On the fast track: Bauer India installs large diameter piles for a four-lane flyover

Ranchi, India – The capital city Ranchi lies right in the heart of the east Indian state of Jharkhand. With over one million inhabitants, the city is also known as the “City of Lakes and Waterfalls” due to numerous waterfalls located in the close vicinity of the city. The steady growth in population increasing demands on the development of its infrastructure. A four-lane flyover is being constructed to deal with the high volume of heavy traffic to the rail station in Ranchi and prevent congestion. In future, the flyover will also cross existing railway lines and waterways. What makes this project unique is its execution as a cable-stayed bridge structure. As part of the project, BAUER Engineering India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of BAUER Spezialtiefbau GmbH, was commissioned with the installation of the required piles by M/s. Larsen & Toubro Transportation Infrastructure. Bauer India started work in October 2022.

Piles with a diameter of 2,000 mm and 1,200 mm
During the first phase of the project, Bauer installed a total of 50 piles with a diameter of 2,000 mm. “The largest monopiles ever installed in India by BAUER Engineering India Private Limited,” Ankush Mehra, Project Manager of Bauer India, proudly explains. “The highlight of this project and an absolute sensation for us.” In the second phase, 100 piles with a diameter of 1,200 mm were installed. All piles are installed with 4 m of hard rock socketing, and total pile lengths range from 15 m to 22 m. While a BAUER BG 40 is being used for the 2,000 mm diameter piles, the 1,200 mm diameter piles are being drilled using a BG 28 and BG 26, among others.

Precision work in the tightest of spaces
A major challenge during this project was posed by the logistics: There is a high volume of traffic all around the construction site, and the piles are located right in the middle of the road. Roadblocks extended out up to 9 m and majorly restricted the movement of the drilling rigs and cranes. Extreme caution was required from the very beginning due to the ambient conditions. “Good planning and organization are essential in these conditions,” Ankush Mehra understands.

The works are expected to be completed by the end of April 2023. “We are well on track and as such expect to finalize the project on schedule,” according to Ankush Mehra.