Reasi (Jammu and Kashmir) : The Indian Railways, which is on the path of development, is now moving towards showcasing one more classic example of an engineering marvel with the newly built Anji Rail Bridge.
The country's first cable-stayed rail bridge is constructed in the Reasi district of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under the most challenging Udampur-Srinagar-Baramulla-Rail Link (USBRL) Project of Indian Railways. The bridge is about 80 km by road from Jammu.
Anji Khad Bridge is the country's "first cable-stayed bridge" of Indian Railways connecting Katra and Reasi in Jammu and Kashmir. The bridge is a part of the national project of the Udhampur-Srinagar- Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project.
The bridge is located in the young fold mountains of the Himalayas, having extremely complex, fragile and daunting geological features in the form of faults, folds and thrusts, and besides, the seismic proneness of the region. Detailed site-specific investigations were carried out by IIT, Roorkee and IIT, Delhi.
Slopes of the mountain supporting one foundation of the main span have been stabilised by a special hybrid foundation on the Katra end due to space constraints. The major portion of the bridge works, including the main pylon with a 40 m deep hybrid foundation, the central embankment, and the ancillary viaduct, were carried out on the Srinagar end.
Speaking to ANI about the technical details of the bridge, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the USBRL project, Sandeep Gupta, said, "The total length of the bridge is 725.5 m. This bridge has a single main pylon of height 193 m from the top of the foundation, standing at a height of 331 meters above the riverbed. Considering the ease of construction and typical site conditions, the bridge has been divided into 4 parts. We have built a 120 m long approach viaduct called the "ancillary viaduct" on the Reasi side and a 38 m long approach bridge on the Katra end (CA2)."
"The main bridge, crossing the deep valley, is a 473.25 m cable-stayed portion. The central embankment, which is 94.25 m, is located between the main bridge and an approach ancillary viaduct," Gupta added.
CAO Gupta further said that it is an asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge balanced on the axis of a central pylon. The total deck width of the bridge is 15 m. The bridge has support of 96 cables having cable lengths varying from 82 m to 295 m. The micro piles of 40-meter depth all around the circumference of the 20-meter hybrid well foundation were used in the Main Pylon construction.
CAO Gupta informed us that the bridge carries a single railway line plus a 3.75 m wide service road; there is a 1.5 m wide footpath on each side of the deck with an overall width of 15 m. It has been designed to handle heavy storms of strong winds. The design wind speed considered is 213 km/h. The design speed of the line is 100 km/h, a limit that does not pose problems for the train-structure interaction.
Gupta informed us that the whole section is ready for operation and after train inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), we will plan for train operation between Katra and Srinagar.
It is pertinent to note that various unique techniques and equipment are used, like DOKA Jump form shuttering & pump concreting systems, to increase efficiency, provide higher safety for workers and save construction time by about 30 per cent.
A state-of-the-art tower crane imported from Spain with a 40-tonne capacity and an extendable height of up to 205 m is used for enhancing construction activities at heights up to 193 m. The Anji Khad Bridge has an integrated monitoring system using numerous sensors installed at various locations on the bridge.
The work for Detailed Design and Construction Supervision (DDC) of this iconic bridge has been done by the Italian company ITALFERR, a company belonging to the Italian State Railways Group "Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane," and proof checking was done by the company COWI, UK. The design has been based on Indian codes integrated with Eurocodes, where necessary.
Site-specific earthquake parameters studies were carried out by the Department of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. Due to the importance of the bridge, a large number of sensors were placed on it to monitor the structural health of the bridge during service.
It is notable that in a significant boost to tourism and connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, the historic Anji Rail Bridge is a vital link between Katra and the Kashmir Valley. The Anji Khad Rail Bridge is not only an engineering feat but also a vital transportation link, set to revolutionise connectivity and boost economic growth in the region.