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Gantry crane solutions for efficient precast handling!

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For the construction of one of the longest sea bridges in India, ElectroMech cranes are deployed for heavy lifting in the precast yard

About Tata Projects

Tata Projects is one of the rapidly growing and most admired infrastructure companies in India. Its core competence lies in executing large and complex infrastructure projects. The company is heavily investing in urban infrastructure development to improve standards of living.

Exceptional execution ability being the key to complete projects on time, Tata Projects leverages technology, advanced construction methods and well orchestrated collaboration between diverse specialists. The company is driven to deliver flawlessly executed projects on time using world-class manage-ment techniques, advanced technology and has uncompromising standards of safety and sustainability.

About the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link

The proposed Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) is an ambitious project by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The project, also known as the Sewri-Nhava Sheva Trans Harbour Link, is an under-construction 21.8km bridge connecting Mumbai with its satellite city, Navi Mumbai. It will be a 6-lane bridge having 27m width, 25m height and design life of 100+ years. Once completed, MTHL would be the longest sea bridge in India and it is estimated that over 70,000 vehicles will use the bridge daily.

MMRDA has awarded the contract to construct the Navi Mumbai side of the sea bridge to a consortium of Daewoo and Tata Projects Limited. This 7.8-km-long bridge section including an interchange is a complex stretch. Tata Projects, together with Daewoo, will use the latest and the best construction methods and techniques to complete this prestigious project.

The project construction began in 2018 and is scheduled to be completed by 2023.

The Requirement and the Challenges

The new bridge is being constructed using precast segments and advanced technology. Tata Projects has set up a large precast yard near Ulwe village on the Navi Mumbai side of the sea bridge. To ensure highest possible quality, all the required precast segments are being manufactured in this new yard under the strict supervision of the engineering team of Tata Projects.

The complete yard consists of three casting lines. Each line is designed such that the initial 100m length is dedicated for casting operations, whereas the remaining, approx. 200m length, is allocated for stocking and despatch of the segments. Each precast segment manufactured here is massive, having maximum dimensions of 16m x 2.2m x 3.5m and weighs around 120t. The cranes were required in the formwork area as well as in the storage yard.

The cranes in the formwork area were intended to be used for handling rebars and steel structures, while the cranes in the storage yard were required for moving finished precast segments to the storage area, stacking them and further loading them onto the trailers. To optimise space utilisation in the storage yard, the customer was planning to stack three segments, one above the other, making the total height of storage nearly 11m. The crane carrying the newly cast segment was expected to travel above these stored segments and hence 'height of lift' (HOL) was a critical factor. Considering all these aspects, the customer required a clear HOL of 18m below the hook.

Safe operation was yet another important consideration while deciding on the right crane solution. With large-scale operations, there is frequent movement of people and material in the precast yard. When two or more cranes travel on the same rails in long traverse direction, it is very likely that the lifted loads or the cranes may collide. To avoid such incidences, it was extremely important to provide adequate inbuilt protection for all the cranes.

The project is on the west coast of India where heavy wind is prevalent and adversities due to storms striking the shore are likely. To cope with the harsh conditions such as heavy wind, saline atmosphere and high rainfall, provisions for safety of cranes, material and people were essential.

Considering the time period and scale of the project, cranes were expected to operate 24x7, with higher reliability, and with an assurance of prompt aftersales service support for uninterrupted operations.

Solution from ElectroMech

ElectroMech has vast experience in providing crane solutions for precast yards across the world. Our advanced technology cranes are operational in few of the largest precast manufacturing plants such as Gulf Precast (UAE), Waskita (Indonesia), RDB-ELSEIF (Saudi Arabia), PIIPL (India) and so on. ElectroMech cranes have also played a key role in several infrastructure projects including the Signature Bridge, Mandovi Bridge, Zuari Bridge, as well as for the construc-tion of various metro rail projects in cities like Dubai, Riyadh, Doha, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi and others.

After understanding the requirements of Tata Projects, the ElectroMech team suggested using a combination of various cranes.

  • For handling rebars and allied fabrication work
    1 no. of 10t double girder gantry crane with 20m span and 8m height of lift.
  • For formwork area (one crane in each casting line)
    3 nos. of 15t double girder gantry cranes with 30m span and 15m height of lift under the hook.
  • For precast storage and despatch yard (one crane in each casting line)
    3 nos. of 150/15t double girder gantry cranes with 30m span and 18m height of lift under the hook.
    Clear HOL of 18m below the hook ensures easy and safe traverse of the precast segment from above the stacked segments (three segments stacked one above the other making a total height of approximately 11m).

Special Features of the Cranes

  • Anti-collision devices and human sensors for all the cranes to avoid collision
  • Load limiter to prevent overloading and enhance safety
  • Motorised rotating hook for all the three 150t cranes. It allows rotation of the precast segment through complete 360° making it easier to manoeuvre load during stacking or loading on trailers
  • Control cabin for the operator is provided on each 150t crane from where the operator gets the complete and clear view of the segment being lifted
  • Wind speed indicator (anemometer) provided with the interlock alarm so that preventive action can be taken when the speed crosses 50km/h limit
  • Crane anchors to ensure safe parking of the cranes during high speed wind and storm conditions
  • Control panel Ingress Protection as per IP 56
  • Specially designed box canopy with a hatch to protect hoisting trolley during heavy rains
  • Cranes coated with epoxy painting scheme with PU top coat after proper surface preparation using shot blasting as per SA 2 & 1/2
  • Under bridge lights for night shift operations and hooter are provided as standard accessories
  • Staircase up to 20m height instead of conventional access ladders
  • Energy meter provided on the crane panels to indicate power consumption of each crane
  • Digital hour meter to indicate the effective operational hours of each crane
  • Variable Span - For the present project four cranes were required with 30m span. ElectroMech proposed that the girder be spliced at 20m (20m + 10m) so that in the future, the same cranes can be altered for 20m span and reused. This will allow effective reutilisation of the assets and save major CAPEX of the new project.

Unique Feature

Cranes designed to handle future challenges as well

During the discussions while finalising crane specifications, the customer tossed an idea – could the crane be used for future projects as well. Our design team took this as a mandate and designed 30m span cranes with a splice joint at 20m (20m + 10m). This simple design thought ensured that the customer could use the cranes effectively not only for the current project but also for future projects by easily altering the span.

At ElectroMech, we have a perfect understanding of the increasing cost pressures on EPC companies. Effective reuse of assets can save major CAPEX and hence we are always willing to work with customers to achieve this end. Our customer-centric approach is helping us to earn the trust of all major EPC companies across the world.

Sr. no. Type SWL Span Height Of Lift Application Qty
1 DGEOT 150/15t 30.00m 18.00m For precast storage and despatch yard 3
2 DGEOT 15t 30.00m 15.00m For formwork area 3
1 DGEOT 10t 20.00m 8.00m Handling rebars and allied fabrication work 1

How Tata Projects benefits from ElectroMech Solution

  • Vast experience of ElectroMech in the precast and infrastructure sectors has helped in quickly designing the right solution, which was most appropriate for the project
  • Technically advanced solution with motorised hook and several other features
  • Inbuilt features for ensuring high levels of safety much demanded on such project sites
  • Highly reliable and proven solutions, which are fit for such time-critical, large-scale projects
  • Assurance of prompt and excellent post-sales service through an expert team

Challenges

  • Massive size and weight of the precast segments
  • Need for easy manoeuvring of such large precasts for easy stacking and loading
  • Multi-layered stacking of precast segments
  • The project being on a coastal area, saline atmosphere, extreme rainfall and high wind speed are prevalent
  • Several cranes running in the yard and a few on the same rail
  • Provision of advanced level of safety through inbuilt features was needed
  • Round-the-clock operating project site

Solution

  • A combination of cranes including 3 nos. with 150t safe working load (SWL)
  • Motorised hook rotating through complete 360°
  • Provision of clear height of lift of 18m below the hook
  • Rain protection canopies for hoisting trolley
  • Anti-collision devices and human sensors to ensure high levels of safety
  • Load indicators, wind speed indicators, hooters, VFDs and several other features for advanced level of safety
  • Cranes of reliable design and robust construction supported with benchmark services

Disclaimer

© Copyright 2020 | All the names and logos used here are the registered trademarks of respective companies. For private circulation only. Certain data mentioned here is based on assumptions and theoretical calculations, hence may not be accurate in practice and can’t be considered as a claim by the company.