To ensure the safety of the World's tallest rail arch bridge over river Chenab in the Reasi district around 120 sensors are being installed to monitor the structural health of the bridge around the clock.
Chenab Bridge, a crucial part of the Kashmir rail link project, is equipped with sensors to generate a red signal and also an alarm sound at the station master room in case of emergency like wind speed exceeding the permissible limit.
These sensors are being installed as part of the smart asset management system to monitor the structural health of the bridge. These sensors would provide vital data about the wind velocity, temperature, humidity, vibrations, and other required information on a real-time basis. The 1,315-m-long Chenab Bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge built to sustain 260 kmph wind speed and designed to bear earthquake forces of the highest intensity. A symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Chenab Bridge, 35 m higher than the Eiffel Tower, is fully constructed by Indian engineers. Ahead of commissioning the 46-km long stretch between Sangaldan and Reasi the Commissioner of Railway Safety is scheduled to inspect the track before giving its final nod, In addition to sensors, a 780-meter-long blast protection platform, and a control room with 150 servers are among several other state-of-the-art equipment of the Chenab Bridge, installed for smooth train operation. While the protection platform is being mounted on the surface of the 359-meter high rail bridge over the river Chenab to absorb the impact during the train operation, 120 sensors are being installed to monitor the structural health of the arch bridge around the clock.
According to the Railways, topographically, geologically, and tectonically, the project is full of challenges. Being hilly areas, the wind velocity can vary from time to time and the Indian Railways need to keep a close watch on the wind speed. Situated between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu, the bridge is a crucial link in the Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project. There are trained personnel being deployed to monitor and operate the structural health monitoring system of the bridge.
Apart from wind speed, the expert team at the control room also witnessed various other functions of the system, including wind direction, ambient air temperature, and loads at various sections of the bridge. Besides the world's highest bridge, India's longest tunnel (T-49) with a length of 12.77 km is also part of the Kashmir rail link project. Some globally renowned tunneling experts are involved in the tunneling works in the section.
Ahead of the regular train operation, the Railways also completed the testing and installation of overhead equipment (OHE) at 5.7 m height over the tracks.
