polymer based Organic/Inorganic paints
(iii) Galvanisation and
(iv) Fusion bonding with Epoxy powder.

Of the above cement slurry method if found to be not efficient and adequate.
Further the coating is found to peel of in transit and handling. As regards polimer
based coatings it is applied in two stages the first being Rust remover in a single coat
of “Rust-Ohm RR 262 which is a rust remover also acting as a primary coat. This will
be followed by two coats of “Rust –Ohm 296” which is a rust preventer. The cost is
reported to be high.

Fusion bonding with Epoxy powder of late has gained acceptance in many quarters
due to the fact that it is done in factory and finished to the tolerance. The work
involves

(i) Electro static spraying

(ii) Tribostatic spraying and
(iii) Fluidised bed tipping

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 The steel is pre heated up to 220 to 260 C on which the epoxy power granules
are sprayed for proper melting flowing and curing.

The finished product will have a thickness varying from 0.13 to 0.13 while a
thickness of 0.18 to 0.50 mm is considered as optimum. This is being used various
Projects important in nature.

PAINTING OF GIRDER:-

The importance of protecting the girder cannot be overlooked considering the

environmental factor and the nature of the project where mixing up of steel with soil etc
at site can not be avoided. In the market many epoxy based pain is available which
can be used to tackle the problem effectively.

Figure 1
PAINTING OF GIRDER

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9. Permanent Way :-

The permanent way is provided with 60 kg rails fixed on prestressed concrete

monoblock sleepers with special facility for carrying guard rails in addition to running
rails. The sleepers are supported with 300mm ballast cushions, to ensure proper
energy absorption. The ballast cushion also ensures noise-free operation of the trains.
The guard rails prevent the train from going off the elevated structure even in the
remote possibility of a derailment. The provision of the kerbs on the track sides also
ensure this purpose. The side parapet walls which are provided on the elevated track
also help in reducing the sound generated by rolling of the train to disturb the locality
near by. Welding of rails is done to the maximum extent. This also ensures reduction
in noise levels. The ballastless track technology was enforced from Thirumailai to
Taramani of 8 kms length.

10 .CONCLUSION:-

For the sustained growth of Chennai city into a mega city, the transportation
sector has to be developed through a network of rail-based mass rapid transit system.
The bus system on the one hand and the MRTS and the other urban rail transit
systems on the other hand have to be harmoniously developed and operated to
mutually contribute and serve the needs of the traveling public in an efficient and
effective way, avoiding unnecessary and unhealthy competition. Interchange facilities
have to be developed in an imaginative way to enable the best contribution from each
mode of transport. The fuel efficiency, environment-friendliness, and dependability of
service and safety are the advantages of the MRTS. The advantages of the bus
system are by way of easy access to the centers of the catchment and the destination
centers Optimum land use is also important in the city.

MRTS is a major civil engineering investment in the transport sector. The

system has been built with the largest technology in the country with special emphasis
on quality control and quality assurance. Thus, the MRTS bestows its contribution to
the growth of the city and makes life easier for the commuters.

The work was carried out in such a way that there was no inconvenience to the
road users. There were no untoward incidents at any time during execution of this
arduous task.

On study of the above work/project the following are brought out

(i) The adoption of Single pour method for casting of Box girders has a definite
technical advantage.
(ii) We were able to cast 10 girders under single pour system while the double
pour method would have yielded a progress of 5 girders.
(iii) There can be considerable reduction in production cost.
(iv) Painting of PSC girders with suitable epoxy based paints is excuted..
(v) Painting of reinforcement bars preferably with “Fusion Bonded epoxy
coating” is excuted.

******
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- - 38
CASE STUDY OFON CASTING OF PSC BOX GIRDER AT

BRIDGE NO. AT AKOLA

1.Brief detail of the bridge.

2. Salient design features of Box Girders

3, Conventional two pour system.

4. Quality control measures and assurances.

5.Study results of suggestions in casting of box girder.

6.Conclusion

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- - 40
2.Salient design features of Box Girders:

MRTS is proposed to be taken above the ground level, the proposed

structure consists of prestressed concrete box (PSC) girders on reinforced
concrete (RC) trestles founded on piles.

Superstructure: Due to the large number of girders involved with depth

restrictions inside station building and at road/river crossings, it was proposed to
use prestressed concrete post tension girders for superstructure.

Section of girders: Single box girder for each BG track was found to be
most suitable and economical for the loading standards, (Table), large number of
girders, working space paucity and curved alignment for most part of the length.

Comparison of material quantities for 22.5m span, 2.1m depth:

Sl.No. Item Twin 1 girder per Single box girder per
track track
1 Concrete 108m3 80 m3
2 HTS 2.88 t 1.93 t
3 Cement 51 t 38 t
4 Weight of 157 t (two girders 200 t
girder excluding deck slab)

General features of box girders

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 Under each track, a single cell prestressed concrete box girder
with inclined webs is provided. The box is provided with cantilever
footpath and internal transverse diaphragms at two ends over the
bearing.

The girders of various spans ranging from 12.2m to 40.5m and

depth ranging from 1.25m to 2.8m.

Footpath and parapet:-

A footpath of 1,100 mm width is provided for each box girder to
facilitate maintenance and inspection. The footpath enables commuters
to reach the nearest station in case of emergency.
RC parapet walls 1,110 mm tall are provided at the end of
footpath to serve as protection to users as well as reduced noise
pollution in the built up areas.

Kerbs: 600km high RC kerbs are provided 4500 mm apart to retain

ballast.

Expansion joint: A gap of 30 mm is kept longitudinally in between the

girders to allow expansion and contraction. The gap is covered by a
galvanized T-section for the full width of girders to prevent ballast
getting in between the girders and interfering with their movements.

Median slab: A gap of 400 mm is provided between up and down line

girders and is covered with precast slabs for enabling maintenance and
safe movement of maintenance staff at the elevated level.

Drainage: A transverse slope of 1 in 90 is provided at top of the deck

slab by keeping the wearing coat thickness 75 mm at center of girder
and 50mm at the ends. 50mm diameter PVC drain pipes are provided
at 2.0m intervals along the length of girder. The same slope is kept
underneath the footpath also with 50mm diameter PVC drain pipes at
2.0 m centers.
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Wate rproofing: Waterproofing compound conforming to IS:2645 is
used the wearing coat for purpose of waterproofing.

PSC Box girders: The girders have been designed by two different
approaches.

First method:
The girder is designed a un-symmetrical section due to the presence of
footpath, parapet and cable loads on one side of the girder.

Second method:
The section of the box girder is made pseudo-symmetrical by
introducing transverse slits at 2m intervals in the cantilever portion
along the length of girder. Due to this, the unsymmetrical behaviour of
the section is eliminated

In both the methods, girders on curves are designed as

straight box girders. Unequal loading due to eccentricity and curvature
are compensated by placing the centerline of the girder at half versine
of the track.

Design criteria
IRS bridge rules: For loadings
(iv) IRS concrete bridge code: For girder design
(v) UIC 772 R: For elastomeric bearings

Analysis and design:

The following analyses are done for box girders.
Longitudinal analysis
Theory of simple bending is adopted
Analysis of the effect due to eccentric loading
Due to eccentricity of dead load, superimposed dead load and live load,
the girder will be subjected to torsion

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Shear analysis
The girder is checked at critical points along the span for various load
combinations of dead load, super- imposed dead load, live load with
impact, live load on footpath along with torsional effects etc.

Transverse analysis
Bending moments and shear forces at various nodes are calculated for
different loads viz. dead load, superimposed dead load, live load on
track with impact, live load on bottom slab, live load on footpath and
distortion due to torsion
Bearings

Neoprene bearings have been designed and installed for all the PSC girders.

3.CONVENTIONAL TWO STAGE/POUR CASTING OF PSC

BOX GIRDER:

The PSC girders generally designed in Railways are box

girders having a soffit slab, side webs and top slaps connecting side
webs and a diaphragm wall at both ends where prestressing cables are
anchored. The diaphragm has an opening to enter inside for any future
inspection. It is a general practice in Railways and elsewhere to cast
the box girders in two stages/pours the first pour upto soffit slab and
web . Second stage to compete the balance girder.
In this method 79 boxes are casted.

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The above sketch shows conventional two stage pour.

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4.Quality Control Measures and Assurances
. In selecting the type of the material used for the work like cement,
reinforced steel, HTS wires for prestressing, aggregates, sand, etc., care
has been taken to ensure quality.

Similarly, in the processes like manufacturing concrete, casting the

various elements of the structure, etc., rigid specifications have been
followed.

Prestressing is a very important activity and detailed

specifications have been laid out and followed.

As required by the codal provisions load tests as well as piles to

ensure over-all quality of the structures.

Anti-corrosion measures required in a coastal city like C hennai

have been incorporated in the construction.

Mix Desdign adopte4d M30 for piles ,M35 for pile capo,trestle
column and trestle beam and M55 adopted for PSC girders, M45 is
adopted for parqpet .

Course daggregate and fine aggregate is tested forf physicals and

chemical tests as per IS 383-70,2386-63 and IS 456-78 and results are
found satisfactory.

Test of cement conducted Juwary OPC 53 grade and results

satisfy.

Concrete was produced to fully atomatic batching plant of miller 1125.

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- - 48
5.Study results of suggestions in casting of box girder

Single pour casting : Box girders concreted monolithically in a single

stagfe of bottom slab,side webs and top slab at a stretch in such a way
supporting the top slab with scaffolding arrangements inside the box
and concreted the bottom slab with funnel chute arrangement fron the
top of slab. In the top slab sufficient gap was left out for removing
inside shuttering and scaffolding after initial setiing of concrete, By this
method joints are avoided and concrete is homogeneous and sdaving of
time. In this method 79 boxes are casted.

Both the single and double pour M55 grade bathing concrete was
used.

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The above sketch shows Single Pour

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Conclusion:

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