Chennai Metro Completes Final U-Girder Casting for Corridor 5 of Phase II Project
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has announced the successful completion of the final U-girder casting for Corridor 5 of its ambitious Phase II Metro Rail Project. The achievement marks a significant milestone in one of the largest infrastructure developments currently underway in Chennai.
The final 19.5-metre-long U-girder, a massive U-shaped concrete structure that supports metro tracks, was cast for the Adambakkam Metro Station section in collaboration with project consultant AECOM and contractor Larsen & Toubro (L&T). With this, Chennai Metro has successfully completed the production of all 824 U-girders planned for Corridor 5, setting a new benchmark in the project`s construction history.
Spread across more than 43 acres, the dedicated precast yard for Corridor 5 has been one of the busiest production facilities in Chennai Metro’s Phase II expansion. The facility was established to manufacture large-scale precast components required for the 13.1-kilometre elevated metro corridor and its associated stations.
A total of 5,836 precast structural elements were planned for the project, involving nearly 1.2 lakh cubic metres of concrete and an overall weight of approximately 3 lakh metric tonnes. The production facility manufactured 302 pier caps, 1,465 pier arms, 824 U-girders, 2,055 I-girders, 194 T-girders, 68 portal U-structures, and 1,079 parapet walls.
These massive structures are transported from the manufacturing yard to construction locations situated nearly 18 kilometres away, highlighting the scale and complexity of the project.
One of the key achievements of Corridor 5 has been the introduction of an advanced automated hydraulic U-girder casting system. According to Chennai Metro, this is the first time such cutting-edge technology has been used in India for U-girder production. The automated system improved construction quality, enhanced worker safety, and significantly reduced project execution time.
The project also witnessed the production of U-girders of varying sizes, ranging from 8.9 metres to 33.33 metres in length. The 33.33-metre-long U-girder, weighing around 225 metric tonnes, is among the longest of its kind manufactured in India.
Chennai Metro officials stated that the successful completion of the U-girder production process without any major technical issues demonstrates the engineering excellence, innovation, and project management capabilities involved in the Phase II expansion. The milestone is expected to accelerate the progress of Corridor 5 and bring Chennai closer to its vision of an expanded and modern metro rail network.
