Piling Work Begins for Kochi Metro’s 220m Cantilever Section

S. P. Singla Constructions has started piling work for a 220 meter long cantilever section for Kochi’s Metro system! They’re building this on a subcontract from Larsen & Toubro under contract KC 5A, and as per their website, the structure will be cast in-situ (i.e. on-site) and comprise of 3 sections of 65m, 90m and 65m.  This section is part of the metro line between the Ernakulam South and Kadavanthra stations which is planned to become operational by the end of 2017. It’ll come up diagonally over the railway lines at the Ernakulam Junction railway station as shown below:

Alignment of Cantilever section of Kochi Metro’s line – View Kochi Metro Map

Satellite view of the site:

Piling rig at Kochi’s South overbridge
– Photo Copyright: The Hindu

As per a DMRC official who interviewed with The Hindu:

Such a lengthy span is rare in any metro-rail system in India. It was decided to have the span having no pillars beneath since there is hardly any vacant space between tracks for erecting pillars. It is even more an engineering challenge since the span is located at a curve having a 152-metre-long radius.

The curve mentioned in the above quote can be seen at the bottom of the map sketched towards the top of this post.

There’s nothing unique about this cantilever section and similar structures have come up in Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad as shown below.

• Delhi Metro: Spans of 75m, 100m & 75m at Okhla. Total length: 250 meters

Delhi Metro’s cantilever section at Okhla – Photo Copyright: DMRC

• Chennai Metro: Spans of 53m, 75m & 49.28m at Kathipara interchange. Total length: 177.28 meters

Chennai Metro’s cantilever section at Kathipara shot in 2013 – Photo Copyright: Arun Christopher

• Hyderabad Metro: Spans of 35m, 58m & 35m at Punjagutta. Total length: 128 meters

Hyderabad Metro’s cantilever section at Punjagutta – Photo Copyright: The New Indian Express

More brilliant images of Hyderabad’s recently completed cantilever section can be viewed here: Hyderabad Metro’s 420 ft Cantilever Section Over Punjagutta Flyover is Now Ready!

For more updates on Kochi’s Metro, check out the Kochi section of the The Metro Rail Guy!

– TMRG