Placing SMILES! - LNTECCcompleting the structural works, MEP works and finishes. The project was...

In-house Journal of L&T Construction

October - December 2015Volume - 38, Issue - 4

Covering MILES, Placing SMILES!

2 ECC CONCORD, October - December 2015 3ECC CONCORD, October - December 2015

From the EDITOR’S DESK CONTENTS

The sum of substance of all that we do at L&T Construction is transforming lives and spreading happiness. This underlying theme is very evident in all the projects that we have featured in this issue of ECC Concord.

With burgeoning urbanization, each one of us is finding commuting increasingly tiresome in our respective cities and towns. While town planners and civic authorities are well apprised of the problem, there is only that much they can do, infrastructure continues to play catch up and the term ‘town planning’ keeps losing relevance. However, several cities have embraced the concept of Metro Rail systems and we, through our Heavy Civil IC, are at the forefront leading the charge to either lift city traffic above on elevated corridors or take it underground. We have a crucial role in almost every Metro project across the country and we present a piece on how we are helping bring happiness to commuters by making urban travel less of a travail.

Apart from improving their travel, our colleagues from B&F IC are ready to add a new dimension to the mall culture in and around Gurgaon by creating a masterpiece – the DLF Mall of India, touted as the largest in the country. Replete with a unique zoning system and other outstanding features, this is going to be a happy shopping experience par excellence.

Amidst the shifting sands of Saudi Arabia, the hardy professionals from the PT&D IC are doing their bit to brighten up lives by upgrading an existing power system with an overhead transmission line and related infrastructure for Saudi Aramco at its Abu Ali gas plant. We share insights into their endeavors contending with a demanding client, challenging terrains, severe climatic conditions and the pressure to design and build a world-class piece of infrastructure.

At times when most of the news from the farmer community has been bleak and somber, we, through our colleagues from the Water IC, are proud to be able to bring some cheer to them by being an integral part of the Gujarat government’s ambitious ‘Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation Yojana’. Read more as to how we are helping usher in a brighter harvest for the farmers of some 900 villages in Saurashtra by creating infrastructure that will help save water.

And, as India seeks to grow faster and push her economy into higher gear, more efficient freight movement is an imperative. The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India aims to address this issue by conceiving the Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridors. The Railway unit within our TI IC is already laying the tracks to get this huge show on the rails. We share with you how they, though beset by issues, are putting up a strong front to give commerce a huge fillip in the country.

Editor Vinod Jacob Chacko

Associate Editor Gopi Kannan. S

Editorial team V. Ramesh Kumar Ashwin Chand | Mayura. K

PhotographyV. S. Natanavelu | R. Vijay Kumar

Design & layoutGlobal Print Design, Chennai

An ode to the fast-growing MALL

culture in India 4

The METRO boom 12

ENERGIZING the Abu Ali plant 20

Ushering in a happier harvest for

FARMERS26

On track to redefine FREIGHT traffic 34


An ode to the fast-growing MALL culture in India


Shopping in India is more than just a quick trip to the mall; it is a ritual: be it for a wedding, a gift

or simply to keep up with the latest fashion, shopping, for an ever-increasing number of Indians, is becoming more a way of life than a luxury cutting across urban and rural divides.

This change in consumer buying behaviour particularly amongst the country’s middle class, coupled with changing lifestyles and favourable demographic patterns have led to a surfeit of Westernised shopping centres especially in Delhi and its environs.

India’s largest mall is opening shortly!India will soon witness the grand opening of a retail masterpiece - touted as one of the biggest in the country, the DLF Mall of India in Noida.

Spanning across 1.96 million sq.ft, Mall of India boasts of being the only retail establishment with six customized shopping levels - international and Indian premium fashion, a dedicated kids zone, entertainment centers, international cafes, food courts and restaurants with a race track atrium which ensures excellent all round visibility to all the stores. With its sheer size, innovative zoning strategy and impressive location, DLF Mall of India promises to be a one-of-its-kind retail landmark.

Building a retail masterpiece B&F IC bagged the construction contract from Delhi Land & Finance (DLF) in September 2011 with the scope of completing the structural works, MEP works and finishes. The project was designed by Benoy, Hong Kong.

The 1,80,000 square meter mall is divided into three zones – A, B and C

Zone A-3B + LGF + UGF + 9 Floors + Terrace

Zone B-3B + LGF + UGF + 5Floors + Cinema + Skylight

Zone C-3B + LGF + UGF + 5 Floors + Cinema + Skylight

The aesthetically designed mall has a central atrium at its heart, the external louvers of which provide light effects to add life to the mall at night.

An all new destination for shopaholics!A mall with many standout features:

y As many as 450 retail units under one roof

y The largest indoor entertainment zone in the country spread over 4.6 lakh sq.ft. of retail space

y The first mall with a unique and international concept of ‘zoning’ with five iconic zones, each a mini mall in itself

y Super flagship stores with twin-level concepts at the international boulevard that will host top global brands planning to make debuts in India

y Seven DT star screens with a seating space for 2,000 people

y The largest indoor food court of the country with over 1,000 seats offering 20 options in global and local cuisines

y The Racetrack Atrium, which is designed to offer excellent visibility for all store fronts coupled with more than 80 escalators and travellators for comfort and convenience in shopping

y This is the country’s first LEED Gold certified mall with intelligent air-conditioning sensors to sense human emission of heat load. It boasts of unique energy saving features,

which reiterates L&T’s commitment to preserve the environment. The property will follow international best practices in terms of fire and MEPs as well.

Mall zoning strategyWith a built-up area of 2.7 million sq.ft. and retail space of 1.96 million sq.ft, the DLF Mall of India will be the only retail project in the country with an international concept of zoning. The mall has a large format twin-level anchor ranging from 40,000 sq.ft. to 1.5 lakh sq.ft. and a parking space spread across three basement levels.

The mall area will have an eclectic ensemble of retail offerings spread across five zones named ‘Market Place’, ‘International Boulevard’, ‘The High Street’, ‘Family World’ and ‘Leisure Land’.

The ‘Market Place’ at the lower ground level, is spread across a retail space of 2.9 lakh sq.ft., and will house the best hypermarkets and furnishing options. The ‘International Boulevard’ on the ground and first levels will be dedicated to well-known international fashion labels and home to their twin-level flagship stores. The High Street on the third level will have renowned Indian designer brands and other handpicked brands from the fashion high streets of India.

Sitting above will be the ‘Family World’, a bright and colourful zone that will comprise two sections – one for the kids with toys, book and apparel stores and the other to host a selection of 23 casual dining options.

The iconic food and entertainment zone, Leisure Land, will be the largest indoor entertainment destination in the country spread across 4.6 lakh sq.ft. (GLA) and will have 7 DT star screens, an ice skating format, EAT food lounge, sports bar, international gaming concepts and a themed indoor park.

One of the seven DT star screens


Creating the edificeTeam L&T was given the onus of translating a third party architect’s vision into breath taking reality. The massive structure consisting of slab and beam configuration was cleverly put together involving fabrication & erection of huge trusses for 8200 sq.m kalzip roofing and 4400MT of structural steel works. During project execution, the additional client requirements and changes made by the consultants necessitated strengthening of structural elements like columns and raft using enormous amount of rebaring and concrete cutting. To increase the fire rating of the slabs and beams from two to three hours, 3L sq.m of gypsum plaster work was completed in a record time of 5 months.

The finer strokesFinishing is what makes an ordinary building extraordinary and L&T

executed the entire finishing works of the mall with 3L sq.m of plaster and 4.5L sq.m of painting works. The public area of 22000 sq.m has Omani Marble underfoot while the service areas of 18000 sq.m, including staircases, have Kota stone. The 36000 sq.m of false ceiling along with facia with painting and fixtures add to the aesthetic beauty of the mall.

The glass handrails with SS top of 3500 Rmt in varying heights add to the beauty and safety of the corridors. An 8200 sq.m mega skylight made up of kalzip and high performance glass at the terrace lets in sunlight. The 18000 sq.m of façade work is a mixture of various elements like structural glazing, al. box louvers, ACP, Z louvers and Al. meshes. To enhance the performance of the AC systems, the walls of 15000 sq.m of area are insulated with special waterproof textured paint. Apart

from several emergency exits (39 fire escape staircases), the mall also has 68 public toilets.

MEP SystemsTo keep things moving smoothlyAn efficient and reliable VHT system with 22 Lifts (Guest Lifts – 15 and Service Lifts – 7), 74 Escalators and 6 Inclined Travellators ensure easy movement across the various zones.

The heavy duty escalators can handle 9000 persons per hour and are designed at a 35 degree inclination with a rated speed of 0.5 m/s and equipped with energy saving features as well. The express escalator is a first-of-its-kind in North India having a rise of 9m without any intermediate support.

All the inclined travellators at the mall are designed with a 12 degree slope to

serve the hypermarkets from the third basement parking levels.

15 passenger elevators connect all areas of the mall and provide smooth transfer of shoppers. The 7 service elevators are perfectly placed in different zones to easily mobilize retail goods.

The O2

The significant task of installing the Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system for the six-storied mall was completed in record time. Chilled water is distributed to the complete building via 16 risers which are fed from a ring piping network situated at the basement level. A chilled water system with reverse return process has been installed to ensure self-balanced chilled water supply to the equipment. There are dedicated primary and condensed water circuits for 2x350TR and 5x1000TR chillers. Secondary water circuits are dedicated for the Mall and DT Cinemas. An exclusive ozone friendly refrigerant R134a has been used for the refrigeration plant. For higher energy efficiency, VFDs are used for operating the secondary pumps and cooling tower fans. Motorized fire dampers have been installed at the AHU rooms.

Car Park Ventilation System

An energy-efficient, fully automated Car Park Ventilation system has been installed conforming to LEED certifications.

y Duct – 88000 sq. m (30 ACPH, 296 dedicated Axial Fans)

y 148 VFD operated fans works on varied speeds based on CO content prevailing in the Parking area.

y 148 fans are DOL starter operated and works only in case of fire detection in the floor.

This system is so programmed that the PLC and CO sensors (installed at various locations) control the VFDs to operate the fans as per the below parameters.

¾ 0-25 ppm – None of the fans function

¾ 25-50 ppm – Fans function at a slow speed

¾ Over 50 ppm / Fire Condition – Fans function in full speed

The ventilation system is completely fire integrated through control modules and systems that are programmed as per cause & effect matrix conforming to the Fire Strategy of Mall of India.

ELV System

A 145 km UTP cabling runs through the mall.

Keeping a watchful eye

Like any place where money flows and large crowds gather, shopping malls too are susceptible to criminal activity. For the security of not just the facility, but more importantly, the customers and tenants, an integrated surveillance system with cutting-edge features has been installed. A CCTV system with 694 cameras has been installed for continuous monitoring of the shopping and entertainment center halls, surveillance of storefronts and monitoring of store cash register areas. The CCTV system features internal and external PTZ cameras, IP Fixed Dome cameras, IP Fixed cameras and Lift cameras connected to the IP Network

with video storage on network storage recorders and cover not only the Mall floors but also the basement car parking areas and external periphery.

Talkback Units

114 Talkback units at the Exit Staircases and Lift lobby areas as per the Fire/ Security Evacuation plan enable people to communicate directly with the Fire Control Room during emergencies to initiate prompt action.

BMS System – 6000 Points

An intelligent Building Management System with 132 DDC panels has been installed in the mall and is integrated with HVAC system and Basement Car Park Ventilation System. On field level, there are over 940 devices/instruments to control and monitor the status of the system. Other systems including energy meters, BTU meters, lifts and escalators are also monitored through BMS.

Access Control System – 250 Points

An Access Control system automates and monitors the controlled access of staff and other authorized personnel and for any specific service/equipment rooms inside the mall.

One of the aesthetically finished lobbies

An array of fire protection pumps


Back Ground Music System (BGMS) – 1910 Speakers

A state-of-the-art Back Ground Music System relays all announcements within the mall and external periphery. BGMS speakers are divided into different zones and are also integrated with the Fire Alarm System which overrides the music in case of fire assisting announcements for building evacuation.

Plumbing System

The scope for internal plumbing works comprise 14 km water supply piping, 20 km of drainage piping, 63 manhole chambers, 3 hydro pneumatic pumps each for domestic water supply and flushing supply, 22 waste water sump pumps, 10 sewage sump pumps with 5 grease separators, 14 thermo-syphon type solar water heating panels (2100 LPD) and 2200 sanitary fittings and fixtures. Underground RCC piping 2620 Rmt has been used for storm water and 300 Rmt stone ware pipe for sewage. The total tank capacity of underground PHE pump room is 1000 KL (5 tanks of 200 KL capacity).

Fire Fighting System

The most important of the building

services, the fire fighting system has been installed with as many as 267 hydrants in all corners of every floor. All hydrant MS pipes are coated with zinc chromate primer and painted with red enamel paint for longer life as per IS-3844.

Sprinkler System

A total of 45,000 sprinklers of various types have been installed that include quick response and normal type - upright, pendant and sidewall sprinklers which cover the floor and false ceiling areas. Side wall sprinklers help protect the glass in lobbies and adjacent areas. 79 degree sprinklers have been installed at 22 external staircases in accordance with the mall exit plan.

ICV Valves

39 ICV valves conform to IS-15105 and there is one valve for every 1000 sprinklers as per revised fire norms. A dedicated ICV room has been constructed for easy operation and maintenance of valves.

External HydrantThe building is protected from the outside by 13 hydrants that are provided in adherence with the IS-13039 guidelines.

Water Curtain System at parking levels

Water curtain nozzles at the car park area are connected with motorized valves to isolate the fire zones at the basement levels. The water curtain system is so zoned that an area of 1125 sq. m acts as a separate fire compartment and it operates on fire signal activation for that particular affected zone alone and avoids fire to enter adjacent areas/zones.

Extinguishers

Eight types of 1100 extinguishers provide first level protection.

Fire Pump Room

An exclusive underground fire pump room with a total tank capacity of 760 KL (soft water) has been set up and the joints have been checked using a radiography methodology for ensuring quality of works.

There are totally 8 pumps - 6 electric pumps (1 sprinkler, 1 hydrant, 1 water curtain and 2 jockey pumps for fire and 1 jockey pump for water curtain system) and 2 diesel engine pumps (1 for fire and 1 for water curtain) all of which are monitored by the fire alarm system using monitoring modules.

Safe from fires

Safety is a paramount consideration in a mall and the Mall of India is equipped with 14 fire alarm panels and 9800 detectors & devices for fire safety. The fire alarm system is interfaced with the fire fighting system, other electromechanical and ELV systems to meet the requirements of the fire strategy.

Devices of the fire-fighting system like the motorized valves, flow switches, pumps are integrated with fire alarm system though control / monitor modules. In case of fire, a signal will be sent to the Fire Control Room via floor panels through a network to monitor the same.

Moreover, all important electromechanical and ELV services like HVAC, electro-magnetic doors, public announcement system, vertical transfer systems, etc. are also integrated with Fire alarm system.

The Mall has been divided into several fire zones as per the fire strategy. A comprehensive cause and effect matrix has been developed to identify the operational mode of electromechanical and ELV systems falling in the respective fire zones in case of a fire alarm. The fire control relay modules give a signal to the devices of the various systems like Air Handling Units, Fire dampers, Fans, Elevators, Electro-magnetic doors, Public Announcement System, water curtain system, Fire curtain system, openable windows, etc. to automatically activate the same as per the cause and effect matrix.

Lighting up the floors

The high-tech electrical system receives electrical signals from UPEB 33 KV feeder and the power is stepped down through eight 2000 KV, 33 KV / 433 V transformers. 65 m long distribution

panels help to distribute power to various areas of the project. The HT and LT panels are fitted with latest protection relays. The HT panel is fitted with NI-41 numeric relay which provides overcurrent, short circuit and earth fault protection at two different levels. The LT panel is equipped with MPR-3, phase reversal and REF relays. Around 24000 light fixtures, 250 LT panels, 11 DG sets, 8 transformers, 175 km cabling installed, made execution, logistics and storage a tough task.

Testing & Commissioning

Testing and Commissioning had to be executed parallel to the finishing activities like false ceiling, wall/column finishing and flooring works which proved to be a big challenge. Energizing the water system without damaging the finishes of the building was crucial and this was done through micro level planning.

Innovation & Technology y The project introduced a Twin

Mast Climbing Working Platform

for external plaster work, which is safer and faster than conventional methods.

y A state-of-the-art plastering machine was used for the external cement plaster work. In this process, the mortar was mixed, transferred and sprayed onto the walls with a gun and finished manually.

y The Gypsum Plaster Machine, which is easy to handle and strong with a high output mixing pump for continuous operation, enabled the Gypsum Spray plaster works complete faster.

y Ceiling finishes were achieved using a Long Neck Ceiling Grinder for the removal of enamel paint from the concrete ceiling. The result was quick, easy, highly reliable and excellent.

y A multi-functional hoist was used for carrying materials like sand bags, blocks, cement bags and other items used for finishing with an additional guide railing provided for safety.

y Boom Lift (Cherry Pickers)/Scissor lift with telescopic movement was used for external façade, painting and lighting works.

The Mall of India project is progressing swiftly with the total scope of contract being completed by Team L&T within a period of 50 months. Vigilant safety management and stringent quality assurance norms paved the way for this remarkable delivery.

Completed incident free, the project has been recognized with honours from the British Safety Council and National Safety Council respectively. Its P&M has been awarded for top class operations and the project is LEED certified by Indian Green Building Council.

“The customer’s perception is your reality”. The happy and satisfied client entrusted L&T with yet another project - DLF Cyber City in Gurgaon.

Monitoring screens at the integrated surveillance system


The

METRO boom


One doesn’t really need India’s latest census figures to realize the surge of urbanization that

is growing by 31%, transforming cities into metros and towns into cities in its wake. While this could be music to the ears of economists, it is nothing short of a nightmare to city planners. A huge attendant issue is the ever-increasing vehicle population forcing city corporations to seek newer and innovative means of Mass Rapid Transit Systems (MRTS). Topping this list is the Metro rail system that offers a nonpolluting, un-intrusive, quick and comfortable mode of urban commute.

Studies reveal that urban India predominantly either walks, cycles or uses public transport and with two-wheeler and car ownership still

comparatively low, MRTS is a plausible transport alternative to move people more efficiently at a lower cost and, at the same time, maintain a high level of city centre activity. Interestingly, a metro can carry the same amount of traffic as nine lanes for buses or 33 lanes of private motor cars apart from reducing journey time by anything from 50–70 per cent, depending on the prevailing road traffic conditions.

Presently, there is an operational metro rail network of 275 km in India, 90% of which are in four metros but with the multiple advantages so obvious more and more cities are jumping onto the metro wagon. The metro era in India was launched in 1984 with Kolkata being the first city to embrace this mode of urban commute. Recently, Bengaluru,

India’s technology hub that has added 3 million residents in the last decade, launched a metro rail system covering 6.7 km with an ambitious plan to stretch it to 114 km when fully commissioned. Delhi, though a relatively late adopter, has wowed the country by being the fastest off the blocks in adding metro kilometers. Operational since 2002, the Delhi Metro network now connects 193 km including a dedicated link to the Airport. Hyderabad, has earned the unique status of being the world’s largest metro rail system based on the Public Private Partnership model. With a 71 km network, the MRTS is being constructed by a conglomerate spearheaded by L&T. Mumbai too is building a 76 km Metrolink express that can handle up to 2 million passengers per day. The

Chennai Metro earns the reputation of being the only such project which connects the airport, railway station, bus terminus and the available MRTS system while aligning itself to the two arterial roads of the city in the first phase itself. Landscapes over eight cities across the country including Jaipur, Lucknow and Cochin are changing either with elevated metro portals or subway lines.

Bright prospects The Indian metro market is pegged at INR 25,000 crores considering projects under execution and those that will be commissioned over the next two years. It is said that the sector will see investments to the tune of over INR 1.2 lakh crores within the next 5-7 years

spread across 15 cities. This growth trend mirrors those of cities in the other parts of the world with the South East Asian and Middle East markets also said to receive investments of up to INR 2.8 lakh crores in the metro segment alone.

Transforming the MRTS scenarioAs an industry leader in augmenting capabilities for urban mass rail transit systems, L&T is involved in the construction of metro rail systems in almost all the major Indian cities. On the global front, L&T has made inroads into the Gulf region and is currently executing metro projects at Riyadh and Doha. L&T’s portfolio ranges from elevated rail to underground metro rail corridors, station buildings along with alignments to expansive depots for which several modern technologies have been adopted including the conventional Drill and Blast Method (DBM), the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM), mechanical excavations and soft tunneling using road headers for underground alignments. L&T implements Incremental launching and full span ‘U’ girders to fast track the erection of super structures and elevated corridors and reduce hindrance to road users. L&T is also a leading contractor for traction and E&M works that involves installation

of Rigid Overhead Electrification apart from signaling and telecommunication including ticket management systems.

On firmer groundsThese structures have to be sturdy enough to bear the weight of a city’s traffic which calls for strong, firm foundations and L&T’s geotechnical arm offers engineering solutions to the entire gamut of geotechnical and foundation engineering for metro systems across the globe. Trench cutter equipment was introduced to India by L&T for underground stations involving rock socketed and permanent diaphragm walls. The credit of installing India’s first secant pile wall for the Delhi Metro Rail project at Hauz Khas also goes to L&T. Deploying a large fleet of state-of-the-art piling equipment, L&T propels progress from the initial stages of foundation engineering right through to completion.

Fast-tracking - thanks to precastingElevated corridors, or viaducts as they are technically called, are meticulously designed structures consisting of precast segments made using special types of concrete. Precast segments like pier caps, box girders, segments, spine and wings are prepared by casting concrete in reusable molds in a controlled environment. In underground tunnel construction, the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) not only excavates by boring into the bowels of the city but also installs the precast concrete liners a.k.a tunnel rings as it proceeds. Designed to withhold various types of loads, these segments are perfectly matched with one another to form a neatly finished tunnel wall.

As pioneers of precast technology in India, L&T has been using it to good effect in the metro segment too. Starting from simple precast segments that are tied together to form a full span of the metro portals, an entire span is now being cast as a single piece to fast track

L&T’s track record in the metro segment

72 km in Hyderabad

67 km in Delhi

41 km in Riyadh

16.3 km in Chennai

14 km in Kochi

11.3 km in Qatar

16.3 km in Chennai

5 km in Kolkata

4.5 km in Bengaluru

7.3 km in Lucknow

One of the underground stations for Delhi Metro


project completion. Called ‘U’ girders, these trough-like heavy concrete structures are cast at a dedicated yard under standard factory conditions and shifted to the site where they are merely lifted and placed into position using a combination of heavy duty cranes. L&T has taken precast technology to a new high by constructing even station buildings using this innovative technology. The concourse and platforms are now precast and erected into place at the station buildings thereby fast-tracking completion of these complicated structures along the metro corridors. In fact, except for laying of foundations and erection of pillars which are both in-situ processes, over 85 % of the works are precast!

Always on high alertSnaking above or burrowing under congested parts of busy cities, a metro

project is rife with risks as it involves live traffic usually in the form of busy arterial roads right next to the alignment. With widespread experience across geographies, L&T has established tried, tested and proven safety systems. Going beyond simple EHS implementations such as PPE compliance, barricading perimeters and marking work zones, the effort is to make a difference at a behavioral level. Working closely with workmen, trainers try to inculcate a safe work culture where every single person in the project takes conscious ownership for the safety of one another.

Since most of the girder erection takes place at night to avoid hindrance to city traffic, the EHS team ensures optimal lighting to conduct critical construction works apart from ensuring that reflective signage are placed appropriately to alert road users on deviations and speed limits, if any. For greater safety, an impact vehicle,

usually a fully loaded water tanker with prominently visible reflective stickers is stationed just ahead of the work space. This vehicle is to bear the brunt of any impact from over-speeding or out-of-control vehicles. Safety nets of various configurations are extensively used to prevent fall of any material especially during the concreting phase. The nets are retained until the structures are fully cured.

Numero uno in metro stationsConsidered the mother of all metro projects in the country, Delhi Metro posed some of the most challenging hurdles that were overcome by team L&T. Back in 2001, while executing the phase 1 works, L&T’s scope included construction of tunnels and six station buildings through some of the most congested parts of Delhi such as

Delhi Main, Chawri Bazar, New Delhi, Connaught Place, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat. Measuring 300 m long and 20 m in width, most of the 15-20 m deep underground stations were constructed using the cut & cover method for which the project area is excavated to full depth and the station box is constructed followed by backfilling the surrounding areas. Earth retaining systems, as required, including diaphragm walls, soldier piles, sheet & secant piles and rock bolting were used both during the open cut excavations and also when constructing the station boxes.

Chawri Bazaar and Central Secretariat stations being located in densely populated areas required a more sophisticated construction methodology - the complicated ‘top down’ method - where the top slab is cast first to resume the traffic above

View of balastless track work, signaling and telecommunication works at Hyderabad MetroView of completed underground tunnel

TBM breakthrough at Riyadh Metro


ground and construction is done from the top to reach the bottom most portion of the station building (base slab will be cast last). Typically a station box consists of three levels, the top slab, the concourse and the platform level, which are connected to each other through stairs and escalators. Considered a landmark and one of Asia’s largest underground metro stations, Rajiv Chowk that connects Connaught Place to the rest of Delhi is a two level station building that intersects both the blue and the yellow lines making it a transfer station.

Metro structures that are now landmarksAt Chennai, L&T has created two outstanding structures for the elevated potions that have become landmarks. For a main railway line crossing, team L&T had originally

suggested box girders and a balanced cantilever as Rail Over Bridge (ROB) at Guindy, but the Railway Authorities preferred the conventional ‘Open web through girder’. Considered very challenging since the span was large, the execution team went about their job of meticulously designing and fabricating what would become one of the country’s longest single span ROBs under the direct supervision of the Southern Railways. The entire structure was fabricated in segments to fit in place and form a 787 t, gigantic portal with a total span length of 104.5 m (35.25 m + 69.25 m). These segments were tested at the fabrication yard and then transported to site where they were assembled over the existing piers. Supported by temporary trestles, the massive portal was push-launched to position over the live rail line below using powerful and high precision strand jacks.

Not very far from this structure, is another outstanding long span construction that has defied conventions. This pillar-free balanced cantilever spans the wide road below extending over the Kathipara flyover, a complicated grade separator, where space was already at a premium. Originally conceived as a normal portal, the long span idea was born because the proposed pier was found infringing the existing foundation of the reinforced earth-wall of National Highways Authority of India. To avoid disturbance to this structure, team L&T helped CMRL modify the span arrangement as 53 m + 75 m + 49.28 m comprising 3 spans (proposing balanced cantilever structure) instead of the original plan of seven spans of simpler voided and segmental types thereby saving the client expensive land acquisitions and consequent delays.

The challenging construction involved a ‘formtraveller’ after constructing the piers up to 19.9 m where the pier heads were cast. Once completed, this stretch of the metro superstructure provided an overhead clearance of 9.5 m from the flyover level along the 75 m span. The entire construction methodology that was approved by CMRL, EMBYE and IIT-Madras drew immense attention from across the construction industry as a never-before attempted feat.

Setting benchmarks with the world’s largest PPP metro projectOnce operational, Hyderabad Metro will be the world’s largest elevated metro rail moving 15 lakh passengers by 2016-17and a PPP project based on DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer) basis. With 72 kilometers of elevated viaducts and stations at every kilometer, Hyderabad Metro is divided into three corridors under phase 1.

View of the Metro alignment at Cochin

On the fast track

y L&T is presently executing 17 metro rail projects across 8 cities in 3 countries.

y At Chennai, the 4.5 km of viaduct executed by L&T has been commissioned for commercial usage in June 2015. Trail runs are currently in progress on another 5 km of viaduct, which has also been handed over.

y Hyderabad Metro Stage 1 and Stage 2 viaduct trial runs have been completed and the Uppal and Miapur depots energized.

y The Riyadh & Doha Metro projects which are being operated as a JV are progressing fast with several TBM breakthroughs.

y The viaduct works in Kochi Metro are nearing completion and will be substantially complete by March 2016.

y The viaduct works in Lucknow are slated for completion by September 2016.

y CC-06, a 14 km elevated metro rail package in DMRC was inaugurated on 6th September 2015 by Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. L&T is currently doing 5 packages in DMRC most of which will be handed over progressively by September 2016.

Iconic Rail Over Bridge for Chennai Metro

The long span balanced cantilever construction for Chennai Metro

Corridor I: Miyapur – LB Nagar : 29 km; 27 stations

Corridor II: JBS – Falaknuma : 15 km; 16 stations

Corridor III: Nagole – Shilparamam : 28 km; 23 stations


ENERGIZINGthe Abu Ali plant


Expanding beyond frontiers It’s been over forty years since L&T Construction began powering the economies of the Middle East and today the thrust greater with the expansion of its businesses across a cross-section of domains involving high-end infrastructure projects. Leading the way is the Power Transmission & Distribution (PT&D) IC which holds a special place among L&T’s overseas ventures having been the first business to establish its international credentials and now holds a preeminent status having executed a wide range of power infrastructure projects.

Forging bonds of trust The most recent among PT&D IC’s achievements has been the upgradation of the existing power system for Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest crude oil exporter at its Abu Ali gas plant. L&T was entrusted with the task of building an overhead transmission line and related infrastructure to enable the facility meet its future electrical demand load, maintain production at 250 MBCD and support the adjacent Karan and Arabiyah fields. The timely completion of this project within 26 months is testimony to L&T’s capability of executing complex core engineering works in extremely challenging environments.

Stepping up the portals of power L&T’s scope of work involved replacing the existing 115 kV electrical power supply system with a new power system that comprised construction of 230 kV Double Circuits, overhead transmission lines/power cables from the Wasit Cogeneration substation with associated gantries and transmission yards up to the beach transition yard at Khursaniyah area and from the Abu Ali Plant 230 kV substation with associated gantries

and transmission yards up to the beach transition yard on the Abu Ali Island. This also included detailed design, engineering, site investigation, survey, material procurement, transportation, installation, as-built documentation, training, mechanical completion and pre-commissioning of the onshore facilities.

Design and build onus This is the first time that L&T has designed and tested towers for a project in Saudi Arabia at its world-class tower testing and manufacturing facility near Chennai. However, the task was a challenging one as some portions of the alignment pass close to the sea shore and the client had to be convinced about the robustness of the testing process. To be absolutely perfect, the design was finalized only

after six months of detailed analysis. Having got the go ahead, the tower testing activity was recorded and reviewed by the client at various stages through video casting. The entire quantity of 147 towers and 8 gantries were manufactured in Saudi Arabia.

Routing a two-way alignment To begin with, the alignment was divided into two sections based on the geographical location at Wasit and Abu Ali running to 26.24 and 29.94 kms respectively. Each route was operated as a separate site with a lead engineer and worked towards their respective approach points. To facilitate access during the foundation and erection works, the team made access roads along the entire route and placed structure pads on all the towers for

safe movement of heavy equipment such as piling rigs and cranes. As per the contractual terms, the access road built has to last for several years which is a mandatory requirement in international projects.

Strict adherence to the client’s methodologies Unlike in India, execution of works overseas is largely mechanical and the right of way is secured by the client. The BOQ when viewed microscopically, constituted close to 2200 activities which also included man hours allocation. Every activity had to adhere to the applicable Aramco standards and was approved by various divisions of the client. As the route was traversing mostly under the client area it was necessary to obtain daily permits which were categorized under hot,


power lines and a number of pipeline crossings which were deftly handled.

Creating a firm footing for access About 5 km of the alignment was routed through slushy backwaters where accessibility was very difficult. During the survey, the team got an insight into the hard reality and found that even boats were useless. An adjacent dry bed proved to be a handy solution and the team made cautious progress from the dry end during low tide by dumping sand and moved towards the other end which merged into the sea. It is interesting to note that the team created a 5 m wide passageway from scratch and during the early days, dumpers had to drive without reversing for the entire stretch because of the limited space. Later, structure pads as large as 50 m X 50 m were installed along the access to facilitate the erection of the towers. Over 2 months of hard work paid dividend when heavy equipment such as rigs and cranes marched safely to facilitate the erection of 19 towers in this stretch.

Dewatering the beach The team won a tussle with nature by creating a 3 km passage just beside the coastline to route the underground cable by deploying dewatering pumps at 30 m junctions that facilitated excavation and ensured backfilling. However a torrential storm caused a lot of damage to the established infrastructure and it called for a quick rework to set things in order.

Interfacing with global vendorsThe majority of supply items were procured from different countries that included India, Switzerland, Japan and USA by L&T’s Saudi-based supply chain management team. Major items

sourced covered optical ground wire, hardware fittings and insulators, underground cables, cable sealing ends, surge arresters and ACSR drake conductors.

Adhering to Aramco’s lofty quality standards The client had a very specific quality system referred to as ‘Schedule Q’ covering the project quality plan in line with ISO 9001 & 10006 Aramco standards under which, the project was subjected to timely audits by independent authorities during 15% and 60% of the EPC works for all activities and deliverables. QC inspectors were also deployed for each discipline from the client’s side in the ratio of 1:25 crew members along the alignment. Based on the system implementation, the performance in each area was evaluated through a Project Quality Index (PQI) rating. Various initiatives taken at site included formation of quality circles to discuss and resolve issues on a proactive basis, training and orientation, material storage with better sorting, identification and tractability. The project achieved a PQI rating of 96.2% and the client’s appreciation was reflected in their customer satisfaction survey reports.

Project delivered as per stipulationsWhile L&T played a lead role in putting together a major part of the power infrastructure, there were also other EPC players engaged in the subsea and underground works. The crux of this project was in handing over the relevant above ground portions in a secure manner so that this comprehensive power infrastructure enhancement gave the much needed boost to the functioning of the Abu Ali plant and nearby offshore platforms.

temperature soared above 50 degrees Celsius. In addition, the terrain experienced frequent sandstorms which brought about a dramatic change in the temperature. The team had to carefully assess the on-site climatic conditions and the crew was asked to wear dust masks at all times for safety reasons. Piling was a critical task that had to be planned and customized based on the soil strata; near the shore the water table was much higher while at interiors locations, there was the risk of shifting sand dunes. Post a thorough soil investigation, the team was familiarized with a type of soil that the locals called ‘Sabhka’ which is known

cold and confined space work areas. All the Plant & Machinery deployed had to be certified by an approved third party from the client’s side and it was mandatory for the operator to possess Aramco certification for the specific equipment being used. Further, for a section of the 20 km stretch that passed through Abu Ali Island, the project team had to interface with the Saudi coast guard to secure work permits.

Mitigating the sandy effect Working in an arid and sandy environment was a big challenge to the team as during peak summer the

for its low bearing strength and high compressibility character. To ensure safe access along the alignment, a pre-defined vehicle route was charted and a total of 684 piles across 155 locations were cast in place for the tower and gantry locations.

Empowering the steely structures Close to 2509 t of steely members were integrated across both the alignments through fully mechanized heavy duty mobile and rough terrain cranes. The overall installation and prerequisites for each tower component whose height ranged from 50 m to 81.4

m were jointly inspected with the client. The wind factor was constantly reviewed as the towers were erected mostly in open zones and it was made mandatory to suspend work if the wind speed rose above 32 km/hr. The stringing works were done through manlifts and sag bridges were deployed for clipping, jumpering and final sag activities. L&T also executed the support structures and cable tray arrangement at transition yard 3 where the cable transfers into the subsea area and interfaced with the other EPC contractors for a smooth takeover of the power line. Though there were not many critical cross overs, the team had to negotiate a highway passing, four


Ushering in a happier harvest for

FARMERS


Inter-linking of reservoirs – a one stop-solution In recent times, large parts of India has been experiencing extreme climatic variations. Very heavy rainfall in some areas while severe drought conditions in others that have had a devastating effect on infrastructure and the lives of people. With a steady increase in global warming, weather patterns are changing dramatically and the results are there for all of us to see –Uttarakhand, a 100 year rainfall record surpassed in Chennai and more such occurrences expected in future. While the lessons of survival and sustenance as a result of natural calamities are still being learnt and improvised upon, there is a lot of thrust

to the plan to inter-linking water bodies which is seen as a comprehensive solution whereby surplus water can be diverted to drier regions to convert deserts into green havens.

900 villages to get a green lifeline Gujarat, one of the trendsetting states in sustainable development, is leading the way in putting together the ambitious ‘Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana’ scheme which is envisioned to fill up 115 irrigation dams across the eleven districts in 900 villages of Saurashtra from the surplus waters of the Narmada river. When commissioned, this huge project will irrigate around 10,22,589 acres of farmland and eventually nullify flooding in these

regions. Not only will this scheme be a remarkable achievement in the annals of water management for the country but also will showcase to the world a unique way to conserve surplus water.

Charting channels for prosperity L&T was entrusted with the task of executing two key packages – Links 3 and 4 in this mega scheme which involved supply and laying of twin MS pipes for 84 km, construction of 126,000 cu.m/hr capacity sump and pump houses with a 66 kV outdoor switchyard and allied works including operation and maintenance for 10 years. With the pipeline alignment passing predominantly through private farmlands, the team’s task was cut out to

secure the right of use which involved obtaining permissions from the village authorities, evolving a transparent compensation strategy for the stake holders and finally restoring the land back to the farmers for agriculture after completing the works.

Winning the farmers’ trust One of the foremost tasks that the project team lined up was the pipeline alignment survey which threw up the issues of land ownership, ground elevation and soil profile. Being an outright agricultural infrastructure project, the team interfaced with the local farmers and convinced them about the nature of works on their land and the overall benefits of accessing surplus

water. The entire alignment was divided into stretches and specific teams were deputed to complete the survey while identifying bottlenecks such as road and rail crossings, hilly terrains and a critical crude-oil pipeline cross over.

Acquiring the right of use needed deft handling as the farmers had to forego one standing crop season and could not also work during the subsequent harvest period since the backfilling activity removed the fertile top soil. The project team adopted a very transparent compensation scheme according to the stakes of the landowners and scheduled the works with bare minimum disturbance. Further, the team gained the trust of the locals by ensuring that the soil restoration work was done to their utmost satisfaction and signed off on a good will note by collecting the No Objection Certificates to avoid any subsequent litigation.

Engineering high-strength giant pipelines A major portion of L&T’s scope of work comprised manufacturing and laying of 83801 RMT pipes of 3000 mm dia with each unit weighing close to 17 t with a plate thickness of 17.5 mm. The project team was quick to rope in two of the

most reliable pipe manufacturers in the county and strategized the production and delivery schedule to cater to the requirements across the two packages. Separate teams were formed to assess the quality during production through a range of testing standards. The pipes were manufactured and welded at the respective vendor workshops through a special helical spiral submerged arc welding process and later inspected and tested for hydro and non-destructive qualities. Each pipe was internally and externally coated with special grade paint and at the time of dispatch spider pipes were provided to ensure stability.

Handling the conduits with care To facilitate easy handling of the heavy pipes, the project team devised an innovative method wherein 60% of the materials were delivered along the alignment with the remaining 40% stocked at the store yard which catered to both the packages. Being very large diameter pipes, the project team carried out a foolproof route survey by coordinating with the local electricity department and strategized a secure mode of transport for the pipes on trailers by either increasing the height of the electrical conductors or by shifting

Pipes lined up for laying in the excavated alignment


the poles. To ensure that special coating on pipes remained secure, the team made a provision to unload the pipes onto sand bags so that the minimum height from the ground level and safe distances were maintained between the units to facilitate the lifting process. It is commendable to note that L&T’s approach of safely handling the pipes drew appreciation from the client and the process was made mandatory for the other EPC contractors as well.

Breaking-down the hard rocksAs 80% of alignment passed through rocky strata and was located close to public utilities, the team evolved a safe strategy to execute the works which covered communication to the locals through megaphones and use of precise

safety accessories such as blasting mats to minimize the risk of hazards. More than 12,00,000 cu.m of hard rock was excavated by the team as per the SOPs using licensed blasters after obtaining permissions from the Collector and Mamlatdar.

Entrenching the twin lines To ensure hassle-free execution the project team adhered to a maximum of 100 m long trenching activity wherein 8 pipes were laid in a single line. Welding of the pipe joints was a precision task for which the project team formulated an innovative method by creating a weld pit inside the pipe trench to facilitate the jointing works which was done through the Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) process by skilled welders.

Around 35 kg of welded metal was consumed for a single joint welding and till date over 450 t of electrodes have been used at site. Post welding works, covered radiography tests, special internal and external coating of pipes, backfilling and levelling. Prior to the release of the executed line, the project team subjected the stretch to a thorough joint review along with the client. Both the packages received letters of appreciation for implementing high quality standards in pipe manufacturing and laying.

Deft Crossovers Team L&T had a task at hand to carve a secure channel for laying the pipeline that posed a host of challenges due to the variations of the terrain. Added to this, were a slew of critical cross overs which needed customized strategizing.

The project team had to maneuver across more than 120 high tension electrical lines crossing the alignment which called for utmost care while handling the pipes during excavation and blasting, particularly when operating with cranes. The entire works were completed successfully adhering to the highest safety standards by implementing SOPs such as lowering the ground profile which facilitated gradual excavation, adjusting the crane positioning and ensuring timely shutdowns.

For river crossings, the team did a thorough study of the water flow over the past 5 decades and came up with an economically viable design of laying the pipeline 6 m below the river bed through a RCC concrete encasement. At places where the water flow was heavy, pipes were laid by making bunds which acted as isolation barriers to facilitate

Excavation carried out through rocky and undulating terrain External coating done on the pipes


the works. State highway crossings were executed through the open cut method and the proposed national highway crossing is scheduled to be executed through micro tunneling/pipe pushing method. The railway crossing works are being executed through box casting method wherein boxes of 5 m height, 5 m width and 7 m length are cast at site and pushed with the help of hydraulic jacks. To ensure that all safety parameters are met, the team has done a rigorous scheduling and also deployed a specialized agency having more than 15 years of expertise in cross overs works.

One of the major crossovers successfully executed by the team was across 10 m under an existing crude oil pipeline. In line with standard pre-operation practice, the team carried out an extensive risk mitigation plan by conducting brainstorming sessions with all the stakeholders on the applicable SOPs. Mock-ups were carried out to

State-of-the-art pumping systemThe water channels across the two packages are powered by an intermediate 25 MW pumping station which has been automated to the on-site requirements. This facility is equipped with 10 vertical turbine pumps out of which 8 are operational and 2 in standby modes. Other essential services executed by L&T included construction of a mega 2 crore liter capacity sump, a 66 kV switchyard, control room and twin staff quarters.

Ringing in a green future L&T’s expertise in executing hallmark irrigation schemes has enabled the team to complete 90% of the works across two vital links and all the worthwhile efforts will soon channelize the surplus water to 21 dams thereby ushering in happier times for the farmers.

further illustrate the possible hazards which enabled the workforce to master the precise procedures to be adopted. The project team made cautious headway through manual excavation maintaining a 1 m clearance from the crude oil line throughout the trenching activity as blasting was prohibited around 200 m as per the safety guidelines. The process involved 7400 cu.m of hard rock excavation which constituted 85% of the strata using rock breakers and manual excavation of 400 cu.m using electric rock breakers. A MS casing pipe of 3.4 m ID was installed to facilitate the pipe pushing and laying which was achieved at the rate of 2.5 m per week.

To make the system foolproof, the rising main is encased for 25 m on each side of the crossing with concrete and is also equipped with turbulence measurement sensors that assesses the water current vibration and automatically transmits alert messages to the oil and water pumping control stations.

The entire activity was completed in span of one and half months which was appreciated by the client and also commended by the authorities of Bharath Oman Refineries Limited (BORL). Inspired by the mock-ups, BORL conducted similar drills along its work sites involving various departments over a spread of 350 km.

Another challenge was in laying the pipelines across hilly terrains where even small stretches had undulations of more than 23 m which called for excavation up to 20 m. Here the team deployed a special 100 t heavy duty crane and handpicked the best crew to execute the works. An innovative temporary access way was created for 15 m by filling the trench which formed a gradual gradient that enabled crane and trailer movements. Once the logistics methodology was secured, additional resources were summoned to speed up the task.

Work in progress at a railway crossing Work in progress at one of the intermediate pumping stations


On track to redefine FREIGHT traffic


Dedicated Freight Corridor - India’s largest and the first-of-its-kind project in the rail sectorIndia’s industrial, manufacturing and processing hubs are largely landlocked with few options to reach the goods and commodities to the nearest ports. Coupled with poor infrastructure and administrative inefficiencies at the state borders, it is no surprise therefore that freight literally crawls across the country. While freight on rail is preferred over road since it is faster, it is still not at par with international standards. Recognizing that infrastructural development can be a critical enabler for economic growth, the Government

of India has been undertaking multipronged strategies to strengthen this sector. Much of the impetus has been laid on logistics infrastructure by tripling the infrastructure spends from USD 10 bn. in 2003 to USD 30 bn. in 2010 despite which wastes due to poor logistics is ever on the rise and is expected to touch USD 100 bn. by 2020 if left unchecked.

While the threat glares ominously at policy makers, a ray of hope presents itself as an opportunity. Over two thirds of the infrastructure network is yet to be built and executing green field infrastructure is less complicated compared to brown field ones. In fact, India is all set to pursue a logistic infrastructure plan that aims to minimize investment and maximize

efficiencies to a whole new level. For this complex dream to take wings, a multi stakeholder organization that can cut across governments and authorities was created.

Dedicated to improving freight movementIn 2005, India and Japan made a joint declaration for building dedicated freight corridors. This triggered a feasibility study which was presented within a year to the Ministry of Railways giving birth to a Special Purpose Vehicle, the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL). Operating under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways, DFCCIL undertakes

planning & development, mobilization of financial resources and construction, maintenance and operation of the Dedicated Freight Corridors. Originally approved at a cost of Rs. 28,181 Crores the plan was to create an Eastern and a Western Corridor.

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor with a route length of 1856 km will traverse six states from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankui in West Bengal while the Western corridor with connect the Jawaharlal Nehru Port near Mumbai to Dadri near Delhi running 1504 km and crossing Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana on its way. The dedicated freight corridors mark a strategic inflexion point in the history of the Indian Railways that has been essentially running mixed traffic across most of its networks. Once completed, these corridors are expected to fuel the development of the industrial belts and logistic parks along its alignment triggering a spurt of commercial activities.

Transportation of goods through the DFCs is also expected to consume lesser energy when compared to the truck mode, significantly reducing the carbon footprint, as it is expected to

replace 4 lakh trucks. The project will also improve and expand the market for agricultural produce, forestry and fisheries of the regions by shrinking distances between supply and demand points. The increase in trade and industrial development along the corridor will generate employment opportunities too. With a segregated electrified line for freight running parallel to the existing railway line, the corridor will indirectly allow the passenger trains to move faster on the existing lines thereby improving the quality of life and the way the country moves.

Allowing double-stacking that can reach a height of 7.1 m coupled with an overall wagon width of 3.6 m which allow for longer train lengths of up to 1500 m, the project can tackle more axle load (32.5 t over the present 22.9 t) and an increased overall train load 3.5 times the current capacity. This will translate into reduced costs and greater efficiencies. With stations planned only once every 30-40 km, trains can maintain an average speed of 75 kmph, which would be three times higher than the present average and dramatically improve logistics efficiency.

Gold that is losing its sheen

The existing Indian Railway’s quadrilateral that links the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata along with its two diagonals between Delhi - Chennai and Mumbai - Kolkata adds up to 10,122 km and carries more than 55% of the revenue earning freight. With the existing trunk routes getting saturated and capacity utilization well above 150%, an urgent need was felt to fast track the creation of dedicated rail lines for freight, mainly to ease the surging power needs of the country through faster coal movement to feed the thermal power plants.

Head hardened rail yard at Bhagega

Backfilling done for several meters in some stretches


The light at the end of the tunnelThe Dedicated Freight Corridor, the single biggest railway project ever undertaken in India, is presently saddled with 1600 cases and 6000 arbitration cases, most pertaining to land acquisitions, of which about 50% have been resolved so far. The project management team has also been grappling with several other issues including clearances from green tribunals and various local administrations that the project crosses apart from inherent issues of operating around live railway lines.

The wild side of the westThe WDFC is expected to cater largely to the container transport requirements between existing and emerging ports in Maharashtra and Gujarat and will pass through the states of Rajasthan and Haryana. The mandate for a part of the corridor, measuring 626 km and divided into two parts as CTP 1 & 2, was secured by the consortium of Sojitz Corp., Japan and Larsen & Toubro Limited. The EPC order involves the construction of a double track corridor including 1388 track km (excluding turnouts) of railway line, 1339 bridges, and 20 stations along with supply of all associated equipment. With stringent time frames, it was premeditated to deploy mechanized means of track linking and employ the latest technology coupled with advanced methodologies in railway construction to fast track progress.

A resourceful beginningTo expedite progress, L&T had further subdivided the two packages into four and deployed dedicated teams headed by Project Managers. Beginning work in tandem on all four fronts, the teams have started making progress on the formation beds over which the ballast will be laid. On the

track front, the permanent way is being constructed with significantly higher features so that the route can withstand heavier loads at higher speeds. The structures predominantly feature precast technology to maintain quality and at the same time expedite speedy construction. Riding on L&T’s decades of experience in geotechnical engineering capabilities, the consortium will monitor and control earthworks right from sub-soil, subgrade to ballast and sleepers and offer strong and superior quality of rail infrastructure dedicated for freight. Since the project involves significant major bridges, various parameters have been taken into consideration for the design of special launching and erection techniques.

Following careful consideration of every facet of project management, key establishments were envisaged early on including the setting-up of a design office in New Delhi, a project office in Jaipur, strategic Rail Welding and Sleeper

Production Depots at 2 locations, offices at 10 stations, 18 labour camps apart from other enabling infrastructure such as 8 casting yards and 2 RMS (Ready Made Steel) plants. Being located in remote areas, mobilizing skilled manpower continues to be a challenge for the project, but with the high degree of mechanization and construction methodologies, the project management envisages to rely more on technology.

The depot at Bhagega that falls under CTP 1 of the two packages is perhaps the biggest such facility in the country. Apart from a massive yard that stacks tons of imported rails, the depot also houses an automated precast, pre-stressed sleeper unit that can produce a whopping 2000 sleepers per day. To fast track the curing period, the cast sleepers are subjected to steam and later kept immersed in water troughs that resemble Olympic-sized swimming pools. With giant cranes deftly handling and stacking the sleepers into organized heaps, the bustling depot is truly a sight to behold.

All done in a flashImported Head Hardened Rails are brought to the depot through specially designed wagons and stacked in the yard. Measuring 25 m each, 10 of these rails are welded together to form a running length of 250 m. These long rails in turn will be laid on the sleepers and once again flash butt welded at the site to form a continuous and seamless connection unlike the conventional rails that periodically allow for expansion joints, the narrow gaps that cause the typical metallic clattering sound of a running train. In these modern head hardened rails however, the expansion and contraction allowances become a part of the rail itself. Flash butt welding is a resistance type process which does not use any filler material but only high degrees of heat and physical force to weld the parts together. Following the automated welding process are the other finishing processes involving de-stressing and grinding. Presently, L&T has imported two high-end flash butt Compaction in progress at the formation bed

Commuters using one of the newly constructed Rail Under Bridge View of the curing tanks and sleeper yard


welding units, one of which is operating at the Bhagega depot and the other is to be mounted on an automobile chassis retrofitted with rail wheels to be used as a robotic mobile welding unit that will weld the 250 m rails at site.

Laying tracks to elevate the standardsThe right of way is first cleared and grubbed of all vegetation and based on the design level either cut or filled with earth for preparing the formation bed over which the New Track Construction machine can lay the tracks. The subgrade forms the first layer which is filled to a depth of 1 meter in layers of 200 mm that are painstakingly compacted at each level. Built on this subgrade is the blanket layer measuring 600 mm, which is once again laid in layers of 200 mm with compaction. Over the

blanket layer is the most visible portion of the formation bed, the ballast, which is essentially in aggregates of 45 to 60 mm which are carefully chosen in compliance to a host of stringent norms, including gradation and other physical properties.

Marching ahead Shining bright in the shimmering heat of the afternoon sun is the yellow colour of the New Track Construction (NTC) machine that is set starkly against the blue backdrop of the sky. Featuring several rakes carrying sleepers and rails at the rear, the front portion is replete with complex hydraulic and mechanical equipment of various kinds including control panels. This sophisticated machine can lay new tracks all by itself for which the ballast portion should be ready on the formation bed. Moving slowly on caterpillar tracks, the

machine progresses as the hydraulic arms places the concrete sleepers on the ballast. A separate mechanism spaces and positions the sleepers over which the rails are laid and later locked into position. Operated by only five persons, the new track construction machine can lay up to 2 km per day in the continuous mode which is significantly higher than the industry average. However, logistics is very crucial for the seamless operation of this marvelous machine.

Locomotives need to make continuous trips hauling rakes stacked with rails and concrete sleepers to feed the NTC machine. A self-propelled on-board gantry supplies new sleepers from the wagons to the front portion while another mechanism handles the rails. Simply put, in its full function mode, the NTC machine replaces an army of workmen quietly and rapidly with impeccable quality.

Skillfully crossing levelsPerhaps the biggest challenge that the execution team faces is the commissioning of the Road Under Bridges (RUBs) along the length of the project. Along with the announcement of this project, the Indian Railways (IR) also envisaged the elimination of all level crossings throughout the length of the corridor, converting them into RUBs. With an existing line running parallel along almost the entire project length, this is proving to be a stumbling block. Since the scope of the RUB portion under the existing line rests with IR, the consortium is forced to do conjoint construction with IR RUB so that both these structures can be constructed in tandem to minimize inconvenience to road users. With uncertainties looming large, the project team came up with the idea of

Flash Butt Welding in progress

A part of the completed stretch


New Orders

43ECC CONCORD, July - September 2015

Order book swells with wins across businesses in Q3The Power Transmission & Distribution IC witnessed strong order inflows from both the international and domestic markets during the third quarter of the fiscal. On the international front, Larsen & Toubro Saudi Arabia LLC, the fully owned subsidiary of L&T, bagged a major order from National Grid, Saudi Arabia for the construction of four 132 kV substations in Riyadh. Involving detailed design, engineering, construction, testing and commissioning the scope includes switchgear, control, protection and Novec Fire Fighting Systems along with associated civil works. Another significant mandate was won from the National Grid, Saudi Arabia, a subsidiary of Saudi Electricity Company for the construction of five 132 kV substations at Hail area in the central province of Saudi Arabia.

Back home, PT&D has bagged orders from Power Grid Corporation of India Limited for the engineering, procurement and construction of a 765 kV GIS package at Aligarh under the Interregional System Strengthening Scheme and from Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) for the engineering, supply, erection and commissioning of underground EHV & HV cable networks, compact substations and other distribution elements in the city of Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

An order from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for the construction of a 10 km long, six-lane elevated corridor from Chandigadh to Kharar in the state of Punjab marks the inflow for Transportation Infrastructure IC. The business has also bagged an order from the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation

Limited for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of traction substations, 25 kV flexible/rigid OHE, sectioning post, 33 kV cable networks and ASS & SCADA system for Phase-I of the MRTS.

The Buildings & Factories IC bagged the mandate for the construction of 13 residential towers (Stilt + 14 Floors) from a leading real estate developer in Chennai apart from wining a repeat order from a cement major in Rajasthan for capacity augmentation.

Heavy Civil Infrastructure IC has secured additional orders from Chennai Metro Rail Corporation Limited for the construction of Package 03 that involves construction of 4 stations with associated tunnel works.

Business in the Water Supply & Distribution business vertical flowed with an order win from the Water Resource Department, Govt. of Odisha, for the engineering, procurement and construction of 34 lift irrigation schemes in various districts to irrigate 48600 Ha of cultivable lands.

L&T GeoStructure secured an order along with Bauer for the construction of a cutoff wall in the Indira Sagar dam project at Polavaram, Andhra Pradesh. The scope includes construction of a 1500 metre long and 1.5 metre wide, plastic concrete diaphragm cutoff wall, with depths varying from 40 to 120 metres. The business has also secured orders in Tuticorin and Chennai for piling and diaphragm wall works.

presently progressing with the laying of the formation bed and tracks at-grade and at a later stage completing the RUBs in tandem with the IR.

The project has also faced the wrath of unusual floods, the heaviest in the last 30 years causing substantial damage to plant and machinery that has further hampered progress. Even the soil in this arid region is of a very fine nature and any excavation around the existing railway line has all possibilities of easily damaging prevailing structures. Therefore, utmost care for edge protection has been taken even before the simplest of execution works.

Instilling a safe work culture and creating awareness among the workforce about the perils associated

with working alongside a live track are crucial for the successful completion of the project. Though train approach warning signals and approvals for slower movements of trains are in place, the risks are ever-present with the potential of throwing the progress out of gear with even the smallest of errors. The project team has accorded topmost priority to safety and likewise deployed resources to ensure its dedicated implementation.

Smarter ideas, faster implementationThe DFC project will keep introducing numerous world-class technologies right from planning, design, construction to the operation of the

line. Apart from laying of sleepers and tracks, mechanised track laying equipment, a specialized group of track machines have been deployed to carry out ballast tamping, ballast regulating and track stabilization. Even the field joints have been brought down to a bare minimum with the deployment of high capacity, robotic mobile flash butt welding machines. Having overcome the initial hurdles and being armed with the rich experience and a flair for going about their business, the team is now set in top gear to make rapid progress not just to achieve their goals but surpass them to set benchmarks, the L&T way.

Edited by Mr. Vinod Jacob Chacko for L&T Construction from L&T Construction Headquarters, Manapakkam, Chennai - 600 089. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Management. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor. Not for sale. Only for free circulation among employees of L&T Construction and their customers. Printed at NPT Offset Press Pvt. Ltd., Chennai.

Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) conferred L&T ‘The Good Corporate Citizen Award’ for its Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in the ‘Large Corporate Category‘. The award was presented by Mr. Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Railways, at the 180th Foundation Day celebrations of BCCI in Mumbai on October 1, 2015. BCCI instituted the Good Corporate Citizen Award in 1994 to recognize and honor conspicuous achievement by corporates in terms of service to the civic community in addition to outstanding sustainability responsibility performance. The evaluation parameters for the award included business performance, performance in industrial relations, environment, safety and occupational health, employee welfare, ethics and customer satisfaction, and social investment/CSR.

The Economic Times has ranked L&T among the Top five in a survey on companies whose CSR efforts were weighed against four key criteria of sustainability, stakeholder value, governance and disclosures. Listing L&T’s efforts, the survey makes a special mention of L&T’s focus on water, sanitation, education, healthcare and skill building.

On a global scale too, L&T was featured among Asia’s Top 5 ‘Most Sustainable Companies’ in the Industrial Sector in Channel NewsAsia’s Sustainability Rankings 2015 into which only 18 companies from India qualified. The ranking identifies the Top 100 companies with the highest sustainability performance, based on a broad range of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) indicators.

L&T bags Good Corporate Citizen Award, gets ranked among Top 5 in Asia

Date post:	23-Jan-2020
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