I've recently moved to Navi Mumbai and have been driving to Nariman Point on a daily basis via the BPT road, where MMRDA & Simplex are building the Eastern Freeway. I've been seeing the progress on a daily basis and had some questions regarding the process, if any one in the field could help me out, I'd appreciate it.

So as far as I know:
-They dig I big square hole and 4 circular hole near each corner
-Shove some bars in the middle of the square and first make a 1-2 foot concrete skirting for the bars (first layer of concrete)
-Then they put up the mould around the bare steel bars and pour in some more concrete and voila the pillar is done.

Correct?

There are a whole load of pillars along the road which are stuck around the 2nd point. With the concrete skirting done, but the mould not being put. Why? Is it necessary to wait for the concrete to set, or is it lack of funds etc? Is it possible to carry on working during the monsoons? I've always heard in the negative, but the way work is going on, it doesn't seem so.

Thanks

Have attached my brief, yet spectacular :), rendition of the pillar

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5158/flyover.th.gif (http://img35.imageshack.us/i/flyover.gif/)

My reply is below.

I've recently moved to Navi Mumbai and have been driving to Nariman Point on a daily basis via the BPT road, where MMRDA & Simplex are building the Eastern Freeway. I've been seeing the progress on a daily basis and had some questions regarding the process, if any one in the field could help me out, I'd appreciate it.

So as far as I know:
-They dig I big square hole This is the foundation.and 4 circular hole near each corner This are Piles. They are doing pile foundations.
-Shove some bars in the middle of the square and first make a 1-2 foot concrete skirting for the bars (first layer of concrete)
-Then they put up the mould around the bare steel bars and pour in some more concrete and voila the pillar is done.

Correct?

There are a whole load of pillars along the road which are stuck around the 2nd point. With the concrete skirting done, but the mould not being put. Why? Is it necessary to wait for the concrete to set Yes, after the concrete is poured, they need to wait for the concrete to gain strength. , or is it lack of funds etc? Is it possible to carry on working during the monsoons? Work can be carried all round year. I've always heard in the negative, but the way work is going on, it doesn't seem so. Bridge building is not a instant noodle. I suggest you google for words like, pile foundation, piers, pilecap, segmental bridges. Read these topics so that you get a rough idea. If you have spare time, then stop at the site when a major activity goes on, speak to a engineer, I am sure he will explain and clear your doubts.

Thanks

Have attached my brief, yet spectacular :), rendition of the pillar

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5158/flyover.th.gif (http://img35.imageshack.us/i/flyover.gif/)

I've recently moved to Navi Mumbai and have been driving to Nariman Point on a daily basis via the BPT road, where MMRDA & Simplex are building the Eastern Freeway. I've been seeing the progress on a daily basis and had some questions regarding the process, if any one in the field could help me out, I'd appreciate it.

So as far as I know:
-They dig I big square hole This is the foundation.and 4 circular hole near each corner This are Piles. They are doing pile foundations.
-Shove some bars in the middle of the square and first make a 1-2 foot concrete skirting for the bars (first layer of concrete)
-Then they put up the mould around the bare steel bars and pour in some more concrete and voila the pillar is done.

Correct?

There are a whole load of pillars along the road which are stuck around the 2nd point. With the concrete skirting done, but the mould not being put. Why? Is it necessary to wait for the concrete to set Yes, after the concrete is poured, they need to wait for the concrete to gain strength. , or is it lack of funds etc? Is it possible to carry on working during the monsoons? Work can be carried all round year. I've always heard in the negative, but the way work is going on, it doesn't seem so. Bridge building is not a instant noodle. I suggest you google for words like, pile foundation, piers, pilecap, segmental bridges. Read these topics so that you get a rough idea. If you have spare time, then stop at the site when a major activity goes on, speak to a engineer, I am sure he will explain and clear your doubts.

Thanks

Have attached my brief, yet spectacular :), rendition of the pillar

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5158/flyover.th.gif (http://img35.imageshack.us/i/flyover.gif/)

I've recently moved to Navi Mumbai and have been driving to Nariman Point on a daily basis via the BPT road, where MMRDA & Simplex are building the Eastern Freeway. I've been seeing the progress on a daily basis and had some questions regarding the process, if any one in the field could help me out, I'd appreciate it.

So as far as I know:
-They dig I big square hole This is the foundation.and 4 circular hole near each corner This are Piles. They are doing pile foundations.
-Shove some bars in the middle of the square and first make a 1-2 foot concrete skirting for the bars (first layer of concrete)
-Then they put up the mould around the bare steel bars and pour in some more concrete and voila the pillar is done.

Correct?

There are a whole load of pillars along the road which are stuck around the 2nd point. With the concrete skirting done, but the mould not being put. Why? Is it necessary to wait for the concrete to set Yes, after the concrete is poured, they need to wait for the concrete to gain strength. , or is it lack of funds etc? Is it possible to carry on working during the monsoons? Work can be carried all round year. I've always heard in the negative, but the way work is going on, it doesn't seem so. Bridge building is not a instant noodle. I suggest you google for words like, pile foundation, piers, pilecap, segmental bridges. Read these topics so that you get a rough idea. If you have spare time, then stop at the site when a major activity goes on, speak to a engineer, I am sure he will explain and clear your doubts.

^^
ur render seems quite interesting......firstly want to know whether ur from civil engneering background.....??

engineer at work has answered most of ur queries.......

I know this isn't related - but I was wondering how the HECK does one go about building such a beast???

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2HU3oRNPUI/Tawlz0kvceI/AAAAAAAAFuk/Bcd8PLkwO4Y/s1600/complex-freeway-image.jpg

^^ :nuts:

Do we really need such complex structures??

^^ we will eventually - our current 4-laner and 2-lane "workhorse" highways don't merit such complex interchanges - but with the increasing focus on 6- and 8-laning with many smart cities in the pipeline - i wouldn't doubt we'll start seeing some of such complex interchanges on our highways!!!

That - coupled with Indians are still being relatively unfamiliar with the concepts of "exits". Full fledged access controlled expressways merit such knowledge upgrades, and we have very few of these!!

I suspect the high density industrial corridors on Delhi-Gurgaon, Mumbai-Pune, Chennai-Bangalore, Bangalore-Hyderabad and DMIC would be the first to sprout these!!!

^^ Boil some noodles/spaghetti in a hot pan and keep aside. Bring a map of the roads intersecting at a point and pour the cool noodles over the map. Spread evenly connecting the roads and lo behold.... you got yourself a noodle interchange (if you are asian) (or spaghetti if you are western).

:cheers:

I know this isn't related - but I was wondering how the HECK does one go about building such a beast???

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2HU3oRNPUI/Tawlz0kvceI/AAAAAAAAFuk/Bcd8PLkwO4Y/s1600/complex-freeway-image.jpg

What's more interesting is whether the drive is really comfortable on each of the links?I mean were they able to manage all design parameters like gradient,banking,turning radius as per the standards? Normally space constraints makes such interchange designing one hell of a task.:nuts:

^^ you are not building all those structures all on a sudden... iam sure it might have built it phases.... You can expect our hebbal flyover to look much more complex than what u see today in another 25 years.....

But interesting thing is will there be a common structure which holds the weight of all those structures? Sorry if iam wrong as iam not an expert or an engineer....

What's more interesting is whether the drive is really comfortable on each of the links?I mean were they able to manage all design parameters like gradient,banking,turning radius as per the standards? Normally space constraints makes such interchange designing one hell of a task.:nuts:

I haven't driven on something as complex as this - closest I've seen is the Capital Beltway that surrounds Washington DC - and they've got the gradient right except for one exit that takes you to towards Baltimore Parkway - its frigging needle like narrow, the gradient feels like its a mountain slope and the exit curve is almost a U turn - its scary because you need to drop from 55 mph to 15 mph to navigate that nightmare!!

I know this isn't related - but I was wondering how the HECK does one go about building such a beast???

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2HU3oRNPUI/Tawlz0kvceI/AAAAAAAAFuk/Bcd8PLkwO4Y/s1600/complex-freeway-image.jpg

Haha...This is such a confusing mesh that there's a good chance that you might come across yourself trying to find the correct road to pick. There's a similar structure in delhi, if you travel from Karkarduma to Indraprastha. I'll check Google earth to see how the aerial shot of that baby looks like.

^^ you are not building all those structures all on a sudden... iam sure it might have built it phases.... You can expect our hebbal flyover to look much more complex than what u see today in another 25 years.....

Hebbal no chance,for that to happen Hebbal lake must vanish :)

I haven't driven on something as complex as this - closest I've seen is the Capital Beltway that surrounds Washington DC - and they've got the gradient right except for one exit that takes you to towards Baltimore Parkway - its frigging needle like narrow, the gradient feels like its a mountain slope and the exit curve is almost a U turn - its scary because you need to drop from 55 mph to 15 mph to navigate that nightmare!!

I am sure there would be many such accident traps in those complex interchanges :nuts:

Haha...This is such a confusing mesh that there's a good chance that you might come across yourself trying to find the correct road to pick. There's a similar structure in delhi, if you travel from Karkarduma to Indraprastha. I'll check Google earth to see how the aerial shot of that baby looks like.

Without a GPS - its nigh impossible!! At least for me !! Even with a GPS (the old top-down kind) I've missed an exit and had to hear the dreaded "Off Route!! Recalculating..." announcement on the GPS (recorded babe's voice isn't that hot either!! She sounds like a school teacher)- that literally means a half hour roundabout to come back to the exit if you're on the I-95!! :D

There are many such in Los Anageles area. You may not even realize you are in such a complex structure. You just need to follow the signs, exit no etc. Most difficult part is sometimes you have to change a couple of lanes(right or left) within few seconds. Thats when most of the accidents happen. If you have a GPS with lane guide then things are much easier :)

^^ Is that pic for real ? Some arms seem to bisect houses !

^^ Is that pic for real ? Some arms seem to bisect houses !

Looks like those are exits/entry to/from normal roads and not to the freeways. Looks real to me..

^^ Is that pic for real ? Some arms seem to bisect houses !

yes - a rare few do drop bang into a neighbourhood!

Pretty sure this will happen in India too - the Electronic city hosur road elevated highway in Bangalore has an arm that drops into electronic city throughfare i believe...

I know this isn't related - but I was wondering how the HECK does one go about building such a beast???

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2HU3oRNPUI/Tawlz0kvceI/AAAAAAAAFuk/Bcd8PLkwO4Y/s1600/complex-freeway-image.jpg
That pic is photoshopped. There is no freeway junction like that.
From the creator of the picture:
This concept stock photo uses an aerial view of a freeway interchange to illustrate concepts including connection, transportation, complexity, networking and challenge. The base photograph was taken from a helicopter over Oakland, California. The image was composited with Photoshop. I spent over two days painstakingly selecting sections of roadway, then copying pasting sizing and rotating the pieces to fit together an ever more complex puzzle. I also had to copy, paste and position each vehicle, car and truck, and then create appropriate shadows. I believe this complicated maze of on ramps, off ramps and merging roads is a great metaphor for many of today's important issues ranging from the Internet and world wide web, to social media, to communications and connections. Another topic that this picture is well suited to represent is bandwidth and the ensuing issues. These road ways can illustrate neuron pathways, fiber optics, copper wire and social networks. This must be the most complex freeway interchange ever created...though it was created as a new photographic reality and not a real one in the sense of concrete and steel. I have another similar image that takes this one a step further, one in which the earth has been essentially paved over with freeways and roads. Such an image takes the freeway symbology and metaphor in a whole different direction; environmental issues, global custodianship, and mother earth and home planet ecology issues. Heck, these images are just plane fun to look at as well! This cloverleaf can be used to illustrate issues dealing with infrastructure, transportation issues, new road building and construction techniques, and maintenance and repair of roadways. This picture has everything form overpasses and underpasses to merging traffic and freeway signage.
http://www.johnlund.com/page.asp?ID=892

^^phew!

^^Good work bro,akhir mein bhanda phod diya.Thanks for that :)

I was wondering how they had ramps over houses.

Though that image was the Harry Pregerson Interchange in LA. NVM - this is the actual interchange.

http://www.boostinspiration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/HarryPregersonInterchange.jpg

Anyone ever hope to something like this in india?

not this large but yes there are quite large interchanges in India as well.
The hebbel interchange in Bangalore, the interchanges for the bridges in Calcutta, the AIIMS interchange in Delhi are some that I know

^^ Yep - Hebbal Interchange would be a good contender:
I'm guessing a few more ramps - to easy movement towards Bangalore International Airport, and towards the city on both sides would make this even more gigantic. But I think for the moment - its doing a good enough job - so as not to warrant any more ramps. its still pretty straightforward as of now.

http://www.gammonindia.com/areas-of-specialisation/flyovers/hebbal-flyover.jpg

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/8599/kathipara.jpg

Once the Chennai Metro Rail flyovers pass on top of the current interchange, this could potentially be one of the exciting interchanges in India.

Look forward to the metro rail flyovers by end of 2012.

Hey anybody with more such Indian juncitons??

Vadodara to Ahmedabad

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/7438/screenshot20120314at803.png

Cross posting from Hyd outer ring road thread
Updated Imagery NH7 and ORR Junction

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/3723/orrnh7.jpg

This is the actual interchange that was photo-shopped. It is located in the San Francisco, California area in the USA.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=79419860

http://www.flickr.com/photos/csaulit/5053968273/sizes/l/in/photostream/

According to GE, the only really complex interchanges in India are in Calcutta (one on each end of Vidyasagar Setu, one on the Dakshineshwar end of the Nivedita bridge), the recently-posted cloverstack-trumped combination on Hyderabad's ORR, and at the end of Mehrauli-Badarpur Rd on NH2 near Delhi. Honorable mentions are at Dhaula Kuan AIIMS, and ISBT in Delhi, on Hyderabad's ORR at Patancheru on NH9, Bonglur on Nagarjuna Sagar Rd, and near SBI Colony on NH9, and near Chennai a the southern end of the Chennai Bypass. More are U/C.

Without a GPS - its nigh impossible!! At least for me !! Even with a GPS (the old top-down kind) I've missed an exit and had to hear the dreaded "Off Route!! Recalculating..." announcement on the GPS (recorded babe's voice isn't that hot either!! She sounds like a school teacher)- that literally means a half hour roundabout to come back to the exit if you're on the I-95!! :D

How do you think people drove before GPS?
Read the signs. It helps to know what''s around in the region and have a good sense of direction, i.e. ability to tell north from south. :lol:

One of my friends thought Richmond was right around the corner, as the beltway split into two directions, Baltimore, and Richmond. :lol:

I miss the days when drivers were navigators with map booklets or foldable maps on the lap.

That was Map Reading by the seat of your pants so as to speak.

GPS is dumbing down the lateral thought process in my most humblest opinion. Where they really belong , are in aircraft cockpits or the captains' bridge in ships where pinpoint accuracy is essential.

That said even before GPS came into cockpits, flying was all about reading maps/charts with constant references to waypoints and VOR stations .

Gone are those days... When aircraft navigators too had to carry sextants , as did their navigational brethren on sailing vessels

I have a interesting and kind of horror incident to share regarding this GPS . Once i was driving from New York City to Niagara falls with my full family onboard and i had to stop in Albany ,NY for a stopover and it was well past midnight ,my moron GPS took me in a scenic parkway (Taconic state park way ) thinking it as a shortest route , this route is designed for seeing deer and other wild animals and the road was damn curvy with no lights . Atleast 4 or 5 times i had to cross deer families . I had to drive close to 30 miles with absolute darkness in a forest kind of environment .I was praying to god to take me and my family safely to my destination :ohno:. After that incident i always carry a MAP to look for a alternative route :)

The one thing that I (personally) don't like is the FOV (field of view) of the GPS maps. Yes you can zoom in zoom out , but having a laid out map gives you a larger picture in terms of orientation. That larger spread is what you don't get in gadgets

Having said that, I'd always trust GARMIN GPS products if my life depended on it. They were and still are the pioneers in gps gadgetry for professionals (avia/maritime/mil) and sports-persons.

Tn2usa - good that you carry maps too :) Welcome to oldtimer mappers (haarf haarf haarf)