Delhi Metro (DMRC) bridge collapse accident | Corrective Actions on Column Piers with faulty Cantilever Overhangs

Remember, the Delhi Metro (DMRC) column and bridge collapse accident that shook South Delhi in the month of July 2009?

The metro rail track supporting bridge was being erected at the East of Kailash area stretch on the Central Secretariat to Badarpur corridor of the Delhi Metro when one the piers (huge bridge supporting columns) gave way resulting in loss of life, property, time, money and DMRC's face and grace of being a top-class engineering division of the country.

The initial fact-finding study reports and subsequent testing of samples and engineering design checks pointed fingers at the design flaws which had been found as the prime reason of failure in the design details of the cantilever pier-caps (the one-side overhung column caps to support the pre-cast rail bridge pieces), together with ill-quality material and workmanship standards followed for the fast-tracked construction activities that were being pushed to the limit to meet the target of making the Delhi Metro rail network functional in all desired stretches of Delhi and suburbs like Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad that comprise of the National Capital Region (NCR).
The incident took place between pillars 66 and 67 when the pillar cap was affected. Ten segments were to be erected on the stretch of which five had been completed. When the sixth segment was being erected, the launching girder collapsed due to disbalance causing a portion of the bridge to fall, one of the leading news portals (source: accident site photo at top too) had reported. The Delhi Metro rail Corporation (DMRC) had subsequently announced that all cantilever structures built during the ongoing Phase-II would be rechecked for safety and stability. The report following the rechecks found a number of columns on the Delhi-Noida as well as Delhi-Gurgaon stretch faulty.

BRICKS-n-MORTAR hereby appraise you pictorially as what measures DMRC have taken to take care of the piers with faulty cantilever overhangs.






Share your thoughts and comments essaying your reactions towards these measures and if you think these are adequate in restoring the structural safety as well as restoring back the faith of future commuters of the Metro Rail on these tracks.

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