Maharashtra's first steel bridge for bullet train erected at Bhiwandi
The 100-metre, 1,405-tonne bridge on the Nashik highway near Dive-Anjur village uses more than 54,000 high-strength bolts.
Maharashtra's first steel bridge for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has been erected in Bhiwandi in Thane district. The bridge has been built on the Nashik highway near Dive-Anjur village. It is 100 metres long and weighs 1,405 metric tonnes. More than 54,000 high-strength bolts have been used in it.
To cause the least inconvenience to highway traffic, the work was done at night, when traffic is stopped. The work was planned so that vehicles on the highway faced minimal disruption.
The structure of the steel bridge was fabricated at a workshop in Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu, about 1,300 km from the site. It was brought to Maharashtra on special trailers, then assembled on site and placed in position.
During fabrication, the steel was cut, drilled, joined and painted with precision, according to the prescribed technical standards. Every production batch of steel underwent ultrasonic testing. Welders and supervisors were also certified by international welding experts.
At the project site, the 100-metre structure was assembled on a temporary support structure about 17.5 metres above the ground. For this, 22 skid arrangements and 54,076 high-strength bolts of the TTHSB type were used.
A C-5 protective paint system and elastomeric bearings have been fitted to make the bridge durable and to control vibration. After assembly, the bridge was pulled into its final position through an automatic system, using two hollow jacks of 150 metric tonnes capacity each and pre-stressed Macalloy bars.
Steel bridges are used where highways, expressways, large rivers and railway lines have to be crossed and longer spans are needed. A total of 28 steel bridges are proposed on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train route, of which 16 have been completed.
