CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is making significant progress in its Phase 2 project, aimed at expanding the city’s Metro network. A crucial development in this endeavor is the commissioning of an automated concrete distribution system at the casting yard by Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the project contractor.
L&T commenced tunneling operations between Kellys and Taramani in Corridor 3 contract TU02 in February 2023. A total of eight Tunnel Boring Machines will be utilized by L&T in TU02. This contract needs a total of 18,000 concrete segment rings, with 17,100 rings measuring 1.4 meters in width, while 900 rings are 1.2 meters wide (for curved sections).
In May 2022, L&T initiated segment manufacturing after commissioning a tunnel segment casting yard in Vanagaram, Chennai. To date, they have produced 4,400 rings. Each segment bears a unique barcode and RFID tag for future traceability.
The highlight of this development is the recent commissioning of an automated concrete distribution system at the casting yard on September 7, 2023. This state-of-the-art system streamlines the delivery of concrete from the batching plant to the segment moulds, significantly enhancing production capacity while reducing the need for manual labour and minimizing carbon emissions. This eco-friendly technology is provided by Elematic OYJ of Finland.
It’s worth noting that Chennai Metro proudly marks its position as the first project in India to adopt this advanced technique, spearheaded by the contractor.
The inauguration of this system was led by Thiru. T. Archunan, Director Projects of CMRL, in the presence of senior officials and staff from both CMRL and L&T. This achievement signifies a crucial step forward in Chennai’s expanding Metro network.
