NEW DELHI – For the first time, two of the 16 bridges under construction by Konkan Railway Corporation Limited in Jammu and Kashmir will be fitted with pre-loaded spring dampers (PSD). These pre-loaded spring dampers help secure earthquake-resistant bridges and bridge structures. This type of system is being used for the construction of a bridge for the first time in India.

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is underway to connect Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India. Afcons Infrastructure Limited is carrying out the construction of 16 bridges in that project. They are the bridges on the 66 km route passing through Riasi, Bakal, Kauri and Sangaldan. Of those 16 bridges, two bridges — Bridge No. 39 and Bridge No. 43 — will be fitted with pre-loaded spring dampers.

An innovative system for the first time in India
16 KRCL Bridge Project Manager Alimilla Sagar said that ten PSDs will be used in Bridge 39 and six PSDs in Bridge 43 (which connects to the Chenab Railway Bridge). Pre-loaded spring dampers (PSD) are designed to limit and prevent movements of parts of a structure during an earthquake and to resist seismic loads on structures. In bridges, they are placed directly between the bridge deck and the pier. Bridges 39 and 43 especially require PSD. Sagar said that any seismic impact would have maximum impact there as both the bridges are in Resi district which falls under Seismic Prone Zone-V (Zone-V).

PSD will be imported from Italy
PSD is imported in batches from Italy. Its installation will begin in October and is likely to be completed by December 2022. PSDs are to be installed on the main span and two platform spans. Other materials needed by the PSDs have already arrived from Italy, Sagar said. More than 90 percent of the 16 bridges have been completed and the remaining work is expected to be completed in the coming months.

Key highlights
– 16 KRCL bridges with a total length of 2.3 km
– Bridge 39 has 7 pillars, the tallest of which is 103 meters, which is about 30 meters higher than the Qutab Minar.
– Total excavation of 16,71,943 cubic meters in the project
– Total construction usage of 26,160MT of structural steel
– Total consumption in the project is 63,164MT of cement

Web Title: Italian technology for two of the 16 bridges coming up on the J&K rail link

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