National Institute of Technology,Patna

Internship Report :- New 6 Lane Ganga Bridge from Kacchi Dargah

to Bidupur build by Bihar State Road Development Corporation
Limited Pvt.

Submitted To :- Submitted By :-
Mr. Mahesh Prasad Rishav Ranjan
Deputy General Manager,
PIU New 6 Lane Ganga Bridge Project,
Patna
 PREFACE
The BIHAR NEW GANGA BRIDGE PROJECT is a new six lane
Extradosed cable bridge to be built over the river Ganga at Patna
in the state of Bihar. The Bridge will extend from Kachchi Dargah
on the south bank of Patna on highway NH-30 to Bidupur, in
Vaishali District in North Bank on NH-103. The full alignment of
the project is to be 22.76 kilometers with the main bridge having a
length of 9.76 kilometers.
The government of Bihar has funding from this project from the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Bihar
acting through the executive agency Bihar State Road
Development Corporation Limited (BSRDCL).
The Bridge will provide connectivity to the Northern and southern
part of Bihar through the river Ganga which divides the state into
two parts flowing from west to east. This bridge will enhance
connectivity of the surrounding regions to the city of Patna,
especially of the Raghopur Diara island which is situated in
between two channels of the river Ganga and is connected to
Patna only through a seasonal link bridge. This bridge will provide
year round road connectivity to the island which will open more
and better options for the people of the island for education and
jobs.
This Bridge will also serve as an alternative to the Mahatma
Gandhi Bridge on the Ganga river, which currently is the main link
between Patna and North Bihar. The Bridge inaugurated in 1982 is
under the process of rehabilitation which causes severe traffic
congestion.
In the context of regional connectivity with India’s neighboring
countries, the new Ganga Bridge is strategically located at about
190 km southeast from Raxaul, an Indian border town across from
Birganj in Nepal, which enables major cross-border movement of
goods and people between the two countries. The bridge will allow
better distribution of traffic on the road network, which includes
the international and regional trade corridors that connect Nepal
to the eastern, northern, and northeastern states of India, including
access to ports at Kolkata and Haldia in West Bengal.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to express our special thanks of gratitude

to Mr. Lallan sir and Mr. S B Singh Sir under guidance of
whom, we completed our training. We would also like to
thank our supervisors Rajiv Ranjan Sir, Avinash sir,
Khurshid sir and all the people who were present at site
to help us at every step of training. They helped us in
understanding different aspects of working culture of any
project of civil engineering off and on field as well.
We also learnt the use of theories learnt in books on the
field.This all was impossible without all of yours
wonderful assistance.
We would also like to thank our DGM Mr. Mahesh
Sir,who provided us this wonderful oppurtunity.
Our inspiration is to contribute something very
useful in the field of civil engineering to make this earth a
beautiful place to live.
 PROJECT AT A GLANCE

Project Location

Project Area
Project Area
 Quality Assessment/Quality Control (QA/QC)

TESTS ON CONCRETE
The Concrete to be used needs to be tested before being used, we
have different tests to determine the quality of the concrete.
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TEST: Compressive strength of
concrete cube test provides an idea about all the characteristics of
concrete. By this single test one judge that whether Concreting
has been done properly or not.
APPARATUS REQUIRED
• Compression Testing Machine (Capacity 3000kN)
• Cube (15*15*15) cm and (10*10*10)cm and Cylinder
(15*300)cm
CODAL REFERENCES
• IS 516:Methods of test for strength of concrete
• IS 1199: Methods of Sampling and analysis of concrete

PROCEDURE
• For cube test two types of specimens either cubes of 15cm X
15cm X 15cm or 10cm X 10cm x 10cm depending upon the
size of aggregate are used. For most of the works cubical
moulds of size 15cm x 15cm x 15cm are commonly used.
• This concrete is poured in the mould and tempered properly
so as not to have any voids.
• After 24 hours these moulds are removed and test specimens
are put in water for curing.
• The top surface of these specimen should be made even and
smooth.
• The Specimen are tested for either 7 days or 28 days. It is
expected for the cubes to attain 65% of the strength in 7
days.
• It is to be noted that the age is calculated from the time of
addition of water to the dry ingredients.
• At least 3 specimens are to be tested at each specified age.
• Compression Test of cubes casted on site is also done in the
lab.

Figure 1 compressive strength test

SLUMP CONE TEST FOR WORKABILITY

Concrete slump test or slump cone test is to determine the

workability or consistency of concrete mix prepared at the
laboratory or the construction site during the progress of the
work. Concrete slump test is carried out from batch to batch to
check the uniform quality of concrete during construction.
Generally concrete slump value is used to find the workability,
which indicates water-cement ratio, but there are various factors
including properties of materials, mixing methods, dosage,
admixtures etc. also affect the concrete slump value.
APPARATUS REQUIRED: Slump Cone Apparatus, M.S
Tray for concrete sample, Float, Trowel
CODAL REFERENCES: IS 1199
PROCEDURE
• Clean the internal surface of the mould and apply oil.
• Place the mould on a smooth horizontal non- porous base
plate.
• Fill the mould with the prepared concrete mix in 4
approximately equal layers.
• Tamp each layer with 25 strokes of the rounded end of the
tamping rod in a uniform manner over the cross section of
the mould. For the subsequent layers, the tamping should
penetrate into the underlying layer.
• Remove the excess concrete and level the surface with a
trowel.
• Clean away the mortar or water leaked out between the
mould and the base plate.
• Raise the mould from the concrete immediately and slowly in
vertical direction.
• Measure the slump as the difference between the height of
the mould and that of height point of the specimen being
tested.

Figure 2 Slump cone test procedure

Figure 3 Slump cone test apparatus as Raghopur QA/QC Lab

• The Slump cone has a height of 300mm

• The Lower side has a diameter of 200mm
• The upper side has a diameter of 1000mm
• The tamping rod has a diameter of 16mm and should be
rounded at one side.
 TESTS ON AGGREGATES

SIEVE ANALYSIS OF COARSE AND FINE AGGREGATES FOR

CONCRETE
This test is done to determine the particle size distribution of fine
and coarse aggregates for concrete work.
CODAL REFERENCE
IS:383
IS:2386 Part 1
IS:460 Part 1 and 2
TEST EQUIPMENT
Sieve for Coarse Aggregates:40mm,20mm,12.5mm,10mm and
4.75mm
Sieve for fine
aggregates:10mm,4.75mm,2.36mm,1.18mm,600micron,300micro
n,150micron,75micron and pan
TEST PROCEDURE
• Bring the sample to air dry condition before weighing and
sieving.
• Then the above sample is to be weighed and sieved by
appropriate sieve starting with the largest.
• Each sieve is shaken over a clean tray for not less than 2
minutes.
• The shaking should be done with the movement backwards,
forward , clockwise and anticlockwise and the material must
not be forced through manual pressure
• After completion the material retained on each sieve is
weighed and recorded.
CALCULATIONS:
• On completion of sieving, the material retained on each sieve
is weighed based on ‘% retained’ and ‘cumulative percentage
retained’ on each sieve as well as the corresponding ‘%
passing’.
• Calculated values are tabulated and tallied with the
specifications mentioned in the IS codes.
Following are the recorded weights and percentages of combined
gradation done on 22/05/19 at the QA/QC lab of zero point
20mm:10mm-60:40 20mm aggregates-7200 grams, 10mm
aggregates-4800 grams
Total weight – 12000 grams
Sieve Size Weight % Cumulative % passing Range
retained(gms) retained % retained
40mm 0 0 0 100 100
20mm 462 3.85 3.85 96.15 90-100
10mm 6823 56.86 60.71 39.29 25-55
4.75mm 4239 35.33 96.04 3.96 0-10
Pan 476

When 20mm:10mm-50:50, 20mm weight=5500grams and 10mm

weight=5500grams , Total weight= 1100grams
Sieve Size Weight % retained Cumulative % passing Range
retained % retained
40mm 0 0 0 100 100
20mm 509 4.63 4.63 95.37 90-100
10mm 4985 45.32 49.95 50.05 25-55
4.75mm 5019 45.63 95.58 4.42 0-10
Pan 487

All in aggregate gradation- Coarse Agg:Fine Agg-63:37,

20mm:10mm- 50:50
20mm-3780 grams
10mm- 3780 grams
River sand -4440 grams
Total weight=12000 grams
Sieve Size Weight % retained Cumulative % passing Range
retained(gms) % retained
40mm 00 00 00 100 100
20mm 380 3.17 3.17 96.83 95-100
4.75mm 7110 59.25 62.42 37.58 30-50
600micron 1747 14.56 76.98 23.02 10-35
150micron 2650 22.08 99.06 0.94 0-6
Pan 113
 AGGREGATE IMPACT VALUE TEST
aggregates The aggregate impact test is carried out to evaluate the
resistance to impact of.

• Aggregates passing through 12.5 mm sieve and retained on

10 mm sieve are filled in a cylindrical steel cup of diameter
10.2 cm and depth 5 cm which is attached to the metal base
of an impact testing machine.
• The material is filled in the cup in 3 layers with 25 tamps in
each layer in the cylindrical cup.
• Metal hammer of weight 13.5 to 14 kg is arranged to free
fall from a height of 38 cm by the use of vertical guides and
15 blows are given to the specimen.
• The crushed aggregates are passed through 2.36 mm IS
Sieve and are weighed as W2.
• The aggregate impact value is calculated as

Where W1 is the total weight of the sample

 Figure 4 Aggregate Impact
value testing apparatus

Experimental Values of AIV Test obtained at 0 Point

QA/QC Lab

S.NO SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2

12.5mm passing and 10mm 372 373
retained sample in grams
2.36mm retained in grams 329 322
2.36mm passing in grams 43 51
AIV Percentage 11.56 13.67
Average Percentage 12.62
FLAKINESS INDEX TEST FOR COARSE AGGREGATES
This test is done to determine the flakiness index of coarse
aggregates
CODAL REFERENCE: IS 2386, IS 460
TEST EQUIPMENTS: Weight balance accurate to 0.1% of the
weight of the test sample, Metal thickness gauge conforming to IS
2386 Part 1, IS Sieves
SAMPLING: Approx weight of 40mm down aggregate sample-
50kg
Approx weight of 10mm down aggregate sample-20kg
Minimum 200 pieces of each fraction is to be tested
TEST PROCEDURE:
• Firstly, the sample is sieved as describe in IS 2386 Part 1
• The weight of the sample retained on each sieve is taken as
C3i
• Then the percentage and cumulative percentage retained on
each sieve is calculated.
• At least 200 pieces from the aggregate received on each
sieve is taken (Ni).
 • Each fraction is passed one by one through the thickness
provided on the standard metal thickness gauge and then the
aggregate passing through gauge for each fraction is
separately counted ( Nli)

Figure 5 Thickness gauge at Raghopur QA/QC lab

CALCULATIONS: Flakiness index is calculated by using the

following formula:
F.I.= Cumulative summation of (Nli/Ni)*C3i (Expressed in %)
NOTE: The minimum value of flakiness index for coarse aggregates
shall not exceed 35 % ( Section 1007, MORTH 5th revision)
PILE FOUNDATION
Pile foundation, a kind of deep foundation, is actually a slender
column or long cylinder made of materials such as concrete or
steel which are used to support the structure and transfer the
load at desired depth either by end bearing or skin friction.
WHY DO WE USE PILE FOUNDATION?
Following are the situations when using a pile foundation
system can be used

• When the groundwater table is high.

• Heavy and un-uniform loads from superstructure are
imposed.
• Other types of foundations are costlier or not feasible.
• When the soil at shallow depth is compressible.
• When there is the possibility of scouring, due to its location
near the river bed or seashore, etc.
• When there is a canal or deep drainage systems near the
structure.
• When soil excavation is not possible up to the desired depth
due to poor soil condition.
• When it becomes impossible to keep the foundation trenches
dry by pumping or by any other measure due to heavy inflow
of seepage.
 TYPES OF PILE FOUNDATIONS
Pile foundations can be classified based on function, materials and
installation process, etc. Followings are the types of pile foundation
used in construction:

A. Based on Function or Use

1. Sheet Piles
2. Load Bearing Piles
3. End bearing Piles
4. Friction Piles
5. Soil Compactor Piles
B. Based on Materials and Construction Method
1. Timber Piles
2. Concrete Piles
3. Steel Piles
4. Composite Piles
COMPONENTS OF A PILE FOUNDATION
• Pile
• Pile Cap
• Pier
• Pier Cap
PILE
Pile is a cylindrical structure formed underground after
concrete is filled in the bored hole. The depth of the pile varies
according to the design and the load that it has to take and the
type of soil.
PILE CAP
It is the portion of the foundation that transfers the load
coming from the superstructure to the piles. It is generally plain
cement concrete.
PIER
Pier is the raised upright structure that transfers the load from
the superstructure to the piles underground.
PIER CAP
The upper or bearing part of a bridge pier; usually made of
concrete or hard stone; designed to distribute concentrated
loads evenly over the area of the pier
METHODOLOGY OF CONSTRUCTING A PILE
FOUNDATION

• SURVEYING, PLANNING AND FINALIZING THE LAYOUT:

Prior to the commencement of the operations, the client
representative is required to verify all associated technical
information such as presence of services, pile coordinates,
platform and cut-off levels, validity of drawings etc. Then
the centre line of the pile is marked along with 3 reference
points at a distance of 2 meters from the centre line to
facilitate the drilling and to make sure that the centre line
is not lost.
• DRLLING: The holes to be drilled at this site are of 1 meter
and 1.2 meters. Drilling is done using an auger. The depth
to be drilled varies according to the location and the
design.

Figure 6 The above figures shows drilling in action

• FIXATION OF CASING: A casing of 6meters height and 1.2
meters diameter was used after drilling action in the above
picture. Basic reason of providing the casing pipe is to
prevent the soft soil from falling into the pile bore

• ADDITION OF POLYMER: Even if the soil is cohesive, care

has to be taken so that the soil does not collapse into the
drilled hole. Until recently, Bentonite slurry was used for
this purpose but due to environmental issues with
bentonite, now a mixture of polymer, sodium and polymax
is being used at site.
The slurry was checked for pH and density at site
➢ The pH should be around 12 ( Which should be in
the range of 9.5 and 12 according to MORTH 5th
revision.

Figure 7 Casing being inserted into the bore hole

 ➢ In the test for density, the time recorded was 160
seconds (which should be 30-40 according to
MORTH 5th revision)

Figure 8 Polymer Slurry at site

• AUGERING: An Auger is a drilling device that includes a

rotating helical screw blade called a called a "flighting" to
act as a screw conveyor to remove the drilled out material.
The rotation of the blade causes the material to move out
of the hole being drilled. Augering is done with respect to
the reference points marked with respect to the centre
point.
 Figure 9 An Auger at Pile foundation site

• CAGE LOWERING: In this project 3 cages are being used , the

lower cage , middle cage and the upper cage in the bored hole
for reinforcement. Concrete spacers wired to the cage are
provided for lateral support and to ensure adequate concrete
cover. The bottom cage is first lowered with the help of a crane
and then the middle cage is welded to it and lowered followed
by the welding and lowering of the top cage. Lower and middle
cages are similar in appearance while the top cage has more
number of rebars. The cage is provided with stiffeners and
couplers. The cover blocks shall be circular with a center hole of
adequate size to allow lateral reinforcement to pass through
and allow free rotation. The cover blocks shall be manufactured
with concrete of grade higher than that of the concrete
designated for the pile, using the same grade and type of
cement. Alternately, the cover block shall be of more durable
material as approved by the Engineer/Engineer’s
representative, which shall not lead to corrosion of the
reinforcement and spelling of the cover in concrete.

Figure 10 Cage lowering in action

• TREMIE PIPE INSERTION: Tremie is used for concrete
insertion in the bored holes. Concrete intended for tremie
placement should have high slump values of about 150-
200 mm. At the head of the tremie pipe is a hopper
through which the concrete is poured into the tremie pipe.
When the tremie pipe is inserted into the bore hole, it
should be 3-5 meters above the base of the hole. As the
concrete starts to fill, tremie pipe is pulled up and
removed. Tremie pipe is also used for compaction of
concrete in such cases as using is vibrator is not possible.

Figure 11 Figure showing tremie pipes

• CONCRETING: The concrete is placed in the hole with the
help of a hopper through the tremie pipe. Before placing
the concrete, all the necessary tests should be done on site
as requested by the client. The slump cone test is done and
then cube samples are casted at site with frequency
depending upon the volume of concrete used. These are
tested for compressive strength for 7 and 28 days. The
frequency is as per IS codes. Concrete of M 35 grade is
poured into the bored holes and the completed holes are
backfilled.
• EXCAVATION: We dig out the piles using excavators and
we clear out the surrounding soil by 2 meters to reach the
cutoff level.
 • CHIPPING: After excavation, the top part of the foundation
gets exposed which contains soil, slag, dust, wastes etc
which makes the concrete useless. So, we remove these by
the process of chipping

Figure 12 Chipping in action

• APLYING PLAIN CEMENT CONCRETE: Plain Cement concrete

or PCC is used for levelling, bedding for footings, grade slabs,
concrete roads etc. PCC is used to provide non-porous, rigid,
impervious, firm and levelled bed for laying RCC, where earth
is soft and yielding. M-15 Grade concrete is used with a
minimum thickness of 150 mm.
• REBAR FIXING : Reinforcement bars of different diameters
and shapes are fixed according to the BBS(Bar bending
Schedule) in the structure.
• SHUTTER FIXING: After rebar fixing, the shutter is placed
around the structure to facilitate concreting. Concrete spacers
are placed in between the reinforcements and the shutter
with varying distances.
• CONCRETING: Concrete is placed with the help of boom placer
or concrete pump in the shutter. The grade of concrete used
is M-45. The shutter is removed after 24 hours from the time
of casting. Curing is done 14 days from the date of casting.

Figure 13 Pile cap after concreting with pier in the middle

• PILE CAP: It is the structure used to distribute the loads equally

on the piles. For this the centre of gravity of the columns
should coincide with the centre of gravity of the pile cap.
 TESTS ON PILE
Load tests on piles are conducted on completion of 28 days
after casting of piles. Two types of tests namely initial and routine
tests, for each type of loading viz. vertical, horizontal (lateral) pull
out, are performed on piles.
INITIAL LOAD TEST ON PILES
This test is performed to confirm the design load calculations and
to provide guidelines for setting up the limits of acceptance for
routine tests. It also gives an idea of the suitability of the piling
system. Initial Test on piles are to be carried out at one or more
locations depending on the number of piles required.

Load applied for the initial (cyclic) load test is 2.5 times the safe
carrying capacity of the pile. Loading for Initial Tests is conducted
as per Appendix ‘A’ Clause 6.3 of IS-2911 Part IV.

ROUTINE LOAD TEST ON PILES

Selection of piles for the Routine Test is done based on number of
piles required subject to maximum of ½% of total number of piles
required. The number of tests may be increased to 2% depending
on the nature / type of structure. The test load applied is 1½ times
the safe carrying capacity of the pile.

The Maintained load method as described in Clause 6.2 of IS-2911

(Part IV) – 1985 shall be followed for loading for the Routine Tests.

• HIGH STRAIN DYNAMIC LOAD TEST: This test can be

used to calculate the pile capacity. Using this method,
more than one piles can be evaluated per day. This test is
conducted using the pile driving analyser by obtaining
 and analysing records of force and velocity under drop
weight impacts.
TEST PREPARATION:
➢ Strain sensors and accelerometers are fixed to the side
of the pile at a depth of atleast 1.5* pile diameter
from the top of the pile and then connecting them to
the PDA
➢ The pile is extended to 1.6 times the pile diameter
after chipping top loose concrete.
➢ The extended pile is preferably of the same diameter,
having the same strength or one grade higher than the
pile concrete.
➢ The pile top should have sound concrete and is made
even and flat at the top. The pile sides are also of
reasonably uniform diameter and grinding on pile
sides is required to fix the sensors.
➢ Hammer of suitable weight (1-2% of test load or 7-10
% of the dead weight of the pile whichever is higher) is
used for testing the pile. The height of free fall varies
from 0.5 to 3 meters.
➢ Since the number of piles s greater than 150, so 2% of
the total number of piles are tested.

Following are the maximum loads for different pile diameters

Pile diameter Maximum test load for Pile head built up
routine pile

1200mm 825T(1.5*DL) 2m

1000mm 825T(1.5*DL) 1.6m

Figure 15 Pile head made for dynamic load testing Figure 14 12T Hammer for dynamic load testing

• CROSS HOLE SONIC LOGGING TEST: The method is

particularly useful for large diameter pile foundations for
major structures like river bridges, towers, initial piles
(before load testing). It can also be used for slurry walls or
wall panels. The Cross Hole Analyzer determines the
quality and consistency of concrete between pairs of steel
tubes pre-installed in bored piles, wall panels, concrete
foundations. The output is in the form of waterfall map
along with wave speed and energy or amplitude plot.
Tomography software gives a good 2-D or 3-D image to
visualize defects inside the pile for future corrective
action. Typically one tube is installed for every 300mm
diameter of pile and for diaphragm wall panels, the
configuration is decided in advance based on the size of
each wall panel. It is also known as CSL(Cross hole
Acoustical Testing). PVC tubes should be avoided as they
debond from the concrete due to the heat of hydration
process of concrete, resulting in erratic CSL test results.
The tubes are filled with water as an intermediate
medium. After curing for 3–7 days, a sound source and
receiver are lowered, maintaining a consistent elevation
between source and sensor. A signal generator generates
a sonic pulse from the emitter which is recorded by the
sensor. Relative energy, waveform and differential time
are recorded, and logged. This procedure is repeated at
regular intervals throughout the pile and then mapped. By
comparing the graphs from the various combinations of
access tubes, a qualitative idea of the structural
soundness of the concrete throughout the pile can be
gleaned.

Figure 16 Cross hole sonic logging test in action

 • PILE INTEGRITY TEST(PIT): Pile Integrity Testing (PIT) is a
Non-Destructive integrity test method for foundation
piles. The method evaluates continuity of the pile shaft
and provides information on any potential defects due to
honeycombs, necking (cross-section reduction), potential
bulbs, sudden changes in soil stratum, concrete quality in
terms of wave speed etc. It is known as “Low Strain”
method since it requires the impact of only a small hand-
held hammer and the resultant strains are of extremely
low magnitude. The current scope of work involves
conducting low strain integrity testing on 100% of the
piles at the project site. This shall be done after the piles
have been chipped upto sound concrete level (cutoff
level in most cases) and before tying the reinforcement
cage.
Test Procedure-Surface preparation is the first thing to do
when performing a pile integrity test. Any type of
contamination should be removed (using a grinder) to reach
to solid and sound concrete surface. The pile head surface
should be accessible, above water, and clean of loose
concrete, soil or other foreign materials resulting from
construction. This step is so vital, because then connection
between the sensor and concrete should be solid (firm
contact). The acceleration sensor should be placed on
concrete firmly. To do so, a couplant material should be used
to attach the acceleration sensor to the pile head. An
impactor (usually a hand-held nylon hammer) is used
for impacting pile head; the impact should be applied axially
with the pile. Motion transducer should be capable of
detecting and recording the reflected echos over the pile top.
Acceleration, velocity, or displacement transducers can be
used for this purpose. The location of the sensor should be
selected away from the edges of the pile. The integrity
testing should be performed no sooner than 7 days after
casting or after concrete strength achieves at least 3/4 of its
design strength, whichever occurs earlier.

Figure 17 Hammer used for PIT Figure 18 Equipment for recording the waves
 WELL FOUNDATION

Well foundation is a type of deep foundation which is

generally provided below the water level for bridges.
Cassions or well have been in use for foundations of bridges
and other structures since Roman and Mughal periods.
cassion means a box like structure, round or rectangular,
which is sunk from the surface of either land or water to
some desired depth.

The cassions are of three types namely:

• Box Cassion: It is open at the top and closed at the
bottom and is made of timber, reinforced concrete or
steel. This type of cassion is used where bearing stratum
is available at shallow depth.
• Open Cassion: Open cassion is a box opened both at top
and bottom. It is made up to either timber, concrete or
steel. The open cassion is called well. Well foundation is
the most common type of deep foundation used for
bridges in India.
• Pneumatic cassions: It has its lower end designed as a
working chamber in which compressed air is forced to
prevent the entry of water and thus excavation can be
done in dry conditions.
SHAPES OF WELLS: The common types of well shapes are:

• Single Circular
• Twin Circular
• Dumb bell
• Double D
• Twin Hexagonal
• Twin Octagonal
• Rectangular

Figure 19 Different types of wells

Figure 20 Structure of a well with labelling

COMPONENTS OF A WELL FOUNDATION

• CUTTING EDGE: It is the bottom most part of the well

foundation which facilitates sinking of the well.
According to MORTH (5TH revision), the weight of the
cutting edge should not be less than 40kg per metre. It
should be made from structural steel conforming to
specifications specified in section 1900 of MORTH and
should be strong enough to facilitate sinking of the well
though the type of strata expected to be encountered.
• WELL CURB: The well curb should be made to offer
minimum resistance while sinking of the well. Sand
blows and blasting are also to be considered in the
design of a well curb. The well curb should be reinforced
with concrete of minimum M25 grade with minimum
reinforcement of 72kgf/m. In this project, the grade of
concrete used is M-35. In case blasting is anticipated
during sinking, the inner faces of the well curb should be
protected with steel plates of minimum thickness of 1
cm up to the top of the well curb. The internal angle of
the curb should be 30-37 degrees depending upon
geotechnical data about the strata through which the
well is to be sunk.
• STEINING: It is the wall of the well foundation. It is made
of concrete with suitable reinforcements to bear the
stresses developed during sinking of the well as well as
design stresses. Gauge markings are also done on the
steining for measuring the height of sinking. Atleast 4
 gauge markings are done on the steining in the form of a
100mm wide strips.
• BOTTOM PLUG: After the well is sunk to the required
depth, the base of the well is plugged with concrete.
This is called the bottom plug. It acts like an inverted
dome supported by the steining on all the sides and
transmits the load to the subsoil and acts as a raft
against soil pressure from below. Minimum grade of
concrete used in bottom plug is M15. It has to extend
for a minimum height of 30 cm above the top of the well
curb. Concreting should be completed in one stretch in
the bottom plug.
• INTERMEDIATE PLUG:It is the concrete plug provided
after the sand filling has been done. In this project, the
thickness of the concrete will be 300mm. M-25 grade of
concrete is being used for intermediate plugging.
• SACRIFICIAL SHUTTER FOR WELL CAP: Water is filled in
the well up to the level mentioned in the drawing.
Precast sacrificial beams and slabs are placed in slots
kept in the last steining of the well, in order to cast the
well cap.
• WELL CAP: The well cap is a RCC slab of sufficient
strength to transmit the forces from pier to the body of
well. It is generally kept at low water level. The
dimension of the well cap should be sufficient to
accommodate the pier. In a well cap, the concreting
should be done in dry condition.
SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDATION AND
SUBSTRUCTURE
PRECONSTRUCTION

RESOURCE MOBILISATION

CONSTRUCTION OF WELL

ABUTMENT WALL-CIRCULAR INTERMEDIATE WALL-DOUBLE D

CUTTING EDGE FABRICATON

WELL CURB SHUTTERING/REBAR

WELL CURB CONCRETING

WELL CURB DESHUTTERING

WELL STEINING
SHUTTERING/CONCRETING/DESHUTT
ERING

SOIL GRABBING AND SINKING

WELL STEINING
CASTING/DESHUTTERING/GRABBING/
SINKING/TILL THE FOUNDATION
LEVEL IS REACHED

BOTTOM PLUG/ SAND FILL/ WATER

WELL CAP
SHUTTERING/CONCRETING/DESHUTT
ERING

CONSTRUCTION OF PIER
 METHODOLOGY OF WELL FOUNDATION
• LAYOUT: Accurate layout of the centre line of the
bridge and the locations of piers and abutments is
made with the help of the surveyor. All the necessary
benchmarks and reference survey points are made
near by the well foundation. These points should be
away from the possible blow up areas and the areas
of settlement that may result from sinking of the well.
• CONSTRUCTION OF CUTTING EDGE: Cutting edge of
weight not less than 40 kg per meter is required and
is kept on wooden sleepers before sinking is supposed
to be started. For Double D well the length is 18.950
meters and the breadth is 10.150 meters.

Sleepers provided
for support

Figure 21 Cutting edge and well curb

• CONSTRUCTION OF WELL CURB: First of all the rebars
are fixed according to the BBS ( Bar bending schedule)
along with all the stiffeners and spacers as per the
drawing. Then inner shutter is placed. To make the
shutters leak proof, foam sheets are used to seal the
joints. Then the outer shutter is placed and is similarly
made leak proof by using foam sheets and adhesive
tape. Access platform using landing mats are provided
for inspection and concrete purpose. Coil anchors
shall be embedded in concrete, at appropriate
locations for erection of shuttering for the next lift.

Figure 22 Well curb with reinforcement

• CONCRETING: Concrete of grade M-35 is used and is

poured in a continuous pour using a boom placer.
Shear key is also provided at each lift of the
construction joint.
• CURING: Curing is generally done by spraying water
on the surface covered with hessian cloth. Curing can
also be done by using approved curing compound.
The shutters are removed after curing.
• SINKING OF THE WELL CURB: Sinking is done using
grabber and bucket. The sinking is facilitated by the
self weight of the curb. When the well sinks , the skin
friction increases and the weight of the well
decreases due to buoyancy. When the well does not
sink, kentledge is used and even when this does not
work, jetting is used to sink the well.
• CONSTRUCTION OF WELL STEINING: The well stening
is built is several lifts with each lift having a minimum
height of 2.55 meters. The number of construction
joints are minimized as much as possible and are not
kept at the location of laps in the vertical steining
bars.
• GAUGE MARKINGS: Gauge markings are done
uniformly on four sides of the well using paint. The
gauge markings show the depth upto which the
sinking of the well has been done. The gauge
markings need to be checked regularly to be in a
straight line and to verify the lengths marked. This is
done using a thin thread and length tape. If the gauge
markings are not checked properly then the well may
tilt in further stages of sinking.
• INNER AND OUTER SHUTTERING AND REBAR FIXING:
Inner and outer shutters are made of 4mm mild steel
plates and rolled sections fabricated for a lift of 2.5
meters. Foam sheets and adhesive tapes are used for
sealing the joints. Rebars are cut and bent as per the
BBS (bar bending schedule) and are placed according
to the reinforcement drawings approved.
• CONCRETING AND CURING: Concreting is done in the
same manner as for well curb using a boom placer.
Concrete of M-35 grade is used as per the design.
• DESHUTTERING: The inner and outer shutter is
removed 12 hours after the concrete finished time.
• SINKING OF THE STEINING: Sinking is done keeping
the steining vertical by excavating the material
uniformly using grab buckets and cranes else the well
will tilt. Even a small tilt at the lower lifts of the
steining can result in larger tilts as we go up. Sinking
begins only after 48 hours of steining concreting of
every lift.
• BOTTOM PLUGGING: Concrete of grade M-15 is used
and the concreting is done using tremie pipe.
Concrete of required mix should be used for
underwater concreting with slump in the range of
150-200 mm.
• SAND FILLING: Sand filling shall commence after 7
days of laying of bottom plug and shall be carried out
up to the level as shown in the drawing or as
instructed by the engineer and intermediate plug
shall be provided
• INTERMEDIATE PLUGGING: After sand filling up to
the required level, an intermediate plug of required
concrete with reinforcement as show in the drawings
shall be laid by a suitable method of laying concrete.
M-15 grade concrete is used for intermediate
plugging. The thickness is kept t be 300mm.
• SACRIFICIAL SHUTTER FOR WELL CAP: Water shall be
filled up to the level as mentioned in the drawing.
Precast sacrificial beams and slabs shall be placed in
slots kept in last steining of the well, in order to cast
the well cap.

• CONSTRUCTION OF WELL CAP: First of all

reinforcement bars are placed according to the
drawing and the bar bending schedule (BBS). Clear
covers are provided of the same grade of concrete as
per the well
cap. Then
shutters are
placed for
concreting
followed by
concreting
Figure 23 Photo showing slots for beam to be inserted in a single
pour
without interruptions. High frequency needle
vibrators are used for compaction of concrete.
• CONSTRUCTION OF LOWER PYLON: A total of 65
numbers of lower pylons and 2 abutments are to be
constructed. The average height of the lower pylon is
18.35 meters. It has a varying width of 9 meters at
bottom and 10.5 meters at the top. The lower pylon is
to be constructed in a total of four lifts. The height of
the first lift is 5.3 meters and that of the remaining
three lifts is 4.35 meters each.
 CONSTRUCTION OF MAIN BRIDGE AND SEGMENTS
The main bridge has a length of 9.76 kilometers.The grade of
concrete used for casting the superstructure is M-55. Casting of
segments is done at the casting yard. We visited the casting yard
at raghopur. The casting yard has a batching plant with a capacity
of 1Cum per minute nearby to provide concrete for casting.
Facilities for bar bending are also available at the casting yard. The
distance between the lower pylons of two well is 150 meters. The
span length comprising of 3 wells is of 450 meters, from expansion
joint to expansion joint. Segments 9 to 28 are to be connected
with stay cables.
The segments are provided with a slope of 2.5% from the centre
on each side for drainage and super elevation purposes. The width
of each lane is 3.5 meters, the total number of lanes being six.
The total number of segments in each span (well to well) is 57 and
the total number of spans are 66.
The height of the pier table above the MSL(Maximum scour level)
is 60 meters which is 10 meters above the HFL(High flood level).
CONSTRUCTION OF SEGMENTS:
The segments are to be casted according to the methodology
given below. Post tensioning is to be used in the transverse as well
as the longitudinal direction. Transverse post tensioning is to be
done once the concrete reaches a strength of 35 MPA. According
to the methodology , segments 1 to 4 are to be casted in the long
line bed and the segments 5 to 28 are to be casted in the short
line bed.
PROCEDURE OF CASTING OF SEGMENTS:

Soffit is lowered

Rebar cage preparation an outer and

inner strut fixing.

Alignment of match segments

Outer shutter fixing. Cleaning and

oiling of mould and preparation of
match surface and applying the
deboning agent

Bottom Cable profiling

Internal formwork fixing

TOP AND BOTTOM PT CABLE

PROFILING

PLACING OF NECESSARY INSERTS AND

PROVIDING PROVISIONS FOR LIFTING
ARRANGEMENT

Deshuttering of inner shutter is done

after a strength of 20 MPA is reached.

Transverse stressing is done once a

strength of 35MPA is reached

Outer shutter is removed and the

segmnet is shifted for match casting of
the next segment

Next segment is similarily casted

Curing is done and the match segment

is debonded after deshuttering of the
2nd segmnet

The match segment is moved either

tothe next bed or the stacking yard
Holes are provided for post tensioning strands and also for Post
tensioning bars to
hold the segments in
position while two
adjacent segments
are glued using epoxy.
Shear keys are also
provided for better
gripping between two
segments.

Shear key
provided on
segments

PRESTRESSING IN SEGMENTS:
Prestressing is segments can be done by two methods:
➢ Pre-Tensioning
Pre-tensioning is accomplished by stressing wires or strands,
called tendons, to predetermined amount by stretching them
between two anchorages prior to placing concrete as shown in
the figure below. The concrete is then placed and tendons
become bonded to concrete throughout their length.

After concrete has hardened, the tendons are released by

cutting them at the anchorages. The tendons tend to regain
their original length by shortening and in this process transfer
through bond a compressive stress to the concrete.
The tendons are usually stressed by the use of hydraulic jacks.
The stress in tendons is maintained during the placing and
curing of concrete by anchoring the ends of the tendons to
abutments that may be as much as 200m apart. The abutments
and other formwork used in this procedure are called
prestressing bench or bed.

➢ Post-Tensioning
The alternative to pre-tensioning is post-tensioning. In a post-
tensioned beam, the tendons are stressed and each end is
anchored to the concrete section after the concrete has been
cast and has attained sufficient strength to safely withstand the
prestressing force as shown in the figure below.

In post-tensioning method, tendons are coated with grease or a

bituminous material to prevent them from becoming bonded to
concrete. Another method used in preventing the tendons from
bonding to the concrete during placing and curing of concrete is
to encase the tendon in a flexible metal hose before placing it in
the forms. The metal hose is referred to as sheath or duct and
remains in the structure.
In this project post-tensioning has been used. Holes are provided
in segments for inserting tendons. HDPE pipes are provided in the
segment for these tendons. After they have been stressed , these
are anchored and then grouting is done.
Cable profiling is also done in which the Post tensioning tendons
are placed along the direction of the bending moment diagram.
After a span of 450 meters, expansion joints have been provided
which absorbs the temperature induced expansion and
contraction of the bridge. Gantry girders of capacity 100T are
provided to transport the segments in the casting yard.

Figure 24Casting yard with gantry girders

Holes provided for longitudinal post
tensioning

Outer strut in
segment

Inner
Strut
Figure 25 Batching plant near casting yard at Raghopur

HDPE pipes for

longitudinal post
tensioning

HDPE pipes for

transverse post
tensioning