BENGALURU: The first set of U-shaped girders, which facilitate the quicker laying of railway tracks, was cast at Doddajala yard on Saturday for one stretch of Bengaluru Metro’s Airport Line. U-girder technology has been adopted by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, both for its Outer Ring Road Line and the K R Puram to Kempegowda International Airport Line, in place of the traditional box technology. The stretch where the girders have been cast now runs for 15.01 km from Air Force Station at Yelahanka to Airport Terminal 2 inside the KIA.
Chief Engineer BC Nataraja, of Airport Phase-3 package supervising the operations, told TNIE, “Two girders, each running to a length of 28 metres were laid today, one in the first half of the day and the second in the evening.” NCC Ltd was contracted with the job in December 2021.
“It is only the casting of first U-girder that is crucial as it has to clear all the teething and initial testing. The completion of this superstructure work of the first pre-cast girder is a milestone for us. The rest of girders would be readied on a regular basis,” he said. On the technology, another official said the entire span portion of the viaduct (on which the rails are laid) between two pillars can be laid in a single piece using this technology, while many segments need to be laid in the case of the traditional system.