BOX PUSHING TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
In railways, roadways whenever there is a need to make a underpass ,either for
canal crossing, RUB’S(Rail under bridges), programme of widening existing railway
culverts etc. BOX PUSHING TECHNIQUE is used. Since the work has to be done
without interruption to railway and road traffic, box pushing technique is largely
favored in comparison to conventional methods. Transportation is one of the main
objects in the infrastructure of a developing country like India. Most of the Indian
intra national transportation is done by road and railways. An underpass, or subway, is
a tunnel containing a road or pedestrian passageway running underneath
a road or railway. Underpasses can also be constructed to allow wildlife to pass safely
under a transport corridor.

Bridges are a main link in any transportation systems roadways as well as

railways. There are above 1 lakh bridges in India, most them are over 100 or 150
years old. Some of the bridges have outlived their service life. Generally bridges are
inspected by railway officials before and after monsoon. If any bridge is in distressed
condition either it will be rehabilitated or rebuild depending on the conditions. If any
roadway and railway are crossing there will be a level crossing (LC) whether manned
or unmanned, Road Over Bridge (ROB), Road Under Bridge (RUB) which can be
normal height or limited height Subway., depending on the relative level.

Level crossings continue to be the weakest link, most unsafe element and
source of accidents on Railway track from safety point of view. Due to increase in
train speed and non-observance of rules by road users, these are more critical.
Although, the total number of accidents occurring on the Indian Railways is showing
a progressive decline, level crossing accidents are still hovering at around the same
level. With the growing impetus on urbanization and increase in the road network, the
demand for providing road under bridges by elimination of level crossings is on the
rise. To construct such openings with least disruption not only to the train services but
also to the public and related infrastructure is a challenge to the Railway Engineers.

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With the introduction of high speed trains on several routes and the plans of
the Indian Railways to join the high speed club shortly, the safety aspect / elimination
of level crossings must be studied in detail since the speed of the approaching train
will be much higher and so will be the danger of accident at LC`s, despite the fact that
most of the accidents at level crossings are due to the carelessness of the road users,
Railways have to be more pro-active to improve the safety.

With the continuous increase in the rail traffic as well as road traffic, the
interface between rail and road traffic is bound to multiply as we proceed towards
becoming a developed nation. Grade separators i.e. Road over bridges / Road under
bridges / subways, therefore, shall not only ensure the best safety standards but also
shall be cost effective in the long run.
One of the measures initiated to reduce the number of level crossings is
replacement of level crossings with ROB`s / RUB`s and limited height subways
which eliminates accidents at level crossings besides significant improvement in
operational benefits and enhanced safety. Construction of RUB`s offers excellent
operational leverage both for Railways and Highways and offers win – win situation
for all end users i.e. pedestrian traffic , road traffic and rail traffic. It is the safest
techno – socio – economic solution to the existing problem at rail – road interface.

Fig-1: Box Pushing Technology

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CHAPTER 2

OBJECTIVES
 No disruption to rail traffic by road traffic.
 Better quality control in traffic.
 Economical.
 Time of completion is less.
 Saving in man power & Machinery.
 Less involvement of other Departments.

The Need of Box Pushing Technique

• Present day Intensity of Traffic, both Rail & Road due to the fast development, is
very heavy it cannot be disturbed, for construction of under bridges or Canal
Crossings, drainage etc. by conventional i.e. open cut system.
• Box Pushing Technique is developed where in R.C.C. Boxes in segments are cast
outside and pushed through the heavy embankments of Rail or Road by Jacking.

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CHAPTER 3

Methods of Elimination of Level Crossing

Before taking up the work followings are to be guaranteed:- Feasible Level
Crossing's to be distinguished, State Government agree to be acquired, Sanction of
work, definite gauge, offering and so forth. CRS assent to be acquired, Execution of
the work effectively forms the base to the throwing of the box sections and
furthermore empowers jacking of the fragments. It goes about as a medium to
exchange the whole jacking power into the ground. The helper push bed likewise
might be developed relying on hand necessity, which thusly helps in sparing of
fortification, time, work and use.

Fig-2: Methods of elimination of level crossings

1. ROAD UNDER BRIDGES

Road under bridge and road over bridge are considered as solutions for
avoiding level crossings of roads and railway track. There are 3 main methods in
construction of road under bridge. Box pushing method, Cut and cover method,
Rolling technique using RH girder. In this we discuss about the implements, soil
friction, effects required, capacity of jacks and there uses, skew angles and at square

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angles. The movement of traffic in both perpendicular directions which is above and
below is said to be road under bridge. This may vary in location. The road above the
water bodies is also said to be road under bridge

Fig -3: Box pushing method of RUB.

2. ROAD OVER BRIDGES

A bridge is a span structure is built to physical obstacles such as a body of

water, valley, or road, for the purpose of passage over the obstacle. Designs of bridges
vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the
bridge is constructed, the material used to make it and the funds available to build it.
Where a bridge takes one form of transport over another it is both an overbridge and
an underbridge, depending on the reference level. For example, where a road passes
above a railway, the bridge is an overbridge from the point of view of the railway and
an underbridge from the point of view of the road.

Fig -4: Box pushing method of ROB.

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CHAPTER 4

COMPONENTS USED

4.1. Thrust Bed

The essential element of the push bed is to give fundamental opposition
expected to the jacking activity. For this reason, a well-structured RCC section will be
built outside the scaffold with its top dimension being kept precisely at the proposed
base dimension of the RCC box. Push bed will have appropriate pockets at various
areas for lodging jacking pins intended for opposing the pushing power applied by
pressure driven jacks as the box is being jacked through the bank. Over the push bed,
50mm screed is to be given to get careful line, dimension of the bed for pushing task.
At pockets area, precast spread squares are given to cover the stick pockets amid
pushing activity.

Fig -5: Construction of thrust bed with shear keys.

4.2. Rear Shield

It is made up of mild steel will be fixed on rear end of the first unit of the box.
This is connected to the back side of the RCC box segment which helps the box to
move properly with out and tilting under the railway track.
4.3. Front Shield

It is a MS Plate which is made up of mild steel material and used in the site for
cutting the soil surface under the railway track. It has cutting edges in the front which
helps to cut the soil and move the box segment easily.

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Fig -6: MS Plate/Front Shield for Box Pushing in RUB.

4.4. Jacking Operation

For pushing the box unit, the will be placed behind the RCC box along the
axis of the pockets and the jacking pins will be inserted in pockets of thrust bed.
Jacking rig will help in maintaining the alignment of the box. The process of
maintaining of proper alignment of railway track when the box segment is pushing
under the track is said to be jacking operation. While the pushing of first segment is in
progress, second segment of the box will be cast on adjacent area of the thrust bed.
After complete casting and curing of second box unit, the same will be shifted on the
line of alignment of the pushing on thrust bed, the second segment of the box will be
positioned in line and level of first box pushed, by suitably operating the hydraulic
jacks and joined to the first segment through the rear shield to form the intermediate
jacking station.

Fig -7: Hydraulic jack used for pushing.

4.5. Plumb Bob

This is a process to know that the box is moving in the correct position or not.
Axis lines are drawn on the box slab which gives the information of box moment.

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4.6. Drag Sheets / Epoxy Coating

Drag sheets are provided at the top of box if required. Or the top of the box is
coated with epoxy coating to reduce the friction between the box and the soil.

4.7. Piston

It is a cylindrical machine which is used to push the constructed box to its

position in road under bridge. The pressure which is applied to push the box is of
400kN to 600KN.

4.8. Pockets

Pockets are holes which are made at the construction site and filled with red
sand of 70cm height before covering up with concrete. Pockets are used for marking
at the construction site after RCC work. After the RCC work the red sand is removed
and counter box is laced in the pockets.

4.9. Counter Box

It is an iron rectangular box on 70cm height and 800 kgs of weight. Counter
box is placed in pocked for the support of piston.

4.10. Biscate

These are used to place in front of the piston which helps to push the
constructed box.

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CHAPTER 5

METHODS IN CONSTRUCTION

BOX PUSHING OPERATION

• Excavation

• Casting of thrust bed

• Fabrication of front and rear shield

• Casting of box and placing

• Pushing-shifting-pushing operation

• Miscellaneous works

Methods of Construction ROB and RUB Box pushing is the latest and is
widely used in our country. The advent of Box pushing technique has revolutionized
the construction world and proven to be an ideal and the best as it is non – intrusive,
best suited for construction of underpasses and subways in urban areas in a manner
that minimizes disruption to road traffic, constraints of space and time.

5.1. Procedure of Box Pushing

A properly designed RCC thrust bed is casted at appropriate location.

Generally the top layer of 50mm is finished with screwing layer to obtain a perfect
level surface. This thrust bed along with the connected thrust walls and shear keys
serves the purpose of forming the base to the casting of the box segments and also
enables jacking of the segments. It acts as a medium to transfer the entire jacking
force into the ground. The auxiliary thrust bed also may be constructed depending
upon site requirement, which in turn helps in saving of reinforcement, time, labor and
expenditure.

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5.2. Casting of RCC Box Segments

Over the all around set and leveled push bed, RCC box portions are casted.
The front substance of the box will be thrown in an incline to coordinate with the state
of the bleeding edge which is fabricated from structural steel and is incorporated into
the solid. The front line is given all round the box and it additionally goes about as a
shield keeping soil from top and sides from slipping. A back shield is given which
houses and aides the consequent sections while supporting the soil. In the event of
more than one section in a range, the vital break game plan with MS plate is given at
pre-decided areas while throwing the boxes for obliging the jacks amid pushing. A
middle of the road cutting shield with MS plate is additionally required to be given
relying in the vicinity conditions, sort of soil, size of box and so on.

5.3. Pushing of Box Segments

Under reasonable speed limitation, the fragments are jacked into the bank by methods
for pressure driven jacks of appropriate limit introduced at the backside of the section taking
response through a get together of steel sticks and bars. Measures like GI drag sheets are
given to decrease drag impact and parallel development of overburden. Further epoxy
covering on sides and top of the box portions is likewise connected to lessen the soil grinding.
So as to diminish the erosion between the push bed and box portion, two layers of
polyethylene sheet sandwiched with a layer of oil is given. Network course of action with
rails/channels/timbers and so forth was additionally given at destitute areas to guarantee the
security particularly in non-durable sort soils. Controlled impacting with due safety measures
is additionally done in the event that where shake is experienced.

The box is jacked into the dike in a controlled and staged way with concurrent
unearthing of material from inside manual/hardware after each phase of jacking. All
through the whole procedure of jacking, arrangement is observed by optical
instruments at customary interims. Correction of arrangement is accomplished
through jacks. The jacking of portions, if there should arise an occurrence of more
than one of every a range, first fragment will pursue the second section for each
stroke.

To push precast box segment, reaction is obtained from thrust bed. For this,
screed is dismantled at pin pocket location, pin pockets are cleaned, pins are inserted

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and Hydraulic Jacks- 8/10 nos. are installed between pins and bottom slab of the box
With packing plates and spacers.
 A 20mm thick plate is provided, butting against bottom slab of box, in front of
the Jacks to avoid damage to concrete surface.
 Nail anchor plates are removed and earth is manually excavated in front of
cutting edge in a way to get annular clear space of 300mm all-round.
 Anchor plates are refixed in position and uniform pressure is applied to the
jacks through Power Pack.
 After complete push (maximum 300mm) jacks are released, protruding nails
are gas cut/driven and jacks again packed with packing plates and spacers.
 Process is repeated till front box is pushed to required position.
 Then 2nd box segment is slewed and brought in position behind 1st box
segment.
 8 nos. Jacks, each of 200 Tons capacity, are housed between two box
segments in addition to 8 nos. Jacks already provided between thrust bed and
2nd box segment.
 3 nos. Jacks, each of 100 Tons capacity, are provided in 3 slots made in each
side walls to facilitate correction of line and level of box during pushing.
 Earthwork is now done in front of 1st box segment and it is pushed.
Protruding nails are gas cut/driven and anchor plates are re-fixed in position.
 Thereafter, jacks housed between two box segments are released and then 2nd
box segment is pushed.
 Process is repeated till both the box segments are pushed to required position.
 Cutting Edge is dismantled & front face of 1st box segment is cast in plumb.

Fig -8: Pre casted box pushed one by one.

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CHAPTER 6

CASE STUDY

CONSTRUCTION OF UNDER BRIDGE ROAD AT FATHENAGAR

ROAD IN SOUTH CENTRAL RAILWAY.

. Fig -9 South central railway construction of road under bridge between

Fathenagar

6.1 Introduction
The road under bridge between Fathenagar and Nature cure hospital MMTS
stations in Secunderbad-Wadi section has been taken up as a deposit work for greater
Hyderabad Municipal Co-operation, as a part of link road project connecting
Rajbhavan road to Balkmpet, to easy traffic congestion in the area of Hyderabad City.
SC-WD section is a busy double line section especially up to Lingampally, where
MMTS trains operate.
The RUB consists of 2 vents (opening) of 11.0m*4.89m inside dimension to
cater for 2 lane traffic in each direction. The earth cushion over the box up line side is
1.0m and on line side 0.70m as the two tracks is at different levels at the RUB
location.

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6.2 Salient features

• The RUB consists of 2 vents of 11.00m*4.89m inside size and wall thickness
of 0.90m.

• The boxes are proposed in three segments for each vent.

• Boxes are made with M35 concrete.

• Thrust bed of size 14.70m*13.00m and 14.40m*17.00m with M25 concrete

and provided with 102 pin pockets for pushing.

• Front cutting shield with 25mm thick M.S. plate and 1.25m projection.

• Rear shield with 12mm plate all round.

• Drag sheets are provided in 2 layers with 0.8mm thick each.

• Pushing of segments is done with hydraulic jacks of 200t capacity.

• Drainage arrangements being provided by GHMC

6.3 Box pushing operation

• The thrust beds of required size and designed thickness were cast with M25
concrete. Pin pockets of 0.5m x 0.50m x0.6mm thick M.S. plate to take the thrust.
The pin pockets are then filled with sand and small layer of screed concrete is
placed on them to get smooth surface for casting of box elements.

• Reference line pillars and TBMs are fixed on the approach to control alignment
and level while pushing.

• One layer of plastic sheet is spread on the thrust bed where the box is cast. A
layers of grease is applied on it and again one more layer of plastic sheet is kept.
Box elements are cast on this, so that friction is reduced while pushing.

• Entire box concreting done with RMC during nights only since the site is in the
heart of the city. The top of the box was painted with epoxy paint after casting to
reduce friction.

• Within the box excavation was done with excavator. The excavated earth was
lifted by winches and stacked during the day time. The same was transported out

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during nights. Hard granite rock was met with at bottom layer and also some big
boulders at several locations. The same was removed using pavement breakers.

• Initially 2 elements were cast on both thrust beds. After pushing one element,
the element from other bed was side slewed to maintain continuity of
pushing.

• Pushing was done with the help of hydraulic jacks.

• All the S and T cables were protected before pushing

• Sufficient ballast was unloaded with the help of division before taking up the
pushing.

6.5 General safety precaution taken at site.

• Round the clock watch man posted to ensure safety of trains.

• One p.way gang with experienced supervisor kept on track to attend any
track disturbance during pushing.

• 9000nos of field ballast, sand and moorum bags kept at site.

• Ensuring cutting edge always buried in the earth.

• Alignment and level of box checked daily. Any correction required was
immediately carried out in the next push by suitably adjusting the pressure in
the jacks and by ensuring proper bottom level of excavation.

• Jacking operation stopped while passing a train.

• Track drainage water is diverted.

• Drag sheet arrangement-strengthened.

• Fixing of cutting edge strengthened.

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CHAPTER 7

PROBLEMS IN HAND

Problems Encountered During Box Pushing

 Tilting of box.

 Shifting of longitudinal arrangement.

 Failure of stick stash.

 Leaking of joints.

 Occurrence of rock layer.

 Occurrence of hard shake.

 Occurrence of collapsible strata.

 Unexpected floods amid box pushing.

 Disturbance in track geometry.

Disadvantages of Box Pushing

 Needs prepared staff and talented supervision.

 Imposition of alert request exists for a more drawn out period.

 No extent of night working.

 Once the vertical and parallel arrangement of box exasperates it turns out to be
practically difficult to redress it.

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CONCLUSIONS
 Box pushing work means at least partly working in blind, so problems usually
come up during execution of work.
 Box pushing work requires close supervision and monitoring and quite often
the unsafe conditions develop at these sites.
 Track must be watched regularly to see signs of heaving, settlement,
misalignment etc.
 LWR must be cut and site isolated during box pushing.
 Work must be done under block protection / caution order only.

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REFERENCE

1] “Box pushing technique on railway under bridge for cross traffic works” by
G.Sampath Kumar.

2] “Procedure and construction of road under bridge by box pushing method” by

Ranjeet. P, D.V.S. Narshima Rao, Mohd Akram Ullah Khan, K. Hanumanthu.

3] “Construction of road under bridge by box pushing method” by M.Shravankumar,

B. Sudhakar, A.Sravanthi

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