1. We are WSP
  2. What We Do
  3. Projects
  4. Chenab Bridge

Chenab Bridge

We used BIM to design the tallest and longest-spanning arch railway bridge in the world.

Location

  • Baramulla Srinagar Udhamptur, Kashmir region, India

Sector

Service

  • Bridge Design
  • Design-Build
  • Building Information Modelling - BIM
  • (View all)

Client

  • Konkan Railways Corporation

Project Status

  • Ongoing

A Strategic Link in the Transportation Network

Chenab Bridge is located in the Jammu and Kashmir area in the northern part of India. It crosses the river Chenab near the village of Kauri. It is part of the new Baramulla−Srinagar−Udhamptur railway connection. The total length of the bridge is 1315m. The free span length of the bridge is 467m measured from the surface of the river below, the height of the bridge deck is 350m. Thus, Chenab Bridge is the tallest and longest-spanning railway bridge of its type in the world. It contains approximately 25,000 tons of steel.

Length of Bridge
1,315m
Height of Bridge
350m
Tonnes of Steel
25,000

Pushing the Envelope with BIM

As part of this Design-Build project, we are providing comprehensive bridge engineering services. We are also providing BIM modelling and detailing of steel structures.

  • Arch bridge completely made of steel. Foundations and the approach viaduct piers are made of concrete. The arch is erected using a cableway crane. The deck is launched into its place. In practice, all the assembly joints are bolted. The amount of bolts is around 600,000. The bridge is founded on the bedrock. The foundations of the arch are approximately 40 m high and 50 m wide.

  • All the bridge structures have been 3D modeled.

  • The steel structures have been modeled extremely accurately, e.g. the model contains welding grooves in detailed form. The drawings to fabricate the steel structure were printed directly from the building information model.

  • Temporary cables and related anchoring towers used to install the cantilever were modeled. Designers needed to consider severe seismic loading and possible blast loads. The model was created in an undeformed shape including camber. The size of the structure is enormous and includes a lot of details.

  • At best, the modeling team consisted of 10 persons. The amount of time spent for modelling the bridge is around 10,000 hours.

Our team is committed to deliver the following services:

  • Design and engineering of the bridge

  • Earthquake analysis, Dynamic analysis, Blast analysis

  • Design steel of structures, design of concrete structures

  • Steel Detailing and workshop drawings

  • BIM modelling of the bridge

OTHER CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE OVERCOME