Excavation Begins for Delhi Metro’s Rameshwar Nagar Mid-Shaft
With piling works coming to an end, last week workers from the CEC-CICI JV began excavating soil for a crucial mid-shaft for package CC-04 of Delhi Metro’s 58.596 km Pink Line to facilitate the retrieval of 4 tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in north Delhi’s Rameshwar Nagar!
In some circles, this mid-shaft is also known as the ‘Gurudwara Shaft’ as it’s just down the road from Model Town’s R Block Gurudwara. It wasn’t part of the original construction plan, but had to be constructed as two TBMs commissioned from Azadpur station towards Majlis Park, tasked with tunneling 1100m, got stuck mid-way in 2014. Here’s a excerpt on the issue from the Tunnels and Tunneling magazine with a brief history of the difficulties faced and what CEC-CICI tried to do to resolve:
Both TBMs met with a large mass of intact rock which infringed the lower portion of the tunnel face and extended for approximately 30m. The TBMs used were both soft ground machines which have been used on a previous phase of the metro, and experienced high torque and overheating when attempting to cut through the rock zone. An attempt was made to break up the rock ahead of the cutter face by drilling and placing an expanding chemical to burst the rock and allow the cutter head to rotate and advance one ring at a time. The space within the chamber available to manage this exercise was very limited and matters were made worse by the presence of wet running sand above the rock zone which dictated working under compressed air.
In 2015, the CEC-CICI team secured a deal with HCC-Samsung (CC-34 project on Magenta Line) to lease 2 TBMs which they commissioned from the Majlis Park side in March & April 2016. View details & images:
CC-04 between Shalimar Bagh & Majlis Park – view Delhi Metro Phase 3 map & information
View from a rolling gantry crane – Photo Copyright: name removed by request
Three TBMs are sitting on either side of the shaft right now. This includes the original 2 TBMs on the south-side and the 1st ‘rescue’ TBM on the north-side. The 2nd ‘rescue’ TBM is expected to arrive here in early July. Once the entire shaft is excavated in about 45 days, then workers will descend into it and begin core cutting activities to push, dismantle & retrieve the 4 TBMs one by one.
For more updates, check out Delhi section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Is the work is also stopped over nh 24 that is between east vinod nagar and patparganj there the pink line is going from patparganj to east vinod nagar piers are already erected from months.
Please do a post whenever in any month work of viaduct starts over trilokpuri block 15 and mayapuri and punjabi bagh also.
Sure, will do.
Is the work also stopped over nh24 . Piers are already erected.
Is the work also atopped over nh 24. Piers are already erected.
There are many design differences between DMRC & NHAI. Will post an update whenever possible.
Rameshwar Nagar Mid shaft is also known as ‘Gurudwara shaft’ because there was Gurudwara at the site which was demolished for making way for shaft.
Really? Thanks for pointing that out. I was under the impression the property consisted of residential units.
both gurudwara and residential properties
What s the difference in types/make of TBMs used by Delhi Metro in comparison with those at Bangalore ?
Bangalore’s contractors deployed 2 different types of TBMs – Slurry & Earth Pressure Balance Machine (EPBM) while Delhi’s contractors have only used EPBMs. Their diameters are similar at 6.4m (despite different traction 3rd Rail vs OHE). The cutterheads (face) of the TBMs are always tailored to the requirements of the project.
Hi!, can you please tell me the work left in the opening up of violet line’s ITO – Kashmere Gate stretch and where exactly will the violet line interchange at kashmere gate, because we already have a yellow line going through the underground part?
Lots pending. Station finishing, civil work for covering shafts & building entry/exit gates, track-laying work is left. The new station box is to the east of the Yellow Line’s station box, so you should be able to easily interchange from within the platform just how it’s done at Central Secretariat (Yellow< ->Violet).