Construction of Rathoa Haryam Bridge Project at Mangla

Dam Mirpur, Azad Kashmir Pakistan

Project Members
Hussnain khalid 16107
Muhammad Waqas Ghumman
16119
Waleed Arif 16111
Muhammad Mohsin Farooqi 16114

Project Advisor
Engr.Qasim Riaz

Superior College
Lahore
(Engineering &Technology Campus)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been possible
without the kind support and help of many individuals and organizations. We
would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of them.

We would like to express my gratitude towards our parents & member of “The
Superior university ’’for their kind co-operation and encouragement which help
us in completion of this project.

We are highly indebted to Engr.Qasim Riaz for his guidance and constant
supervision as well as for providing necessary information regarding the project
& also for their support in completing the project.

We thanks and appreciations also go to our colleague in developing the project

and people who have willingly helped us out with their abilities.

PREFACE
The first bridges appeared in nature by themselves. A log could fall across a stream and form
a natural bridge or stones could fall into a river from a nearby cliff. When humans started
building bridges, they built them in simple form out of cut wooden logs or planks, stones, with
a simple support and crossbeam arrangement, sometimes with use of natural fibers woven
together to hold materials. One of the oldest arch bridges in existence is Arkadiko Bridge in
the Peloponnese, Greece. It dates from 13th century BC.
Ancient Romans were the greatest bridge builders of ancient times. They built arch bridges and
aqueducts some of which still stand today. They also used cement which consisted of water,
lime, sand, and volcanic rock. Some of their most beautiful bridges were built over ravines
while others were built over rivers where no rock or island emerges from the water to carry the
piers.
Indians also built bridges, which is documented in their ancient text the Arthashastra which
was written between 4th and 3rd century BC. They used plaited bamboo and iron chain as
materials.
The Chinese oldest surviving stone bridge is the Zhao Zhou Bridge. It was built from 595 to
605 AD during the Sui Dynasty. It is also it the world's oldest stone segmental arch bridge built
with open spandrels.
The Iron Bridge, built in Coalbrookdale, England in 1779, was one of the engineering marvels
of the time because it used cast iron for the first time.
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles without closing the way underneath such
as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle.
There are many different designs that each serve a particular purpose and apply to different
situations. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of the
terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds
available to build it.
Bridges are immensely important. Bridges allow safe passage where previously it was not
possible or much more difficult. Bridges allow you go to school, seek medical help and go to
work without having to negotiate a busy road, a dangerous railway line or a fast flowing river.
The charity, Bridges to Prosperity have been building bridges in rural areas around the world,
which help to move these local communities out of poverty. The charity says that improving
safe infrastructure is interwoven with poverty reduction.
Bridges also allow people and communities to connect together, allowing better understanding
of different people's beliefs and cultures. This has helped made us more accepting and there is
less prejudice, violence and war in the world because of this. Maybe one day we'll soar
over buildings on hover boards or teleport through space and time, but until then bridges have
their importance.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CH No Description Page
No

1 History Of Project

2 Planning for Bridge Construction

3 Introduction Of Project

4 Key Map

5 Index Map

6 Layout Map

7 Project Drawings

8 Bill Of Quantity

9 Bar Bending Schedule

10 Material Testing Reports

11 Executive Summary

12 Project pictures
History of Project
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles without closing the way underneath
such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle.
There are many different designs that each serve a particular purpose and apply to different
situations. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of
the terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, the material used to make it, and the
funds available to build it. The world having a different structural and different material bridges
but we should that explain any two most wonderful bridges of world.

Golden gate bridge:-

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the
one-mile-wide (1.6 km) strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
The structure links the American city of San Francisco, California – the northern tip of the San
Francisco Peninsula – to Marin County, carrying both U.S. Route 101 and California State
Route 1 across the strait. The bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of
San Francisco, California, and the United States. It has been declared one of the Wonders of
the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The Former’s travel guide describes the Golden Gate Bridge as "possibly the most beautiful,
certainly the most photographed bridge in the world. At the time of its opening in 1937, it was
both the longest and the tallest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of 4,200 feet
(1,280 m) and a total height of 746 feet (227 m).

Fig.1 Golden Gate Bridge

Joseph Strauss:-
Following decades of public calls to connect the burgeoning metropolis of San
Francisco to its neighbors across the mile-wide Golden Gate, city engineer Michael
O’Shaughnessy in 1919 was charged with finding someone capable of constructing
a bridge at a reasonable cost.
The job went to a Chicago-based engineer named Joseph Strauss, a drawbridge
builder who believed he could complete the grand-scale project for a modest $25 to
$30 million. After submitting his sketches for a cantilever-suspension hybrid span
in June 1921, Strauss set about convincing the communities on the northern end of
the strait that the bridge would be to their benefit.
The project gained momentum in May 1923 when the state legislature passed the Golden Gate
Bridge and Highway District Act of California for the purpose of planning, designing and financing
construction. By August 1925, the people of Marin, Sonoma, Del Norte and parts of Napa and
Mendocino counties had agreed to join the district and offer their homes and businesses as
collateral for securing funds.

International Orange:-
Despite the economic promises touted by its supporters, the project met fierce resistance from an
array of business and civic leaders.

Not only would the bridge impede the shipping industry and mar the bay’s natural beauty, they
argued, it wouldn’t survive a temblor like the San Francisco Earthquake that crippled the city in
1906. Years of litigation followed as opponents sought to block the formation of the district.

Meanwhile the bridge’s famed design took shape through the efforts of Strauss’s talented team.
Leon S. Moisseiff submitted a plan that scrapped the original hybrid design in favor of a suspension
span capable of moving more than two feet laterally to withstand strong winds.

Irving F. Morrow conceptualized the art deco towers, and later decided on a paint color he dubbed
“International Orange.” Charles Ellis worked out the complex engineering equations as the primary
structural designer, though he was fired before construction began and didn’t receive proper credit
until many years later.

Amadeo Giannini:-
In November 1930, a measure passed to allow for the issuance of $35 million in bonds to pay for the
project. However, the Bridge and Highway District struggled to find a financial backer amid the
difficulties of the Great Depression, a problem exacerbated by years of expensive legal proceedings.

Desperate, Strauss personally sought help from Bank of America President Amadeo Giannini, who
provided a crucial boost by agreeing to buy $6 million in bonds in 1932.

Construction commenced on January 5, 1933, with the excavation of 3.25 million cubic feet of dirt to
establish the bridge’s 12-story-tall anchorages. The crew consisted of virtually anyone capable of
withstanding the physical rigors of the job, as out-of-work cab drivers, farmers, clerks lined up for
the chance to earn steady wages as ironworkers and cement mixers.
The attempt to build what would be the first bridge support in the open ocean proved an immense
challenge. As a 1,100-foot trestle extended off the San Francisco side, divers plunged to depths of 90
feet through strong currents to blast away rock and remove detonation debris.

The trestle was damaged when it was struck by a ship in August 1933 and again amid a powerful
storm late in the year, setting construction back five months.

Structural Description:-
Strauss was chief engineer in charge of overall design and construction of the bridge project.
However, because he had little understanding or experience with cable-suspension
designs responsibility for much of the engineering and architecture fell on other experts.
Strauss's initial design proposal (two double cantilever spans linked by a central suspension
segment) was unacceptable from a visual standpoint. The final graceful suspension design was
conceived and championed by Leon Moisseiff, the engineer of the Manhattan Bridge in New
York City.

Irving Morrow, a relatively unknown residential architect, designed the overall shape of the
bridge towers, the lighting scheme, and Deco elements, such as the tower decorations,
streetlights, railing, and walkways. The famous International Orange color was originally used
as a sealant for the bridge. The US Navy had wanted it to be painted with black and yellow
stripes to ensure visibility by passing ships.

Senior engineer Charles Alton Ellis, collaborating remotely with Moisseiff, was the principal
engineer of the project. Moisseiff produced the basic structural design, introducing his
"deflection theory" by which a thin, flexible roadway would flex in the wind, greatly reducing
stress by transmitting forces via suspension cables to the bridge towers. Although the Golden
Gate Bridge design has proved sound, a later Moisseiff design, the original Tacoma Narrows
Bridge, collapsed in a strong windstorm soon after it was completed, because of an
unexpected aero elastic flutter. Ellis was also tasked with designing a "bridge within a bridge"
in the southern abutment, to avoid the need to demolish Fort Point, a pre–Civil War masonry
fortification viewed, even then, as worthy of historic preservation. He penned a graceful steel
arch spanning the fort and carrying the roadway to the bridge's southern anchorage.
 South tower see from

Ellis was a Greek scholar and mathematician who at one time was a University of Illinois
professor of engineering despite having no engineering degree. He eventually earned a degree
in civil engineering from the University of Illinois prior to designing the Golden Gate Bridge
and spent the last twelve years of his career as a professor at Purdue University. He became an
expert in structural design, writing the standard textbook of the time. Ellis did much of the
technical and theoretical work that built the bridge, but he received none of the credit in his
lifetime. In November 1931, Strauss fired Ellis and replaced him with a former subordinate,
Clifford Paine, ostensibly for wasting too much money sending telegrams back and forth to
Moisseiff. Ellis, obsessed with the project and unable to find work elsewhere during the
Depression, continued working 70 hours per week on an unpaid basis, eventually turning in ten
volumes of hand calculations.

With an eye toward self-promotion and posterity, Strauss downplayed the contributions of his
collaborators who, despite receiving little recognition or compensation, are largely responsible
for the final form of the bridge. He succeeded in having himself credited as the person most
responsible for the design and vision of the bridge. Only much later were the contributions of
the others on the design team properly appreciated. In May 2007, the Golden Gate Bridge
District issued a formal report on 70 years of stewardship of the famous bridge and decided to
give Ellis major credit for the design of the bridge.
 Fig.2 design of golden gate bridge

Technical terms and general information of bridge

Coordinates 37 49 11 N 112 28 43 W

Carries 6 lanes of US pedestrian and bicycle

Crosses Golden Gate

Locale California and Marin country U.S

Official name Golden gate bridge

Maintained by Golden gate bridge. Highway & transport

district

Design Art deco , suspension truss arch

Material Steel

Total length 8981 ft (2737.4 m)

Width 90 ft (27.4 m)
 Height 746 ft (227.4 m)

Longest span 4200 ft (1280m)

Architect Irving Morrow

Designed by Joseph Strauss and Charles Ellis

Construction start January 5 , 1933

Construction ending April 19 , 1937

Opened May 27 , 1937 81 year ago

1.2- Hangzhou Bay Bridge:-

Hangzhou Bay Bridge is a highway bridge with a cable-stayed portion
across Hangzhou Bay in the eastern coastal region of China. It connects the municipalities
of Jinxing and Ningbo in Zhejiang province.

Construction of the bridge was completed on June 14, 2007, and an opening ceremony was
held on June 26, 2007. The bridge was opened to public May 1, 2008, after a considerable
period of testing and evaluation. The bridge shortened the highway travel distance between
Ningbo and Shanghai from 400 km (249 mi) to 180 km (112 mi) and reduced travel time from
4 to 2 hours. At 35.673 km (22 mi) in length, Hangzhou Bay Bridge was among the ten longest
trans-oceanic bridges.
 Fig.3 Hangzhou bay bridge

The bridge across the Hangzhou Bay was the subject of various feasibility studies for over a
decade before the final plans were approved in 2003. An earlier plan placed the bridge further
east, closer to the mouth of the bay, which provided an even shorter travel distance between
Ningbo and Shanghai. Under this plan, the bridge would begin in the north from Jinzhou, a
suburb of Shanghai. The government of Shanghai rejected the plan and focused on building
the 32.5 km (20 mi)-long Donghai Bridge from Shanghai to its off-shore port at Yangchuan in
the mouth of the bay. The Shanghai government sought to feature Yangchuan as the chief port
on China's east coast and refused to allow a cross-bay bridge to be built on its territory, which
would improve access to the Port of Ningbo at Belin.

The Zhejiang Provincial Government was forced to build the bridge further to the west on
entirely Zhejiang territory. The Hangzhou Bay Bridge connects Cixi, a local-level city that is
part of Ningbo Municipality, with Hainan, a county in Jinxing Municipality. The Hangzhou
Bay Bridge has significantly shortened driving distance between Ningbo and the Yangtze River
Delta region and improved the competitiveness of the Beeline Port.

Contractors:-
China Railway Bridge Bureau Group Co. Ltd. was the main contractor for the project. The
contract for consulting and engineering services was awarded to Hardesty & Hanover, LLP.
ICE participated in the project by the use of three ICE V360 tandem vibratory pile drivers to
produce the foundations for the bridge in the middle of Hangzhou Bay. Ty Lin International
was the designer of the bridge. Ben C Gerwick provided ship impact protection systems for the
bridge.
Construction challenges:-
One major challenge faced by the project was the eruption of natural gas in a shallow layer
along the bridge line. A special study was conducted and exploration was performed to
investigate the distribution of the gas and the property of the soil during and after releasing the
gas. The gas was released before pile driving to avoid any disturbance to the soil, collapsing of
ground or eruption and flaming of gas.
Mostly, construction activity was performed on land and then the prefabricated components were
transported to the site for erection and final installation. For shipping and erecting the girders in sea,
giant floating cranes with accurate anchoring devices and launching gantries were used.
Construction on mudflats near the south shore, in an alternating wet and dry tidal area, presented
serious technical problems. A temporary 10km trestle was erected for pile driving and pier
construction. Girders weighing 1,430t were erected from the top, starting from the land end and
launching towards the sea. Each previously erected span served as the deck for transportation and
erection of the next girders as the launching gantry moved forward.

Also, severe marine conditions caused difficulties in anchoring barges and construction vessels.
Under turbulent tidal flow and typhoon influences, water flow currents were in the range of 2m/s to
3.32m/s at the Hangzhou Bay Bridge sites. The floating cranes could safely transport the 2,000t
girder from the shore to the site and then anchor stably to erect and install the precast concrete box
girder.

Global positioning system:-

Trimble provided Global Positioning Systems for the monitoring of the construction. The
project required precise positioning for the bridge span off the coast. By using the Trimble
5700 RTK GPS systems with a reference station for differential corrections, accuracy was
improved at longer distances enhancing the productivity.
A total of 50 5700 RTK GPS systems were set up where the bridge crosses the Bay of
Hangzhou and additional systems were located on barges in order to provide millimetre
accuracy for the real-time positioning of piles and pre-fabricated sections of the bridge.
Auxiliary facilities and structures:-
At the middle of the bridge, a 10,000m² service island is planned for drivers to rest and enjoy
a full range of services, including hotels, restaurants, petrol stations and a viewing tower. It is
also expected the service island will become a tourist destination for watching the Qiantang
River Tide. The service island will be built entirely on piers to avoid disrupting the tide. Two
public parks are also planned on each side of the bridge.
The bridge required the installation of traffic safety devices, monitoring systems,
communications equipment, toll plazas, power supply, lighting and maintenance and office
buildings.
1.2.1- Structural description:-

The Hangzhou Bay Bridge is of the cable stayed bridge form. This form was
chosen for this project because of the strength of the cable stayed bridge in adverse conditions.
The bridge was constructed in the Qiantang River and Yangtze River Deltas and Hangzhou
Bay, which all experience some of the highest tidal bore forces on the planet. The location of
the bridge is also prone to earthquakes, as well as extremely high winds during typhoon season.
The bridge form and construction material selections were based on strength against all the
different forces the bridge would face.

Many bridges use concrete piles to support the deck but the Hangzhou Bay
Bridge took a different approach and used steel piles. This choice was made based on the fact
that the steel piles would be much stronger against corrosion from the extremely high tidal
forces in the bay. Using the steel piles instead of the concrete piles also made the bridge far
more constructible especially in the extremely difficult working conditions that they would be
facing. It is not strange to see waves in the bay reaching 25 feet tall. In these conditions it would
be almost impossible to construct the bridge without the use of some new construction
technology and vehicles. During the construction of the bridge two massive cranes were used,
one being 2,200 tons and the other being 3,000 tons. These heavy duty cranes were used to
transport massive girders from the shore to the part of the bridge where they would then lift it
and put it into place. The steel piles used were also transported using these cranes.

The load paths in this structure are somewhat easy to follow. The gravity load
on the bridge as well as the rest of the loading on the deck such as cars are the easiest to follow
which is further explained in the qualification as structural art section. The loads on the bridge
due to the extreme tides are somewhat difficult to read, but they are clearly accounted for. The
steel piles are the structural supports that resist the tidal loads. The piles are driven deep into
the sea bed to reduce the movement on them. Having a small moment or force causing bending
in the piles keeps the bridge upright. The steel is extremely strong against corrosion and are
therefore the best material that could have been used in the piles.

When looking at the loading due to wind loads on the bridge the main portion that is important
to analyze is the main spans. Because the two main spans are relative short the wind loading is
insignificant. The wind loads however would be accounted for due to the outward bend of the
towers that support the tension cables. This theory of widening the bottom of towers was first
used by Gustav Eiffel when constructing the Eiffel Tower. The bent shape is very good at
transferring the wind load to the base supports of the structure.

Fig.4 structure of Hangzhou bay bridge

General terms and some characteristics of bridge

Coordinates 30 27 N 121 08 E

Carries Six lanes

 Crosses Hangzhou Bay

Design Stayed-cable bridge

Total length 35.673 km (22mi)

Longest span 448m, (1470 ft)

Construction start June 8 , 2003

Construction end June 14 , 2007

Opened May 1 , 2008

Planning for Bridge Construction including Sequence and Steps of Planning:-

Planning for bridge construction is required as it has huge impact on life of people. Social,
scientific and technological dimensions for bridge construction must be considered.
The decision of providing a bridge across any barrier is to facilitate the community residing
on either side of the project. Some major bridges bring benefits to the whole country; for
example, the bridges constructed across the river Ganga or the Brahmaputra in India.
Another example is the Honshu-shikoku connection, that has bridges across many islands in
Japan. This unique structure construction also benefits more than one country, as in the
case of the Oresund link, that is constructed across the Baltic ocean.
Three Dimensions of Planning for Bridge Construction
There are three dimensions that are involved in the planning of any mega project like a
bridge. This is considered as an initial step towards the planning of structures, that would
finally bring up with a project that would be advantageous to the community in all aspects.
The three dimensions are:
Scientific Dimension
Social Dimension
Technological Dimension
Scientific Dimensions for Bridge Construction
There exist certain laws for nature, based on which every structure constructed must
perform. Scientists explain these natural forms and the existence of these laws with the help
of certain inter-relations between certain elements.
In one or the other form, the scientists or the engineers make use of pre-existing
technologies in nature, that the only difference is the method they used to undergo.
Various scientific developments that are made by the engineers based on these; like
bringing different alternative materials by chemical analysis, physics – to observe and
analyze the dynamic behavior of the structure; Mathematics – used to analyze and
determine the forces and the stresses. Hence efficient structures are evolved with the help
of the scientific dimension.
Social Dimension for Bridge Construction
Enhancement of quality of life of the people, are greatly facilitated by the bridge
construction. These structures improve the mobility of people as well as the material. This
dimension helps to realize the pros and cons of such construction and their related
precautions.
Such a huge construction brings changes to the society and the people, but also bring
adverse changes to the environment. It is not only required for the bridges to satisfy the
need of mobility and the future demands but also must satisfy the problems related to
noise, pollution, during and after construction.
As the structure is the for the welfare of the whole community, the people are also
committed and responsible for bringing their contribution to this welfare in the form of
taxes, levies or in the forms of tolls. This would help in looking the construction as a cost
benefited work and as a means of economic development.
The above considerations come under the social dimension. There are also chances for the
incorporation of political dimension with the social dimension. This arises in the situation of
choice of location or the facility, or in prioritizing the needs for the welfare of the economy.
The social dimension has a direct close connection with the scientific and the technological
dimension.
Technological Dimensions for Bridge Construction
There have been many technological developments over decades in the field of new
structures, methods of construction and materials, as an alternative for rare ones and in
bringing new machinery that works over human workers.
This technology has helped in bringing and refining alternatives in the bridge construction.
Now instead of bricks, steel, cement etc., construction are carried out by glass fibers, carbon
fibers etc.
Going through such innovations in technologies, the first FRP material constructed bridge
was in China in the year 1982. It composed of five box girders with a clear span of 20.4m.
The development of carbon fiber reinforced polymer i.e. CFRP cables, that gain a strength of
3300Mpa and modulus of elasticity of 165GPa, was also made. The Winterthur Bridge in
Switzerland, make use of such cables. Two cables out of twenty-two are made of this
material.
The steel is available with higher capabilities, like high strength varying from 60MPa to
100MPa, that have remarkable ductility and corrosion resistance. These had led to the new
construction choices in arches, cable supported structures, slender structures and longer
spans.
The accurate behavior of structures is clearly analyzed with the help of new techniques of
scale models, computers for huge analysis and aerodynamic studies.
With the development of new heavy vehicles with huge capacities, the engineers are forced
to construct the bridges with higher capacity. This will influence the strength and the
dimensions of the bridge and affect the maintenance related to the same.
All these bring up a higher impact on the environment, in the form of air pollution, higher
depletion of natural resources. These massive structures make use of huge amount of
concrete, which in turn make use of aggregates from nature.
When it comes to the concern of a structural engineer, the scientific dimension comes to be
the primary criteria. But he must balance with the other two dimensions i.e. the social and
the technological dimension.
This concludes that he must evolve a structure that is acceptable socially at the same time
economic, durable and efficient. This depends on how he chooses the technological
dimension, which must be conducted at the conceptual stage of the project.
Planning Sequence for Bridge Construction
The planning sequence for the construction of a new highway or a railway project is a major
part of the project planning. Based on the complexity of the barrier across which the bridge
must be constructed, the detailing of the project planning increases, because more
investigation must be carried out. In general, the major steps that are involved in the
planning for the construction of a new project is mentioned below:
Identifying the need for the bridge
Assessment of traffic possible and required in the area proposed to construct the bridge
Study the location
Study of all possible alternatives
Refining and short listing all possible alternatives
Identifying conceptual plans for the alternatives. This involves finding the materials, the
arrangement of the span and the form.
Preliminary design and the cost estimation
Evaluating the alternatives, its risk and the final choice of decision
Resource source identification by detailed surveying
Implementation with the help of bidding documents. This is followed by carrying out by
fixing the agency, the construction details, and their commissioning.
Different Stages of Planning in Bridge Construction
The major steps that are involved in the planning for bridge construction are:
1. Study on Need for Bridge
2. Traffic Assessment
3. Location study
4. Reconnaissance Study
a) Study of alternatives
b) Feasible alternative study
5. Preliminary Engineering
a) Developing plans
b) Preliminary design and costing
c) Evaluation of alternatives, risk analysis, and final choice
6. Detailed Project Report
7. Implementation
A brief idea on each stage is explained in the following section.
1. Study on need for Bridge
The decision of having a new bridge in an area is taken as a part of development of the
society. This facilitates the feasibility of linking the cities and towns, which gain more
importance in the overall growth of a nation. Their need is studied based on the socio-
economic viabilities.
2. Traffic Assessment for Bridge Construction
An assessment of the traffic type and its quantum is necessary to decide the following
factors:
Number of lanes on the road or the railway tracks
The geometric design parameters
Benefits acquired by the society
The data collection for this must be done carefully so that a proper idea on how the traffic
pattern, the growth strategies such as agricultural, industrial as well commercial
developments are influenced. The bridge construction has a huge investment at the initial
stages. Once completed, a small variation or renovation is not recommended.
So, it is advised to bring a design that considers the future capacity requirements and traffic
factors. The traffic assessment study should be considered the following factors into
consideration. This mainly is carried out with the help of a traffic planner or an Economist.
The traffic composition, in terms of light and the heavy vehicles
The maximum and the minimum speed requirements
The annual growth rate and their variations
The design life of the bridge
3. Location Study for Bridge Construction
While having a location study and fixing the location of the bridge, it is very essential to
consider the need and the location of cross drainage works if any. The cross-drainage work
is said to have 15 to 20 % of the overall project cost if it must be implemented. Hence
before choosing the alignment for bridge construction, it is necessary to determine all the
possible CD works and its effect. The following factors are considered reliable in fixing the
location of the bridge.
Location chosen over a stream with no bends or meanders. It will be straight in reach.
A stream with no branches or tributaries
The location being confined with properly defined banks
If the bridge or the culvert is with the road approach, on either side having maximum extent
If the crossing is normal to the alignment of the road and angle of skew is necessary, limit it.
Other than the above-specified conditions, the major river crossings of the bridge
construction should satisfy the following conditions:
a) River regime
The river upstream must be straight. If there is bend in the downstream, it must be avoided.
The river in the reach must be free from whirls, excess current due to eddies. The channel in
reach must is narrow and well defined. The river regime should have inerodable banks that
are firm. If there are no inerodable banks, over gorging, guide banks in dry locations also
must be provided.
b) Approaches
During floods, the approaches must be secure from flood attacks or any major spills. High
expensive approach construction must be avoided. It is recommended to pass through built-
up areas, or high hills or through major basin or religious structures.
The approaches have a reasonable proximity to the main road. It should not let construction
of costly connecting link.
The ideal approach will avoid the construction under water that is highly costly and
uneconomical. They should help in a way to bring lesser maintenance to the whole system,
hence increasing the life period of the bridges.
4. Reconnaissance Survey for Bridge Construction
This is a pre-feasibility study, which studies the entire reach of the river, that must be
crossed; to find out best and suitable position for bridge location. The factors each site
satisfies are taken as lists and each is analyzed individually, from which the best
consideration is chosen.
The final number of feasible sites must be refined down to three or four, this can be done
only by going in detail of each site and refining the most suitable ones.
During this stage, maps are used to locate theses feasible sites. The direct assessment of the
site is made to understand the location features (local criteria), studying the existing and
growth of traffic with the help of surveys, knowing information from the people residing,
simple routes and short cuts in the area, river flow and its spread are also studied.
A feasibility study on the economy of cost, the duration of construction, the sources of
resources are also assessed. Now the whole information is gathered and a comparison is
made. Based on the discussion and refinement, the best feasible site for implementation is
chosen.
5. Preliminary Engineering for Bridge Construction
This stage of planning can be called as a techno-economic feasibility study. Here, the
technical details related to the bridge construction is studied in a detailed manner, to bring
all possible alternatives to proceed the construction.
Mainly it is found that the total cost of the project is plus or minus 15% of the cost that is
estimated at this stage of planning. To process the technical study, minimum level of field
study and measurements, the location study, and related parameters must be done.
This study carried out at the bridge construction site should bring the following tabulated
content details:
The total length of the bridge
The length of approaches
If detours are present, their respective savings
The anticipated volume of traffic
The distance to the nearby city or town from the site
Expected bridge project period
The nature of stream flowing into the site
The nature and behavior of soil strata for foundation
The construction problems existing with bridges or approaches
Maintenance for the bridges or approaches if any
The internal rate of return or the cost benefit ratio
The impact on the environment
For each element that is noted, must be assigned with a certain amount of scoring and
weightage, that would finally help in choosing the best site.
7. Detailed Project Report of Bridge Construction Planning
This stage is the final stage of planning in the bridge construction, before the
commencement of the construction work. Full investigation from the roots is taken and
documented. The investigations conducted are:
Ground survey
Soil exploration- foundation details
Hydrological data
Model studies and analysis

Introduction of Project
MIRPUR (AJK):
Construction work on Mirpur-Islamgarh bridge over Mangla Dam has commenced, following a
formal approval of the billion-rupee project by the government, official sources said.

Sources close to Mangla Dam affairs told The Express Tribune on Friday that the government has
allocated Rs270 million for the first phase of the bridge.

The project is said to cost an estimated Rs1.39 billion. Experts have said that at 7,181 metres long,
the bridge between Mirpur city and Islamgarh will be Asia’s longest.

The project is targeted to be completed within three years, the source said.

The bridge will not only reduce the road link between Mirpur city and Islamgarh town to an
unprecedented level, but will also reduce travelling time for commuters between district
headquarters of Mirpur and Kotli, as well as between Mirpur and Dadayal sub-division.

The bridge will also open new vistas for the promotion of tourism in the region, the source added.

Official sources indicated that the implementation of a development package for the resettlement of
people affected by the construction of the Mangla dam raising project has been geared up.

They added that payment of compensation to the old and new Mangla dam affectees has almost
been completed and a total of Rs56 billion have thus far been spent on resettlement and
rehabilitation of the affected families.

Rathoa Haryam Bridge Mirpur also known as Islamgarh Bridge is a long bridge under
construction in the Mirpur district of Azad Jammu Kashmir in Pakistan.
 Fig.5 (construction site)

AZAD JAMMU & KASHMIR Rathoa Haryam Bridge: Length 5 km Long. Experts have said
that 5 kilometers long, the bridge between Mirpur city and Islamgarh.

Construction of Rathoa-Haryam Bridge Across Reservoir Channel on Mirpur-lslamgarh Road

Mirpur (AJ&K)
Azad Govt. Of Jammu & Kashmir has been successful in convincing Govt, of Pakistan to fund
for the construction of Rathoa-Haryam Bridge across Reservoir Channel on Mirpur Isiamgarh
Road. The Bridge along with its approaches over Mangla Dam Reservoir will provide a link
between Mirpur City with Isiamgarh Town to have quick and direct access to Mirpur City.
Work on approaches is in progress. Main Bridge which is 2975m long and is simply supported
1 girder concrete Bridge, is to be constructed. 1) Office of the Project Director invites
applications for pre-qualification of Firms/Contractors for above mentioned project. 2)
Firms/Contractors having experience of similar type of works with reasonable no of works
completed and in hand, during the last five to ten years (National/International) and are
registered with Pakistan Engineering Council in No Limit for the year 2010 are eligible for pre-
qualification. Further information may be obtained from the office of the undersigned on any
working day during office hours.3) A complete set of pre-qualification document/questionnaire
may be purchased by the interested contractors on submission of written application to the
address given below upon payments of nonrefundable fee of Rs 5000/- (Rs. Five thousand
only) in the form of Bank Draft or Pay Order in favour of Project Director during working day
from 800 hours to 1600 hours on or before 12-05-2010.
4) Applications for the pre-qualification duly completed and supported with documentary
evidence should be submitted in sealed envelope and delivered to address given below. 5) The
firm/contractor supplying unsubstantiated and wrong information are liable to legal action and
disqualification. 6) Only those firms will be given weightage which are involved directly in
similar type of construction work (Bridges) firms with J/V will be entertained as separate firms.
7) Competent authority reserves the right to reject any or all applications without assigning any
reason thereof.

The bridge will also open new vistas for the promotion of tourism in the region, the source
added.

The bridge has 67 pier.

It has more the 56 spans.

It has 276 girders.

Each girder is 48m long.

Each girders weight 120 tons

Kashmir's Longest Bridge in Mirpur Pakistan is now nearing completion (June-2017) with the
final 2 pillars left. This is simulated design of how the final bridge will look like. The Haryam
Rathoa Bridge is over 5km Long and Spans the Mangla Dam in Azad Kashmir and has a
suspension Bridge too.
Current Status

 All the geotechnical investigations are completed.

 Foundation Works: 38 piles are remaining on gird E and H. Pilecaps at Grids D, E and
H, I are remaining.

 Piers: 12 piers are remaining out of 67 piers.

 Transom: 14 Transoms are remaining out of 65 transom

 Precasting and Erection of Girders: 100 girder are casted in site out of which 38 girder
have been launched.

 Deck Slab & Diaphragms: Deck slab and diaphragms of 9 girds have been completed.

 The variation order is in progress. Steel structure for Zone-III is proposed and it is being
designed by AA Associates kharchi.

Issues & Problems

  Our project is water constraint project. We get limited dry season. Water level increases
in reservoir hand because flooding.

 Minor rain stops all the activities. There is too much slush during rainy season.

 Zone-III foundation work is not possible at Grids F and G. So steel bridge is proposed
in Zone-III of the bridge.

 Girder launching is big problem because the in-situ casted girders are not easier to
launch. Company have hired launching parties to launch the girders.

Report:::

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has
directed the officers and department concerned to overcome the issues and problems regarding
completion of ongoing PSDP projects .He was chairing a high level meeting here in Islamabad
to review the overall progress of ongoing PSDP projects in AJK.Secretary ministry of Kashmir
affairs Tariq Mehmood Pasha ,Additional secretary Kashmir affairs, Additional chief secretary
government of Azad Kashmir ,officers and projects directors of concerned departments and
projects also attended the meeting. The progress on 48 mw Jagron Hydro power project, Rathoa
Haryam Bridge, Mir Waiz Muhammad Farooq Shaheed medical college Muzaffarabad and
medical college of Mirpur were especially taken in to consideration. The minister expressed
his deep reservation on inordinate delay in completion of these projects. The authorities
concerned briefed the minister in detail regarding issues and problems in early completion of
Jagron hydro power project. The minister was informed that overall 39 percent work has been
completed on the project and the comprehensive strategy has been chalked out to complete this
project at its earliest. The minister said that his ministry would extend all out support to
complete this project as soon as possible. The minister was also briefed regarding issues
confronting the completion of Rathoa Haryam Bridge and expressed his displeasure over
excessive delay in completion of this project. The authorities and projects director briefed the
minister regarding financial and technical issues on fixing of 160 m long steel fixture on the
bridge. The minister directed the authorities concerned to come up with solution within seven
days, and no further delay in this regard would be tolerated. Issues related to construction of
two medical colleges in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur were also briefed to the minister. The
Minister, directed that timely release of funds to both projects may be ensured. He also directed
officials of both medical colleges to furnished the requests for 50 self-finance seats for both
the medical colleges. He assured that his ministry would extend all out support and facilitations
in settling the issues regarding completion of all ongoing PSDP projects.

Introduction of the company

Xinjiang Beixin Road & Bridge Group Co., Ltd was founded in August 7, 2001. (Stock code
is 002307 and Beixin Road & Bridge is an abbreviation for the Xinjaing Beixin Road & Bridge
Construction Co., LTD). Taking road and bridge construction as its main business, Beixin Road
& Bridge is listed company, the registered capital of which is 428, 713, 200 RMB, and wholly
owned by Xinjaing Production and Construction Corps of China Construction Engineering
(Group) Co., Ltd.

There are more than 1300 employees, including over 70% administrative staff and professional
and technical staff, plus more than 1000 sets of domestic and international advanced machinery
equipments. Beixin Road & Bridge is qualified as the first class general contracting of highway
construction, the first class professional contracting of highway subgrade engineering, the first
class professional contracting of bridge engineering.

Beixin Road and Bridge has participated in projects of more than ten Provinces at home and
five countries abroad including Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Algeria and Mongolia in
succession. The rate of contact compliance is 100% and the quality pass rate of project is 100%.
The corporation has earned itself more than fifty industrial and social awards including China
Zhan Tianyou Civil Engineering Award, National Municipal Public Work Golden Cup
Demonstration Engineering Awards, National Labor Award, National Civilized Unit, National
Customer Satisfaction Construction Enterprise etc, in addition to AAA Credits Enterprise
awarded by Bank of China and the national – level unit of “Observing Contracts and Keeping
Promises”.

Currently, Beixin has become the largest road and bridge construction enterprise in Xinjiang
with the most competitive strength in northwest China. It is striding forward a large – scale
road and bridge construction group company!
Key Map
Index Map
Layout Map
Project Drawings
Executive summary
Sr. Description Detail
no

1 Name of client PWD

2 Name of company Beixin Road & Bridge const. company

3 Name of consultant NESSPAK

4 Project starting date June , 2012

5 Project ending date 2019 (with extending 3 years)

6 Project duration 4 year, extending more 3 year= 7 year

7 Status of project Under construction

8 Project cost 5 Billion PKR.

9 Minimum dia of Reinforced 10mm

10 Maximum dia of Reinforced 35mm

Minimum compression strength of Class A1 3000psi (210kg/m.cube)

11
concrete

Maximum compression strength of

12 Class D2 6000psi (420kg/m.cube)
concrete
Material Testing Report
 Moisture Density Relation
AASHTO T-99-190/ASTM D - 1557 - 698 BS -1377 PART – 4

Date
Lab No Location Lab 9/8/2012
sampled
Date
Material Silt Source 10/8/2012
Dam Testing
Mould
Sampled By Jointly Mould Wt ## gm ## cm3 Method
Volume
DENSITY DETERMINATION
DETERMINATION NO. 1 2 3 4 5
WT. OF WET SOIL + MOULD g 8369 8590 8937 9147 9084
WT. OF WET SOIL g 3769 3990 4337 4547 4484
WET. DENSITY g/cm³ 1.774 1.877 2.041 2.140 2.110
DRY DENSITY g/cm³ 1.670 1.740 1.852 1.919 1.859
MOISTURE CONTENT
CONTAINER NO A H C F G
WT. OF CONTAINER g 23.42 22.61 25.09 23.75 22.52
WT. OF WET SOIL + CONTAINER g 158.2 173.0 167.5 179.0 160.7
WT. OF DRY SOIL + CONTAINER g 150.3 162.0 154.3 163.0 144.3
WT. OF WATER g 7.9 11.0 13.2 16.0 16.4
WT. OF DRY SOIL g 126.9 139.4 129.2 139.2 121.7
MOISTURE CONTENT % 6.2 7.9 10.2 11.5 13.5

1.915

1.865

M.D.D 1.815
MDD

1.919 g/cc
1.765

1.715

O.M.C 1.665
11.5 %
6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0
O.M.C
 Moisture Density Relation
AASHTO T-99-190/ASTM D - 1557 - 698 BS -1377 PART - 4

Date
Location Lab 27/02/2013
sampled
Ma
teri Unstable Source Date 28/02/2013
al Testing
c
# Metho
Sampled By Jointly Mould Wt Gm Mould Volume m
# 3 d

DENSITY DETERMINATION
DETERMINATION NO. 1 2 3 4 5
WT. OF WET SOIL + MOULD g 8930 ### 9402 9484 9411
WT. OF WET SOIL g 4330 ### 4802 4884 4811
WT. DENSITY g/cm³ 2.038 ### 2.260 2.298 2.264
DRY DENSITY g/cm³ ### ## 2.110 #### ###
MOISTURE CONTENT
CONTAINER NO A H C F G
WT. OF CONTAINER g 23.42 23 25.09 23.75 22.52
WT. OF WET SOIL + CONTAINER g 158.2 ### 167.5 179.0 160.7
WT. OF DRY SOIL + CONTAINER g 152.4 ### 158.1 167.6 147.5
WT. OF WATER g 5.8 8.5 9.4 11.4 13.2
WT. OF DRY SOIL g 129.0 ### 133.0 143.9 124.9
MOISTURE CONTENT % 4.5 ## 7.1 7.9 10.6

2.140

2.115

2.090

2.065
M.D.D
MDD

g/c 2.040
2.132
c
2.015

1.990

1.965
O.M.C
1.940
7.7 % 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 11.0
CALIFORNIA BEARING O.M.C
RATIO TEST
 (AASHTO T 193)
#
#REF!
# ##
#
#REF!
# ##
#
#REF!
# ##
#
#REF!
# #
#REF #
! # # # #
Proving Ring Calibration Surcharge 10
11.199
No.: Factor: Weight: Lbs

DENSITY DETERMINATION MOISTURE CONTENT SWELL

Blows 10 30 65 Blows 10 30 65 Blows 10 30 65
Gauge
0.0
Mould No. A B C Can No. 7 1 6 used 0.01
1
0
(mm)
#
Sample & Mould # #
Weight # ### W/ Soil + Can # # Initial 0 0 0
# #
#
#
Mould # # 24
Weight # 7162 D/ Soil + Can # # Hrs. 6 5 3
# #
#
#
# 48
Sample Weight # 5211 Water 10 10 11 Hrs. 8 7 5
#
#
#
Mould # Can. # 72
Vol.
# 2138 Wt.
# # Hrs.
10 9 7
# #
#
2. 2. # 96
Wet U/ Wt. 2.44 Dry Soil # # Hrs. 10 9 7
3 4 #
#
Dry U/ # 5. 0.
Wt. # ### % M.C. # # % Swell 0.09 ##
# 8 08
#
30
10 Blows 65 Blows
Blows
Loa
Dial Cor
d Dial
PENT.( Rea rect %C Dial Load Correc Load Correct
Kg/ %CBR Readin %CBR
mm) din Loa BR Reading Kg/cm² t Load Kg/cm² Load
cm g
g d
²
19.
0.635 34 45 26.0 72 41.7
7
26.
1.270 45 90 52.1 144 83.3
0
45.
1.910 79 138 79.9 223 129.1
7
64. 251.
2.540 111
2 91 184 106.5 ## 306 177.1
9
82.
3.180 143 233 134.9 367 212.4
8
103
3.810 179 278 160.9 447 258.7
.6
118
4.450 205 325 188.1 500 289.4
.6
138 # 335.
5.080 240
.9
396 229.2 ## 611 353.6
# 2
 162
6.350 281 402 232.7 696 402.8
.6
196
7.620 339 491 284.2 900 520.9
.1
8.890

10.160

ASTM

Max. dry 2.13 Optimum moisture 7.

( g/cc ) %
density = 2 content = 7

ATTERBERG LIMITS
(AASHTO T-89-90) (AASHTO M-145)
LIQUID LIMIT PLASTIC LIMIT

TRAY
TRAY # XE XB XF # XD XA
WT OF TRAY (gm) 14.90 18.60 18.90 WT OF TRAY (gm) 17.30 18.50
WT OF WET SOIL+TRAY
WT OF WET SOIL+TRAY (gm) 35.41 39.16 40.00 (gm) 28.12 28.91
WT OF DRY SOIL+TRAY
WT OF DRY SOIL+TRAY (gm) 31.65 35.71 36.68 (gm) 26.63 27.52
WT OF WATER
WT OF WATER (gm) 3.76 3.45 3.32 (gm) 1.49 1.39
WT OF DRY SOIL
(gm) 16.75 17.11 17.78 WT OF DRY SOIL (gm) 9.33 9.02
WATER CONTENT(%) 22.45 20.18 18.67 WATER CONTENT(%) 15.91 15.45
NO. BLOWS 19 26 32 Avg 15.68
LIQUID LIMIT = LL(%)
= 20.4 35
WATER CONTENT (%)

PLASTIC LIMIT =
30
PL(%) = 15.7
25
PLASTICITY INDEX = LL-PL = 4.8
20
`
15

10
10 100
BLOW COUNT (NUMBERS)
 C.B.R VS DENSITY RELATION OF CALIFORNIA BERAING RATIO
Date
Material Location Source
Sampled

PROCTOR MOUDIFIED
400.0
M.D.D 2.132 gm/cc

O.M.C 7.7 %
350.0

300.0

No of Blows
Per Layer
10 65
250.0
CBR%

Dry Density
gm/cc
2.164 2.306
200.0

C.B.R. at
0.01"
91.4 251.9
150.0

C.B.R. at
0.02"
131.6 335.2
100.0

50.0

98.0 OF M.D.D 2.089

C.B.R % OF M.D.D 90.0 0.0
2.150 2.200 2.250 2.300

Dry Density gm/cc

 Early Bill-of-Quantities Estimation of Concrete Road Bridges:-

Abstract

Accurate cost estimation in the preliminary stages of project development is critical for making
informed planning decisions. However, such early estimates are typically restricted by limited
information. In this article, the widely recognized intelligence of feed-forward artificial neural
networks (FFANNs) is used to process actual data from 68 concrete road bridges and provide a
surrogate model for the accurate estimation of the bill-of-quantities (BoQ). Specifically, two FFANNs
are trained to estimate the superstructure and piers concrete and steel-based on the construction
method and the bridge dimensions. As the relevant metrics demonstrate, the FFANNs capture very
well the complex interrelations in the data set and produce highly accurate estimates. Furthermore,
their generalization capability is superior to the capability of respective linear regression models. As
the data used to train the FFANNs are normally available early in the project lifecycle, the proposed
model enables early, yet accurate cost estimates to be obtained.

Keywords

artificial neural network, bill-of-quantities, bridge, construction cost estimate, infrastructure

planning

Introduction

Providing accurate forecasts of construction costs in the preplanning phases of con- struction
projects is vital (Dursun & Stoy, 2016) as cost estimation accuracy has

decisive impact on strategies for asset development, potential project screening, and resource
commitment for further project development (Oberlender & Trost, 2001). Estimates prepared at the
initial stages of a project can play several important roles: They can form the basis of cost-benefit
analysis, for selection of potential delivery partners, to support a to-build-or-not-to-build decision,
and very often as a benchmark for future performance measure (Ahiaga-Dagbui & Smith, 2014).
They are also typi- cally used for the estimation of preconstruction costs as a fixed or sliding
percentage (Hollar & Rasdorf, 2013).

The soaring urban and interurban traffic needs generate an ever-increasing pres- sure for allocation
of funding toward the construction of motorway infrastructure. This is a critical issue which currently
attracts significant debate and disagreement (Hollar et al., 2013). Gibson, Denison, Wallace, and
Kreis (2015) note that the fiscal developments of recent years make it difficult to plan appropriate
policies and infra- structure projects that maintain transportation systems at current service levels as
the available public funding does not necessarily meet the expanding transportation needs of
citizens. In this context, as motorway projects require a substantial invest- ment of funds, developing
a reliable and accurate project cost estimate in the initial decision-making process is a task of critical
importance to the sponsoring organiza- tion and the project team.

Apparently, in times of resource scarcity, it is even more necessary for the decision makers to
estimate the budget of high-cost, large-scale construction projects like road bridges with adequate
accuracy, early in the planning process, in order for the national funds to be invested as efficiently as
possible. However, the required accuracy is noto- riously difficult to be achieved as the conceptual
stage involves very limited project information. Yeung and Skitmore (2012) note that in the very
early stages of construc- tion projects, there are situations where only such basic information as
project type, project size, and preliminary project specification is known concerning a new project
and the client-owners’ consultant estimators have to resort to using either the price of a very similar
project or the mean price of a (base) group of projects. Similarly, Hyari, Al-Daraiseh, and El-Mashaleh
(2016) highlight the fact that detailed estimates are usually possible not earlier than the stage of
procurement, that is, after completion of the detailed project design and therefore, earlier cost
estimates can only be based on historical data and cost forecasting models. This unsurprisingly leads
to early esti- mates being highly inaccurate with the final actual cost exceeding in the vast majority
of cases the initial estimate.

As Rosenfeld (2014) notes, cost overruns in construction are a worldwide phenom- enon with no
geographical limits nor cultural associations. Flyvbjerg, Holm, and Buhl (2003) highlight the
correlation between cost overruns and project size arguing that larger projects present higher
percentage cost escalations while other factors such as premature tender documents (Rosenfeld,
2014) and procurement choices (Chen, Jin, Xia, Wu, & Skitmore, 2016) have also been strongly
associated with this global prob- lem. Especially in the field of transportation projects, Flyvbjerg et al.
(2003) note that the magnitude of cost overruns in highway projects and motorway bridges is
substan- tially high. Specifically, nine out of 10 transport infrastructure projects fall victim to

cost escalation, which for fixed links (tunnels and bridges) and roads has an average value of 34%
and 20% respectively. Furthermore, Lee’s (2008) analysis of roads, rails, airports, and ports projects
found that road and rail projects had a maximum cost over- run of 50%. Vidalis and Najafi (2002) in
their research on 708 highway projects for the Florida Department of Transportation found a
combined cost overrun of $200 million. This research article introduces an artificial neural network
(ANN)-based model which, utilizing actual bill-of-quantities (BoQ) data from 68 road bridge projects,
enables there liable estimation of the bridge superstructure and piers material quanti- ties and by
extension the more accurate estimation of the relevant cost. This is achieved by multiplying the
quantities predicted by the model with the unit prices specified by the user. The use of material
quantities as a means to extract the cost instead of devel- oping a model to directly predict the cost
enhances the reliability of the estimation process. This results from the fact that the BoQ is based on
final designs compliant to international standards with wide acceptance and use across countries
(e.g., DIN, Eurocodes, AASHTO) while on the contrary, cost values are heavily influenced by country-
specific actors (e.g., tendering system, inflation rate) which need to be

adjusted for the model to be used more widely.

Literature Review

Research in Road Bridge Cost Analysis and Management

The analysis of the construction cost of concrete bridges has been the aim for numer- ous past
research efforts. Menn (1990) used a small sample of 19 motorway bridges built in Switzerland
between 1958 and 1985 to investigate the cost of prestressed con- crete bridges. He broke down the
bridge structure into four components, that is, mobi- lization, substructure, superstructure, and
accessories and concluded that these factors’ contribution to the total bridge construction cost is
8.00%, 23.50%, 54.50%, and 14.00%, respectively. Fragkakis and Lambropoulos (2004) collected
actual cost infor- mation from a large sample of 119 concrete bridges and overpasses constructed
between 1999 and 2003 as part of the Egnatia Motorway in Greece. They divided the actual bridge
construction cost into earthworks, foundation, substructure, superstruc- ture, and accessories and
proposed the average cost values for four major deck con- struction methods. For example,
concerning bridges consisting of precast prestressed beams and reinforced concrete slabs, the
average cost percentages for the five ele- ments above are 4.70%, 26.70%, 15.90%, 34.40%, and
18.30% respectively.

The review of publications relating to cost estimation for road bridges reveals that very few studies
use actual as-built design and structural data to produce cost esti- mate models. Fragkakis,
Lambropoulos, and Tsiambaos (2011) developed a bridge database with complete data from 157
pier foundations and developed a parametric model for conceptual cost estimation of concrete
bridge foundations. A database with design and structural data for 322 bridge piers was used from
Fragkakis, Lambropoulos, and Pantouvakis (2014) to develop a cost estimate model for piers with
regression analysis. Furthermore, Fragkakis, Lambropoulos, and Pantouvakis (2010) applied
regression analysis on a database consisting of 68 structures and derived material estimating models
for three widely used deck construction methods (cantilever con- struction, precast prestressed
beams, cast-in-situ box girders). Bridge cost estimation guidelines, mostly based on historical bid
data, have also been developed by Departments of Transportation (DoT) in United States. Such
examples are California DoT (2011), New York DoT (2016), and Florida DoT (2017). Moreover, in
Dimitriou and Charmpis (2015) and Charmpis and Dimitriou (2015), alternative optimization
formulations and algorithmic configurations have been tested on a realistic large- scale sample of
nearly 15,000 bridges from NY, USA, exposing the gains of optimal selection mechanisms on budget
utilization, while highlighting the importance of accuracy in bridges rehabilitation cost appraisal.

Most efforts on cost estimation of concrete bridges are constrained by design stan- dards and codes
and are based on a trial-and-error computer-aided process aiming to optimize the design from a
technical or economical viewpoint. Sirca and Adeli (2005) addressed precast, prestressed concrete
bridge systems consisting of type I beams and developed an optimization method for the
superstructure cost. The general design pro- cess of the superstructure and the standard cross-
sections were based on the AASHTO specifications. The model addressed the superstructure as a
single system and did not explore the superstructure components. Cohn and Lounis (1994) explored
the optimal design of concrete motorway bridges through a three-level cost optimization approach.
Their research concentrated only on the superstructure of prestressed bridges with span length
between 10.00 and 15.00 m. and deck width between 8.00 and 16.00 m. They addressed
superstructure systems with solid or voided slabs, single-cell box gird- ers, and precast prestressed
beams with reinforced concrete composite slab. Lounis and Cohn (1993) proposed a method for
bridges consisting of precast prestressed gird- ers with reinforced concrete slab that enables the
selection of the most economical girder type, optimal girder spacing, optimal prestressing force, and
minimum super- structure cost per unit deck area. The specifications and constraints of the Ontario
Bridge design standard were used. Aparicio, Casas, and Ramos (1996) proposed a computer-aided
design and cost estimating system addressing all elements of concrete highway bridges. The
software package represents an expert system that uses specific design constraints to perform the
complete bridge design. It produces the geometry and cost of all bridge elements and extracts
design drawings. A thorough review of publications on cost optimization of concrete bridge
components and systems has been presented by Sarma and Adeli (1998) and Hassanain and Loov
(2003). The aforemen- tioned studies address only the bridge superstructure and use standard beam
shapes and cross-sections dictated by the American or Canadian design standards and speci-
fications. The research is characterized by the computer-intensive theoretical resolu- tions that
result in the optimization of the final design from both technical and economic viewpoints. Although
cost estimates based on computer-aided resolutions provide helpful insights, they fail to address the
designers’ attitude and experience that influence the as-built structural quantities for each project,
as well as the structural changes that take place during the project’s construction and were not
predicted during the design phases.

Cost Prediction at Early Design Stages: Challenges and Methodological Approaches

According to Burke (1999) and Flyvbjerg, Holm, and Buhl (2002), at each phase in the project
implementation (conception, tendering, design, construction) different levels of cost-estimating
accuracy can be achieved from the detail of information available. Specifically, the early cost
estimates made at the conception phase are based on designs which only correspond to a general
idea about what the project will entail, at a completion level of about 30%. As a result, many of the
costs must be inferred from costs associated with past projects (Asmar, Hanna, &Whited, 2011).
Nicholas (2004) also refers to the lack of realistic and accurate estimates as a result of inadequate
information and high- lights the fact that estimators have to rely largely on their own experience and
historical cost information when preparing initial estimates. Ahiaga-Dagbui and Smith (2013)
observe that an estimate can only be as good as the information it is based on so that, ceteris
paribus, the level of accuracy of the estimates produced also increases as more information
becomes available. However, despite their low level of accuracy, early cost estimates are used as the
basis for the comparative evaluation of different investments decisions, design alternatives, and
eventually the selection of the most efficient technical solution. Odeck (2004) discusses the risk of
inefficient investment decisions resulting from unreliable early cost estimations. He particularly
highlights the fact that underesti- mated costs may be deceptive as when the viability of the project
is being evaluated, the decision maker probably makes decisions based on larger values of Net
Present Value than the actual ones. The end result may be that nonviable projects are being
implemented and resources are inefficiently allocated due to inaccurate estimates.

In this context, the uncertainty which is inherent in the preconstruction phase of projects has
repeatedly been connected by the literature with the occurrence of cost overruns. Flyvbjerg et al.
(2002) note that the likelihood of actual costs being larger than estimated at a randomly selected
project reaches the impressive percentage of 86%. Durdyev, Ismail, and Bakar (2012) in their
research for residential projects identi- fied improper planning and inaccurate project cost
estimation among the factors affect- ing cost overruns. Similarly, in their analysis for infrastructure
projects, Lee (2008) examined 161 roads, rails, airports, and ports projects and concluded changes in
the scope and unreasonable cost estimation have substantial impact on cost overruns. Similar
conclusions for the impact of inaccurate cost estimates were also presented by Le-Hoai, Lee, and Lee
(2008). Cantarelli, vanWee, Molin, and Flyvbjerg (2012) also note that road projects are particularly
vulnerable to exceeding the estimated costs in the preconstruction phase and argue that although
this phase is significantly shorter than the construction phase, it has the highest influence on cost
overruns. Bridge con- struction in particular also presents substantial budget overruns (Azhar,
Farooqui, & Ahmed, 2008; Flyvbjerg, Skamris, & Buhl, 2004, Flyvbjerg 2007; Odeck, 2004).

Numerous models have been developed to support decision makers in the challeng- ing task of
estimating construction project cost. Among the most popular and well- established modeling
techniques for this purpose are the ANNs. An ANN is an information-processing system that has
been developed as generalization of

mathematical models of human cognition or neural biology and exhibits the ability to capture the
nonlinear relationships between variables. ANNs are made of simple pro- cessing units, called
neurons, capable of storing experimental knowledge as a natural propensity. The elementary back-
propagation artificial neuron forms the base compo- nent of the ANN. Typically, the neuron is
configured with a number of inputs, with each input having an associated weight which multiplies
the signal transmitted. An activa- tion/transfer, often sigmoid function, is applied to convert the
input of each neuron to output. The ANN type most suited for developing predictive models is the
Feed- Forward ANN (FFANN) trained using a back-propagation algorithm that uses a gradi- ent-
descent approach for adjusting the ANN weights (Attalla & Hegazy, 2003). Back-propagation ANNs
consist of an input layer, an output layer, and one or more hidden layers. The number of layers and
the numbers of neurons in each layer deter- mine the capability of the network to figure out the
relationship between the indepen- dent variables and the dependent one. A single hidden layer is
sufficient for almost any problem (Setyawati, Sahirman, & Creese, 2002). An ANN is feed-forward if
there exists a method which numbers all the nodes in the network such that there is no con- nection
from a node with a large number to a node with a smaller number. All the con- nections are from
nodes with small numbers to nodes with larger numbers (Yao, 1999). The ANN gains its problem-
solving capabilities through generalization of the knowledge gained during its training. According to
Zhang, Patuwo, and Hu (1998), the training process is usually as follows. First, examples of the
training set are entered into the input nodes. The activation values of the input nodes are weighted
and accumulated at each node in the first hidden layer. The total is then transformed by an
activation function into the node’s activation value. It in turn becomes an input into the nodes in the
next layer, until eventually the output activation values are found. The training algo- rithm is used to
find the weights that minimize some overall error measure such as the sum of squared errors (SSE)
or mean squared errors (MSE). Hence, the network train- ing is actually an unconstrained nonlinear
minimization problem. When supervised training is applied, input and output parameters of training
data are randomly presented to the network thousands of times, called cycles or epochs. In each
epoch, the network applies its training algorithm and calculates its predicted output. The errors
between the predicted and the actual outputs are propagated backward to adjust the network’s
weighted connections so that the predicted output matches or becomes as close as pos- sible to the
actual output. This process is mathematically guaranteed to converge (Rumelhort, Hinton, &
Williams, 1986). The distinct advantage of ANNs over the non- linear regression is that no exact
knowledge of the nonlinear relationship between the input and output variables is required as these
relationships are determined implicitly by the ANN and therefore do not need to be specified by the
user. The error of the trained model is used as a metric of its generalization capability. As Svozil,
Kvasnicka, and Pospichal (1997) explain, a network generalizes well when the input–output rela-
tionship computed by network is correct (or nearly correct) for input/output patterns never used in
training the network. When the learning process is repeated too many times, then, overfitting may
occur due to the network memorizing the training data instead of capturing the underlying
correlations among variables. In such case, the

network performs satisfactorily during the training process but fails with data from the test set.
Thus, the network has reduced generalization capability. The most commonly used method for
avoiding overfitting is early stopping. This involves dividing data into two sets, one for training and
one for validation, and computing the validation error periodically during training. Training stops
when the validation error rate starts to increase. However, the validation error is not a good
estimate of the generalization error, and thus, a third set of data, not used during the training
process, is necessary to check the generalization performance of the ANN. This third set is called test
set.

ANNs’ powerful capabilities for capturing and modeling complex interrelations in real-world data
sets have been widely identified in the literature (e.g., Dimitriou & Hassan, 2013; Karlaftis &
Vlahogianni, 2011; Marinelli, Lambropoulos, & Petroutsatou, 2014; Moselhi, Hegazy, & Fazio, 1992)
and their suitability for cost estimation of different kinds of construction projects such as buildings
(Gunaydin & Dogan, 2004; Kim, An, & Kang, 2004), tunnels (Petroutsatou, Georgopoulos,
Lambropoulos, & Pantouvakis, 2012), highway projects (Al-Tabtabai, Alex, & Tantash, 1999; Hegazy
& Ayed, 1998; Xin-Zheng, Xiao-Chen, & Jing-Yan, 2010), drainage projects (Alex, Al Hussein,
Bouferguene, & Fernando, 2010), water projects (Taormina, Chau & Sethi, 2012; Shehab, Farooq,
Sandhu, Nguyen, & Nasr, 2010),), and hydroelectric power plant projects (Gunduz & Bayram Sahin,
2015) has also been highlighted. Other applications of ANNs include financial tools, electric load con-
sumption prediction, and intelligent manufacturing systems (Huang & Zhang, 1994; Zhang et al.,
1998). Frazer (1995) also investigates the use of computer-based tech- niques and models in the
field of architecture.

In the area of bridges, Creese and Li (1995) used data from 12 timber bridges to develop an ANN
capable of the estimation of the bridge cost from the volume of webs, the volume of the bridge
decks, and the weight of steel. Similarly, Ugwu and Kumaraswamy (2004) used data of location,
pavement material, and project configura- tion from 74 highway bridges in Hong Kong to train an
ANN to predict their construc- tion cost. Furthermore, Morcous, Bakhoum, Taha, and El-Said (2001)
used data from 22 prestressed concrete bridges constructed in Egypt to develop an ANN capable of
estimating the concrete volume and prestressed steel weight of bridge superstructures. The input
attributes selected for the training of the ANN model were the maximum span length, the
superstructure type, the structure system, the construction method, the con- tract type, and the
design type. Testing results with cross-validation experiments resulted in average network errors
smaller than 11.50% in both output variables.

The literature survey indicates that ANNs have been used efficiently for the pre- liminary quantity
estimate of highway bridges despite the difficulties emerging from the use of different design codes
as well as the reluctance of public clients to supply financial information regarding constructed
projects. Other methods frequently employed for project cost estimation include regression analysis
(e.g., Fragkakis et al., 2010; Jafarzadeh, Wilkinson, González, Ingham, & Ghodrati Amiri, 2014; Lowe,
Emsley, & Harding, 2006; Trost & Oberlender, 2003; Wang & Horner, 2007) and case- based
reasoning (e.g., Doğan, Arditi, & Gunaydin, 2008; Karshenas & Tse, 2002; Kim & Kang, 2004; Koo,
Hong, Hyun, & Koo, 2010). Kim et al. (2004) provide

comparison of all the three methods’ performance and advantages/disadvantages. Their research
based on the analysis of actual construction costs of 530 projects of residential buildings concluded
that the best ANN model performed more effectively than the other two approaches in estimating
construction costs. Quite a number of other researchers have also verified the performance
superiority of ANNs over regres- sion. For instance, Attalla and Hegazy (2003) compared the two
methods’ performance in reconstruction cost prediction and concluded that the ANN-based model
was able to include a much greater number of variables. Similarly, Shehab et al. (2010) concluded
that the ANN developed for water projects cost prediction produced much more accu- rate results
compared to the regression one and thus demonstrated superior capabilities in mapping
relationships between inputs and outputs in limited data environments. Gunduz and Bayram Sahin
(2015) also confirmed in their research that the ANN that was trained on cost data from 41
hydroelectric power plant projects had substantially higher prediction accuracy than the respective
regression model developed. Similar performance superiority of the ANNs over linear regression has
also been reported by Creese and Li (1995) for their timber bridge cost prediction model.

Development of FFANN-Based Model for Road Bridge BoQ Estimation

Data Collection

The data used for the development of the model were collected from the final BoQs of 68 bridges of
Egnatia Motorway, a 680-km-long motorway constructed in northern Greece between 1996 and
2008 as part of the trans-European Transport Network. The whole project includes 646 concrete
bridges which account for 20% of the total con- struction cost. The greatest overall bridge length
exceeds 1,000 m, and the longest single span reaches at 235 m. The designs were carried out by
Greek and international structural design firms following international competitions. A thorough
three-stage review process was applied to all designs before construction.

For the collection of the characteristics of each construction project, a list of ques- tions was
distributed to the construction managers/supervisors responsible for each project and the
contractor’s civil engineers. These questions concerned general infor- mation (e.g., location, highway
section, and design office), the bridge’s fundamental design parameters (e.g., number of spans,
construction method used, length of each span, width, height of piers), and the quantities of
concrete and reinforcing steel for each span and pier. After scrutinizing the replies, onsite visits were
held to check and confirm the validity and accuracy of the data provided.

The final data set includes three different types of bridges, distinguished by the use of different
construction methods as dictated by the varying landscape (mountainous, flat terrains, significant
slopes, etc.). Apart from the construction method, the data set for each bridge also includes the
superstructure material quantities, that is, concrete (Vc), reinforcing steel (Bs), and prestressed steel
(Bp), as well as basic design param- eters, that is, the length of the span or cantilever (l) and the deck
width (b). Details of the bridge superstructure data set are presented in Table 1.

Starting from the configuration of the ANN corresponding to the superstructure, the deck width in
meters (b), the adjusted length of span or cantilever in meters (ladj), and the categorical variable
representing the bridge type (Type) are the inputs to a hidden layer of 10 nonlinear neurons each of
which has a log-sigmoid transfer function. Three linear functions for estimating the volume of
concrete in m3 (Vc), the weight of rein- forcing steel in kg (Bs), and the weight of prestressed steel in
kg (Bp) form the output layer of the ANN. Additionally, for the piers, the height (H) and the adjusted
length of the span supported by each pier (l’adj) are input into a hidden layer with 20 nonlinear
neurons while the output layer estimates the volume of concrete in m3 (V’c) and the weight of
reinforcing steel in kg (Bs).

The respective data sets were for both cases divided in three parts, namely, for training, validating,
and testing into typical proportions of 70%, 15%, and 15% respectively. The training set was used by
the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization routine to update the weights of the connections between
the layers with the aim to minimize the MSE between observations and predictions. The validation
set was used to monitor the performance of the network during training against overfitting

/memorization, while test set was used for unbiased evaluation of the model’s pre- dictive
capabilities after the training process was completed. This type of FFANN has several advantages
including being straightforward, powerful in mapping non- linear and stochastic interrelations within
data sets, able to treat both continuous and categorical (integer) data, and easy for coding and
testing (Karlaftis & Vlahogianni, 2011).

The convergence diagrams for the training, validating, and testing process of the complementary
FFANNs (Figures 6 and 7) demonstrate the capability of the trained FFANNs to model the
interrelations among the data set variables (starting from a ran- dom state) with a substantially
improved error component (reduced to 108 from 1012), as the relevant MSE metric denotes. The
magnitude of performance of the gradient

The above presented results provide strong evidence on the FFANNs’ potential on predicting
bridges’ BoQ when used as surrogate mechanisms early in the design stage. Given the complex
interrelationships among the variables for BoQ estimation and tak- ing into account the overall very
satisfactory computational performance of the devel- oped models, it can be concluded that in the
context of road bridge projects, the developed FFANNs are capable to provide reliable estimates of
the material quantities required which in turn can be used to yield cost estimates of improved
accuracy.

Conclusions
Developing a reliable cost estimate for large-scale road transport projects is a challenge for any
authority or organization, especially at the preliminary design phase, where only a general idea
exists about what the project will entail. Aiming to enhance the accuracy of such preliminary cost
estimates, two FFANNs were trained and tested on actual data from 68 concrete road bridges with
the aim to reliably predict the BoQ of bridge super- structure and piers (concrete, prestressed steel,
and reinforcing steel) based on variables normally known even in the early implementation stages.
Specifically, the variables used as input to the superstructure’s FFANN were the deck width, the
adjusted length of span or cantilever, and the type of the bridge (with precast beams, with cast in
situ deck, or cantilever construction). Similarly, for the piers’ FFANN, the input variables were the
height of the pier and the adjusted length of span supported. As the relevant performance

analysis demonstrates, the developed FFANN model captures very well the complex interrelations in
the data set and as a result of its strong generalization capability, it pro- vides reliable estimations of
the final material quantities. An accurate cost estimation can be then achieved by multiplying the
properly selected material unit prices with the pre- dicted material quantities. Furthermore,
following comparison of the FFANNs’ perfor- mance against the performance of the respective linear
regression models, it became apparent that the use of artificial intelligence resulted in an improved
level of accuracy. Therefore, the proposed cost estimation model represents a useful and reliable
tool for the construction industry as it enables planners to reach informed, despite early, deci- sions
for technical and economic planning of concrete bridge projects. Furthermore, the proposed
surrogate model provides evidence of the potential usefulness of ANNs in civil infrastructure
planning and design. Similar extended databases could be developed to include the remaining bridge
elements (e.g., foundations and abutments), other road infrastructure elements (culverts,
underpasses and overpasses) as well as motorway bridges constructed with different materials (e.g.,
steel girders and reinforced-concrete slabs) or construction methods (e.g., incremental launching)
and lead to additional cost estimation models utilizing FFANNs. This research also highlights
potential future directions for the field of construction software, as the artificial intelligence of this
com- putational paradigm is also suitable for integration in the currently available software for
infrastructure design and management.

Bar bending schedule:

Bar Bending Schedule, commonly referred to as “BBS” is a comprehensive list that describes the
location, mark, type, size, length and number, and bending details of each bar or fabric in a
Reinforcement Drawing of a Structure.

General guidelines to be followed in preparing BBS:

The bars should be grouped together for each structural unit, e.g. beam, column, etc.

In a building structure, the bars should be listed floor by floor

For cutting and bending purposes schedules should be provided as separate A4 sheets and not as
part of the detailed reinforcement drawings.

The form of bar and fabric schedule and the shapes of bar used should be in accordance with BS
8666.
It is preferable that bars should be listed in the schedule in numerical order.

It is essential that the bar mark reference on the label attached to a bundle of bars refers uniquely to
a particular group or set of bars of defined length, size, shape and type used on the job.

This is imperative as a bar mark reference can then point to a class of bar characteristics. Also, this
helps steel fixers and laborers keep track of the type and number of bars needed to complete a
certain work.

Bar Bending Schedule is used by the:

Detailer

person checking the drawing

contractor who orders the reinforcement

organization responsible for fabricating the reinforcement

steel fixer

clerk of works or other inspector

the quantity surveyor

Quantity surveyor is responsible for estimation and costing operations of a project. This kind of
surveying demands a high level of precision. Bar Bending Schedule helps the quantity surveyor to
consolidate the number of bars required of each bar type.

This leads to an estimation of the quantity of steel, which translates to the cost requirements for
steel work. Hence, BBS is used by the contractor who orders the reinforcements as well. Unit cost of
steel is charged by weight of steel purchased.
Clerk of works and other inspectors refer to the BBS to make sure that the reinforcement work in the
site is in tandem with the design requirements as per drawings. It is used as a frame of reference by
the steel fixers firsthand. They can easily make note of the number and kind of rebar needed for a
structural unit.

In essence, Bar Bending Schedule subsumes all necessary information on reinforcements, used by
professionals at various stages of the construction process, right from procurement to finish.

How to prepare a BBS?

Necessary Columns

Bar number/Bar Mark Reference

Bar shape

Diameter

Spacing

Length of bar

Cutting Length

Number of bars

Most of the information in a BBS can be found in reinforcement drawings of the structural unit. Bar
shape, diameter, length and spacing is directly entered in the schedule just by looking at the
drawings, which will have detailed dimensioning.

Number of bars:

Suppose the spacing of stirrups is 150 c/c and the length along which they are placed is 6800 mm,
we can find the number of bars by the formula below

[ Length / Spacing ] + 1 = number of bars

[ 6800 / 150 ] + 1 = 46.33

In this case, we always round up. Hence, we require 47 stirrups.

Cutting Length:

We must remember than steel is ductile in nature and is subject to elongation. Hence, the length of
a bar is increased when bends or hooks are introduced. Hence, certain deductions are needed to
offset this increase in length.

Cutting Length = True Length of a bar – Deductions

For 45 degree
Cutting length = Total length – 1 x Dia of bar x No. of bends

For 90 degree
Cutting length = Total length – 2 x Dia of bar x No. of bends

For stirrups:

90 degree hook:

Length of stirrup = (2A + 2B) + 20 x dia

135 degree hook:

Length of stirrup = (2A + 2B) + 24 x dia

Example BBS Calculation

Bar bending schedule or schedule of bars (BBS) is a list of reinforcement bars for a given reinforced
concrete work item, and is presented in a tabular form for easy visual reference.

Table of bar bending schedule summarizes all the needed particulars of bars – diameter, shape of
bending, length of each bent and straight portions, angles of bending, total length of each bar, and
number of each type of bar. This information is a great help in preparing an estimate of quantities.
Advantages of Bar Bending Schedule

Bar bending schedule provides details of reinforcement cutting and bending length. Advantages of
bar bending schedule is when used along with reinforcement detailed drawing improves the quality
of construction, cost and time saving for concrete construction works.

Advantages of bar bending schedule in concrete construction are:

1. When Bar bending schedule is available, cutting and bending of reinforcement can be done at
factory and transported to site. This increases faster execution at site and reduces construction time
and cost due to less requirement of workers for bar bending. Bar bending also avoids the wastage of
steel reinforcement (5 to 10%) and thus saves project cost.

2. Using bar bending schedule for when used for Fe500, it saves 10% more steel reinforcement
compared to fe415.

3. It improves the quality control at site as reinforcement is provided as per bar bending schedule
which is prepared using the provisions of respective detailing standard codes.

4. It provides the better estimation of reinforcement steel requirement for each and every structural
member which can be used to compute overall reinforcement requirement for entire project.

5. It provides better stock management for reinforcement. Steel requirement for next phase of
construction can be estimated with accuracy and procurement can be done. This prevents stocking
of extra steel reinforcement at site for longer time, preventing corrosion of reinforcement in case of
coastal areas. It also prevents shortage of reinforcement for ongoing work by accurate estimation
and thus concrete construction works can proceed smoothly.

6. Bar bending schedule is very much useful during auditing of reinforcement and provides checks on
theft and pilferage.

7. Bar bending schedule can be used for reinforcement cutting, bending and making skeleton of
structural member before it can be placed at the required position. Other activities such as
excavation, PCC etc can proceed parallel with this activity. So, overall project activity management
becomes easy and reduces time of construction. It becomes helpful in preventing any damages due
to construction time overrun.

8. It provides benchmarks for quantity and quality requirements for reinforcement and concrete
works.

9. Bar bending schedule provides the steel quantity requirement much accurately and thus provides
an option to optimize the design in case of cost overrun.

10. It becomes easy for site engineers to verify and approve the bar bending and cutting length
during inspection before placement of concrete with the use of bar bending schedule and helps in
better quality control.

11. It enables easy and fast preparation of bills of construction works for clients and contractors.

12. The quantity of reinforcement to be used is calculated using engineering formulas and standard
codes, so there is no option for approximate estimation of steel reinforcement.
13. With the use of bar bending schedule, mechanization of cutting and bending of reinforcement
can be done, again reducing the cost and time of project and dependency on skilled labor
requirement. It also improves the reliability on accuracy of bar cutting and bending.

14. When mechanized bar cutting and bending is used, the cost of reinforced concrete work per unit
reduces and helps in cost optimization of construction project.

Project Pictures