Kanpur Metro launches pre-casted Double T-girder first time in India

Kanpur, India (Urban Transport News): The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) has made another historic achievement by launching the first pre-casted double T-girder of the first priority corridor of the Kanpur Metro project. The double T-girder was erected by the team of Afcons Infrastructure Limited and successfully placed at IIT Kanpur station at midnight on 25th July 2020.

According to the UPMRC, by doing this the metro authority added another new feat to its achievements because before this, a double T-girder was never used for preparing slab of the concourse level of a Metro station under any Metro project in India.

The strategy of Metro engineers behind the use of double T-girders in the civil construction of the Kanpur Metro project is that it will beneficial for saving time and for good finishing too. The size of these first-of-a-kind precast girders is 11.5m long, approximately 3m wide, and having a weight of 39.5 metric tons. Witnessing this proud moment, Kumar Keshav, Managing Director, UPMRC said:

It is our endeavor to always strive for an innovation that will not only speed up construction work but also enhance the structural beauty of the project. It is the result of these continuous efforts that for the first time in India, we have achieved an unprecedented achievement using this kind of experiment.

This experiment will prove to be very effective in the direction of completing the Kanpur metro project within the stipulated time frame. I congratulate the whole team of Metro engineers, our Design Consultants, and the Contractor for evolving the concept and successfully implementing it at the site.

What is T-girder?

There are many types of girders used in the structure of the metro, whose main task is to incorporate precast construction to enhance the speed in delivering the project. Double T-girder is now being used for the construction of concourse slab above the road for elevated stations in Kanpur Metro construction. The girder is named after its shape resembling the letter 'T' in English.

Why is the use of a double T-girder special?

Generally, a group of single girders is used to form the base of the concourse of the elevated Metro stations, but in Kanpur Metro, a double T-girder is used to form the base of the station's concourse. It is being used to save time in construction and also, to enhance the finishing of the structure.

It is pertinent to mention here that for innovative ideas, strong leadership, incredible achievements and extraordinary contribution in metro railway projects Kumar Keshav, Managing Director of UPMRC has recently emerged as the "Infra-Man of The Year" under the Rail Infra and Mobility Business Digital Awards 2020.