Railway board forms committee to address Pamban bridge safety concerns

The five-member technical committee will be headed by RK Goel, PED (Bridge), Railway Board. The committee will include the PED of RDSO, the Chief Bridge Engineer of Southern Railway, the Director of RVNL, and an independent safety expert.

This move comes after a report from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) highlighted concerns about the structural integrity and safety standards of the bridge, which connects the southern tip of India to the rest of the country.

In its report, the CRS noted several lapses in the planning of the bridge. It pointed out that the lift span girder was non-RDSO standard and designed using foreign codes, which required RDSO's involvement in the project. However, a review of the records showed that, with the support of the Railway Board, RDSO had neglected its responsibility in designing the girder.

The CRS report also flagged that for important bridge projects like this, a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is typically formed. However, due to the decision to exclude RDSO from the project, this step was not followed in the case of the Pamban Bridge.

The CRS report stated that RDSO's dissociation from the project resulted in serious consequences, including deviations from standard guidelines.

In response, the Ministry of Railways clarified that the Pamban Bridge is a 2.05 km long structure with a unique 72-meter Vertical Lift span, one of its kind in the country. The design of the bridge was done by TYPSA, an international consultant, using European and Indian codes. The design was proof-checked by IIT, Chennai. Given that the bridge was designed by a foreign consultant, the Railway Board recognized technical limitations in the design examination by Railways and RDSO. As a result, the Railway Board decided to have the design proof-checked by IIT, Mumbai. After the double-proof check, the design was approved by Southern Railway.

The bridge has been constructed based on a design by a reputed international consultant and has undergone rigorous proof-checking by two of the country's leading institutes.

Modifications to the RDSO design for the approach girders to accommodate local constraints have also been proof-checked by IIT Madras and IIT Bombay, and approved by Southern Railway.

Additionally, the welding of structural members, which is crucial for the bridge's efficacy, has been 100 per cent inspected using the latest Phase Array Ultrasonic Testing and checked by the Welding Research Institute, Trichy, with final test checks conducted by Southern Railway.

For corrosion protection, the bridge employs a special painting scheme used in extremely corrosion-prone areas worldwide, utilizing polysiloxane paint with a design life of 35 years. Stainless-steel reinforcement in reinforced concrete construction, fully welded box sections in the lift span, the elimination of splice joints in the approach span girders, FRP pathways, and enhanced inspection arrangements and handrails are some of the innovative features incorporated to prevent corrosion.

The Ministry confirmed that the bridge has been constructed using state-of-the-art design and best construction practices. It has been cleared for operation by the Commissioner of Railway Safety. However, the Ministry stated that it will comply fully with any further concerns raised by the CRS. The five-member committee has been tasked with evaluating these concerns in detail and recommending necessary actions to further enhance the bridge's safety. (ANI)