Journal of Civil and Construction Engineering

e-ISSN: 2457-001X
Volume 4 Issue 2

Project Execution Methods of Mumbai Metro Line 3: Package 5

&6
Thinakaran E1, Elayaraja.S2*, Solanki Dimpesh Ratilal3
1
Assistant Professor, 3Student
Department of Civil Engineering, Rizvi College of Engineering, Mumbai University, Mumbai
2
Assistant Professor (Sr.Gr)
Department of Civil Engineering, PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research, Neelambur,
Coimbatore
*
Email Id: [email protected]

Abstract
Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has witnessed phenomenal growth in population and
employment. Meanwhile, to reduce the traffic congestion, it becomes mandatory to the
government to expand the traffic connectivity. Currently, Mumbai Metro line 2 and Metro
line 3 are under construction. This research article details about the construction methods
and construction technique executed at the underground construction of Mumbai Metro line
3: Package 5 and Package 6. These Packages are important, since it involves Chatrapati
Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai and underground tunnel construction in this area is
also very sensitive. This paper also includes the major problems faced during construction
phase in Package 5 and 6.

Keywords: Mumbai Metro line 3, Package 5, Package 6, Construction methods, Problems

INTRODUCTION 33.5km having 26 underground stations

The population of Mumbai island city and and one at grade station (Fig.1). The
suburbs has increase from 99,25,891 tunnels are being constructed underneath
(61183 per sq-km) during 1991 to busy commercial area and large number of
1,29,31,000 (64814 per sq-km) as per 2011 tall buildings and heritage sites. The cost
survey [1]. The government of Mumbai of this corridor is estimated at 23,136
has planned metro lines which has simple crores as per DPR, Nov 2011. The tender
motive to connect the unconnected for civil construction work of metro line: 3
Mumbai areas. One of the metro lines is has been split into seven packages, each
Mumbai Metro line which is the consisting of a 4–5 km long twin tunnel.
underground metro line connecting the Package 5 and 6 for civil work has been
extreme south Cuffe Parade and Central appointed to J. Kumar Infraprojects. The
Special Economic Zone SPEEZ. Overall construction planning and methods of this
this metro line: 3 run through length of package has been detailed in this paper.

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 Journal of Civil and Construction Engineering
e-ISSN: 2457-001X
Volume 4 Issue 2

Fig.1: Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Package 5-6)

CONSTRUCTION METHODS construction can be carryout by cut and

Cut and Cover Method cover method, without affecting the traffic
In Cut-and-Cover, instead of using whole flow above it [2].
area of excavation only small proportion Cut and cover are of two types:
of area is used (Fig. 2). After the • Bottom-up Method
excavation of this portion, all the overhead • Top-down Method
support system is installed [6]. This
system of strut and waler, support the load The method used in Mumbai Metro line 3
acting on the remaining portion and is Top-down method. Before excavation,
excavation can be continued without the side of excavation has been retaining
affecting the working area above it [3]. In by Secant piling. After placement of cross
traffic congestion city like Mumbai the beam, construction can be executed
area required for construction are not effectively below it [8].
easily available. In such circumstances,

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 Journal of Civil and Construction Engineering
e-ISSN: 2457-001X
Volume 4 Issue 2

Fig.2: Cut and Cover Method [8]

Secant Pile Method waler beams are used. Overlapping length

Secant pile is one of the techniques used of 150mm between hard pile and soft pile
for retaining earth. Secant pile can be is maintained between them. The Diameter
easily described as constructing alternate of pile used is mostly of 800mm. The
Hard and Soft pile (Fig. 3). Hard pile grade of concrete used for hard and soft
refers to reinforced piles and Soft pile pile is M50 and M10. Secant pile was
refers to unreinforced piles [2]. In Mumbai drilled until hard rock is available with
metro line 3, shoring of earth is achieved minimum anchorage of 1m under hard
by using Secant pile, but to join all pile rock (Fig.3).
together and for tie back cable insertion

Fig.3: Secant Pile at Sahar road (Near Mumbai Airport)

In Domestic Station, the hard rock is of that, ISMB250 steel member is used in
available at few meters below itself, hence hard pile and overall diameter of micro
secant piling was done not more than 8m. pile is 342mm. The piles are continuously
In one of the face of this station, Micro having 150mm overlap to prevent water
pile were used, in which hard pile is not seepage and hard pile in micro pile are
reinforced with any spiral stirrups, instead place little ahead with respect to soft pile

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 Journal of Civil and Construction Engineering
e-ISSN: 2457-001X
Volume 4 Issue 2

toward waler beam side. The reason of element installed in soil or rock to transfer
using Micro pile was to avoid higher applied tensile load into the ground [7].
diameter pile which can get obstacle into The tieback has been done by using HT
spread roots of tree and less area cables tendons, drilled into waler-pile-soil.
availability [4]. A tieback is a structural

Fig.4: Secant Pile [7]

Launching Shaft earth present at Dharavi and Hard Rock

Launching Shaft is the large area TBM has been used in Airport region,
excavated for TBM lowering and which is having hard rock availability at
launching the TBM toward the desire lesser depth [5].
direction. The Launching Shaft also
includes thrust frame required for initial Precast Segments
drive of TBM. The lowering of segments Segments are used to enclose the
and backup of TBM and transport of excavated tunnel into smooth circular
muck/spoil are the other major use of the tunnel. Segments have been casted at
launching shaft. In Vidyanagari Station, a Wadala (Fig.5). The major requirement of
42m diameter circular launching shaft has segment is to provide the required thrust
been constructed and have successive by TBM hydraulic jacks for its forward
launch of two dual mode hard rock TBM, movement along with resist other external
refer as Godavari 1 & 2. Mud Pit of pressure. In Metro line-3 project, 6
capacity 700cum is constructed at segments will be used to form the ring, 5
Vidyanagari station. standard rings and 1 tapered ring, known
as the key segment is used to close and
Tunnel Boring Machine hold the ring together. As per general
TBM is a machine used to outlined design specifications adopted for
excavate tunnels, with a circular cross Metro-3, the minimum thickness of lining
section through a variety of soil and rock is 275 mm and minimum grade of concrete
strata. Overall 17 TBM will be used in is M45. The grade of concrete used for the
Mumbai Metro line 3, out of which 5 TBM segment has been increase to M50 to
will be required for Package 5 and 6. Earth achieve the strength of 12.5MPa within
Pressure Balance (EPB) and Dual Mode 12-day period required for concreting.
Hard Rock TBM are used in these Length of one ring is 1.4m[3].
packages. EPB has been used for slurry

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 Journal of Civil and Construction Engineering
e-ISSN: 2457-001X
Volume 4 Issue 2

Fig.5: Wadala Segment Casting Yard

DISCUSSION Tunneling and alignment

Package 5 consists of Dharavi, BKC Package 5 and 6 allotted to J Kumar has
(Bandra Kurla Complex), Vidyanagari and total 5 TBM of Terratec company. In
Santacruz Station. Package 5 gets end at package 5, Two Earth Pressure Balance
Mid Ventilation (tunnel) at Shanti Niwas. type (EPB) TBM will be used to construct
Packahe 6 consists of Airport region the twin bored tunnels from Dharavi
station which includes Domestic Airport, Station up to Vidyanagari Station and two
Sahar Road and International Airport. Dual Mode Hard Rock (DMHR) TBM has
Package 5 and 6 has been executed by J been used from Vidyanagari station
Kumar Company and China Railway through Santacruz Station and will
Tunnel group. In underground tunnel terminate at Domestic Airport station
construction, selection of TBM launching having Mid Ventilation Shaft in between.
station and retrieval station has to be Similarly, TBM will be launch from
planned initially in accordance with the International Airport station to Sahar Road
site conditions. station and from Sahar Road station to
Domestic Airport station as the part of
package 6 tunnel planning (Table 1).

Table 1. TBM Launching Details

TBM Launch Direction/ TBM Launching TBM Retrieval Type of TBM
at Package Destination Station Station
Station
5 Towards Colaba BKC Dharavi EPB

5 Towards BKC Vidyanagari EPB

SPEEZ
5 Towards Vidyanagari Domestic DMHR
SPEEZ Airport
6 Towards Colaba Sahar Road Domestic DMHR
Airport
6 Towards Colaba International Sahar Road DMHR
Airport

Major problems face and its solution existing I.A (International Airport) road.
a. Traffic diversion at Sahar Road Metro I.A project road is one of the most traffic
Station congestion roads in airport region.
As per the Detail Station Drawing, the Solution of this challenge was construction
station has to be constructed below the an alternative road connecting the main

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 Journal of Civil and Construction Engineering
e-ISSN: 2457-001X
Volume 4 Issue 2

road with the Warehouse bus station d. Mid Ventilation Shaft

directly. The development of new road has For ventilation purpose, a ventilation shaft
been constructed right below the existing should be constructed middle of every
elevated Sahar - Airport Road. The new consecutive station having the distance
road is proposed to be 350m in length. more than 1.5km. The TBM launching
MMRC has decided to connect this station from Vidyanagari station will retrieve at
with the new road along both the side and Domestic Airport station along the
this is achieved by subway along the Santacruz Station. The distance between
basement level 1, having open skylight top the Santacruz station and Domestic station
at center and other portion enclose by is more than the allowance for ventilation.
roadwork. To achieve the deadline of Thus, a Mid Ventilation Shaft has been
roadwork, the construction of subway has constructed at Shanti Niwas, Santa Cruz.
been completed. The subway provided is
of 5.3m width and run through length of e. Safety of Existing Building
29.6m. The clear height from floor to top For city like Mumbai having many
of subway is 3.35m heritage structures and having important
land throughout the alignment of TBM
b. HPCL pipeline at Domestic Airport journey, Safety methods of this site has to
Metro Station be taken into practices. To check on heavy
The HPCL pipeline, backbone of Airport vibrations and any damage to heritage
exists in proposed station plan. This sites, the MMRCL has deployed
requires high engineering skills for specialized agencies of contractors to
diversion without risking the Airport conduct detailed Building Condition
operation and moreover this operation is Survey (BCS) to check their current
very sensitive. So, the tunneling work has condition, existing cracks & other
been planned to proceed without defects/weaknesses of building in the
disturbing the HPCL pipeline, by reducing influence, before initiating the construction
the length of metro station by 20m. This work. On BCS report building and site are
length reduction also saves a huge tree in classified into several categories
that location and avoids the demolition of depending upon the impact limit.
existing road connecting to Western Monitoring instruments are installed for
highway. Many unknown utilities of ensuring the safety in the due course of
government were found during excavation construction activity. Trigger levels are
at Domestic Airport station which was not defined for respective adjacent buildings.
present in Airport Drawing as well as the Regular monitoring during tunneling has
government authority drawings. been carried out, to avoid any damage.

c. Tunneling alignment at runway CONCLUSION

The proposed alignment of the tunneling In this paper the underground tunnel
was crossing the existing runway of construction of Mumbai metro line: 3 in
Airport. Airport authority has suggested Package 5 and 6 had been detailed. In this
changing the alignment, such that it package, cut and cover method of
doesn’t cross the runway. Solution is construction has been executed. The
curving the proposed alignment to avoid launching and retrieval of TBM in both
the runway. Lesser radius curve alignment packages has been clearly stated.
survey has been executed along the Moreover, the problems faced during
boundaries of the existing runway. construction along with the solutions have
been detailed.

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 Journal of Civil and Construction Engineering
e-ISSN: 2457-001X
Volume 4 Issue 2

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