Doka has recently completed work on the Dwarka Bridge project, which provides connectivity within the northwestern region of Gujarat, India. The company’s formwork and engineering solutions were used on the 900-m-long, central cable-stayed bridge section, including highway approaches.
Featuring a length of 2.5 km, this 29.6-m-wide, four-lane bridge includes 3.5 km of retaining walls and a 1.42-km approach on either side. The total length between the two pylons stretches 500 m, which is said to be the largest span of any cable-stayed bridge in India. The overall structure is suspended by 76 cables.
The most challenging aspect of the project was the design of the pylons which are curved along a vertical structure, at an angle of 20.1 degrees at the centre, 22.6 degrees to the left and 19 degrees to the right, explained Doka. As such, the formwork solution required a significantly tailored approach, while adhering to the strict engineering requirements of the completed structure.
Doka India was awarded the contract to provide a formwork solution for the two A-shaped composite pylons, each reaching a height of 130 m and located in the open water of the Gulf of Kutch. This complex solution was designed by Yogesh Patil, Doka India’s group leader engineering and Pramendra Singh, Doka India’s project engineer.
The Doka formwork instructor team, Ash Narayan Singh and Bijaya Kumar Swain, were not only able to find a solution that met the project’s requirement but also enabled the onsite training for other stakeholders to learn and adapt in a safe manner. Mr Singh commented, “While several of our core products were used in the construction process, our key asset, particularly when it came to the pylons was our automatic climbing formwork SKE plus.
“Designed to be completely crane-independent, and fully modular, we were able to work around the unique and complex shape of the pylon, while remaining protected both from the weather and height. As a fully hydraulic system, it also meant that a lot of time could be saved during repositioning.”
As part of the project’s product solution, Doka’s SKE50, SKE100, SKE100 plus, Top 50 and shaft platform were used throughout in order to support the timely execution. The Dwarka Bridge is expected to be completed by October 2023.
Speaking on behalf of the contractor, SP Singla Constructions, project manager Devinder Singh said, “We’ve been particularly impressed with the work carried out by the Doka team, who has done a wonderful job by designing and guiding the formwork installation for our curved pylon, while simultaneously providing the technical support that has helped to reduce the overall time of each cycle. Thanks to this efficiency, and the diligent training provided to our engineers, foremen and team on site, we’ve managed a smooth and safe operation throughout.”
All images: Doka
