Ganga Bridge Patna

Case Study in Project management

By : RAVI DATTA
Ganga Bridge Patna – 5575m, 4 Lanes
Segments cast by short line method SAR 7 Y2k
 Ganga Bridge Patna
Some Records
 The longest river bridge in the world
 The largest bridge project undertaken by a State
Government without any external funding
 The largest bridge along any state highway
anywhere in the country
 The largest design-build bridge contract in India
 Project in two stages :
Stage 1 :Foundations, Piers for four lanes and
deck for two lanes
Stage 2 : Deck for 3rd & 4th lanes
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Location of the Bridge
 The bridge connects Patna and Hajipur
 North and South Bihar areas divided by Ganga
 Third bridge across Ganga in Bihar
 Reduces travel distance from Patna to
Muzaffarpur : From 220 km to 72 km
Raxaul : 358 210
Chapra : 319 77
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Salient Features
Stage 1 Contract
 Length : 5.6 km
 Span configuration : 45 x 121 m + 2 x 64 m
 Well Foundation : 46 Nos. 12 m dia 56 m deep
 Foundations for four lanes road way
 Piers up to HFL (Stage 1) four lanes
 Deck (Stage 1) two lanes
Stage 2 Contract
 Piers above HFL and deck for 3rd & 4th lanes SAR 7 Y2k
 Ganga Bridge Patna
PWD Organisation
 Separate Chief Engineer for the project, assisted
by two Superintending Engineers for works,
one Superintending Engineer for designs
 Separate Executive Engineer for Quality
Assurance, directly reporting to Chief Engineer
 Separate documentation cell for maintaining
records from detailed survey report through
design, quality control test results and
construction progress till completion SAR 7 Y2k
 Ganga Bridge Patna
Materials of Construction
 The all-concrete bridge consists of
 Foundation in reinforced concrete grade M 20
 Piers in reinforced concrete grade M 35
 Deck in precast Prestressed Concrete grade
M 45
 Natural rounded aggregates used for the conc.
 OPC 33 grade cement used
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Project Management Issues - I
 Bidding process - Global tenders - Two cover bid
 Time allowed for bid submission : Six months
 Bids invited based on departmental /
alternative bidder’s design
 PWD changes design parameters after
submission of bids, request for revised price
 Evaluation of bidders’ conditions
 Award of the contract
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 Construction and Erection
Risks of Bridges
 Contracts: Type of contract
Choice of contractor Dispute
Resolution Mechanism Price variation
clause
 Soil Investigation: Before conceptual design/
Before tender invitation/ After
award of contract
 Infrastructure facilities: Access Roads, Water,
Power, Telecom, Air/Rail connection
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 Construction & Erection
Risks of Bridges
Risks associated with feasibility stage
 Owner’s choice of professional team
 Owner’s brief to the professional team
 Choice of site
 Adequacy of soil investigation
 Adequacy of surveys and inspection
 Adequacy of finance
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 Construction & Erection
Risks of Bridges
Risks associated with construction - I
 Inclement weather
 Excessive rainfall
 Flood and inundation
 Wind and storm
Subsidence, landslide and rockslide
 Extremes of temperature
 Acceptability by local residents
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Ganga Bridge Patna, Construction Risks
Cofferdam for Well Cap

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Staff Colony Flooded

Ganga
Bridge
Patna
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 Flood Damages to
Precast Deck Elements

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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Site Workshop Flooded

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100 t Erection Gantry
Cyclone Damage
After Before

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Ganga Bridge Patna

100 t Tractor Trailer

Deck Surface SAR
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Project Management Issues – II
Statutory obligations / compliance
 30 different labour laws
 Indian Electricity Act
 Mines Act
 Indian Explosives Act
 Weights and Measures Act
 Shops and Establishment Act
 Factories Act
 Apprentices Act SAR 7 Y2k
 Ganga Bridge Patna
Project Management Issues – III
Infrastructure Deficiencies
 Electricity supply
 Transportation bottle necks
 Non availability of controlled materials such as
cement and steel
 Law and order enforcement
 Impact of general elections

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 Construction & Erection
Risks of Bridges
Risks associated with site management
 Negligence and lack of care, theft and fraud
 Programming of work, frequent revisions
 Lack of communication
 Noncompliance of insurance requirements
 Inefficiency and delays
 Inadequate site supervision
 Variations from contract documents
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Bidding Process
 Global tender notice issued in November 1970
 Tenders submitted in May 1971
 Basic requirement : Bridge width 7.5 m road way
 Additional requirement : Alternative bid for
foundations and sub structure for four lanes
 Contract period 72 months; Bid validity 12months
 No pre qualification of tenderers
 Lump sum tender; detailed designs and drawings
by the successful bidder
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Bid Opening
 The bids, excluding the price opened in May 1971
 Thereafter all bids including technical,
commercial conditions examined, clarifications
sought
 Evaluation of tender conditions
 Opening of the price bid
 Rejection of bid if the tenderers design violates
the basic requirements SAR 7 Y2k
 Ganga Bridge Patna
Bidding Status
 Bids submitted by three Indian contractors
 During post-qualification exercise, one bidder
was eliminated, on account of financial
credibility problem
 Technical, commercial conditions of the
remaining two bidders examined
 Meanwhile, the PWD notified the bidders about
change in technical requirements, resulting in
the reduction in foundation depth, asked for
revised bids SAR 7 Y2k
 Ganga Bridge Patna
Award of Contract
 Letter of award of contract issued, exactly one
year after the receipt of tenders, in May
1972. Thus decision was taken without asking
for extension of validity
 Award letter included the original bid documents,
the contractors bid as well as all post-tender
correspondence until the date of award
 The contractor acknowledged within three days.
Thus a valid contract had come into existence

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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Contract Management
 Contractors head office in Mumbai
 Project Manager stationed in Hajipur
 Key site personnel included Construction
Superintendent, Materials Manager, Plant
Manager, Planning Engineer, Quality
Assurance Engineer and Field Engineers
 Coordination at H.O. by a Contract Manager.
Other departments include Designs, Planning,
Plant, Purchase, Secretarial, Administration etc
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Materials Management – Key Materials
 Cement 1,00,000 t
 Reinforcement steel
 High Tensile Steel
 Aggregates
 Sand
 Equipment spares
 Structural steel for enabling works etc.
 Total initial inventory : 7000 items
 Inventory after standardisation : 700 items
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Materials Management – OR Applications
 There were four approved quarries with leads
ranging from 60 to 200 km ; the ex quarry rates
for aggregates were different in each case
 The transportation costs were variable
 Three quarries produced crushed stone, while
the fourth quarry with the longest lead
supplied gravel
 The unit cement consumption for concrete using
gravel was less than that with broken stone SAR 7 Y2k
 Ganga Bridge Patna
Materials Management – OR Applications
Crane Wire Ropes Replacement
 14 cranes were in operation during peak period
 The wire ropes used to fail often at random; every
replacement involved unscheduled down time
and loss of production for one shift
 After detailed study, the productive working life
of the wire rope was assessed at 400 hrs;
thereafter the wire rope was changed,
irrespective of failure or otherwise
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Materials Management – OR Applications
Bolts and Nuts
 At the start of the project,requisitions from site
supervisors for bolts & nuts included 65 different
diameters and lengths!
 After detailed study and discussions on
requirements at the grass root level, it was
possible to effect standardisation and variety
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 Economics of Concrete Mix
Objective
The objective is to proportion concrete mixes
with the most economical and practical
combination of readily available materials to
produce concrete that will satisfy performance
requirements under particular conditions of use.

A properly proportioned concrete mix should

possess: Good workability
Durability, Strength
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 Economics of Concrete Mix
Role of Cement
 Cement is the most expensive component
 Cement content should be as low as possible,
subject to minimum specified in IS / IRC codes
 Minimum cement content is same for all grades
of cement / concrete
 Both 43 & 53 grades are suitable for all concrete
 IS:456 – 1999 specifies max. of 475 kg / m3
 With proper mix design and use of admixtures,
the cement content need not exceed 400 kg/m3
even for the highest grade of concrete used by
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 Economics of Concrete Mix
Use of Rounded Aggregates (Shingle)
 IS:383 permits use of Shingle / Gravel
 Available in plenty in river beds / deposits in
most parts of North India. Also available
selectively in other parts
 Cheaper than crushed aggregate
 No power required
 Environmental friendly
 Many cities have banned use of crushers
 Should be the first choice at any site, if available
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Economics of Concrete Mix
Use of Rounded Aggregate - Economics
 Low unit cost at quarry
 Reduced transportation cost
 Saving in cement, about 10%
 Reduced power required for mixing concrete
 Reduced admixture dosage
 Less water per cum of concrete
 Less blockage of pumped concrete
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Materials Management – OR Applications
Cement Consumption
 The tender estimate allowed for cement
consumption based on past experience on
small projects
 By establishing two field concrete testing
laboratories, one on each bank of the river and
training engineers in concrete technology, mix
designs were optimised. Trials were conducted
using more than 10,000 samples.
 The resultant saving of cement : 25,000 t
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Economics of
Concrete Mix

Aggregate
Shapes

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Use of Gravel SAR 7 Y2k
Ganga Bridge,
Patna

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Ganga Bridge,
Patna

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Ganga Bridge,
Patna

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Ganga Bridge Patna
Pier Head Form

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Patna

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Casting Yard

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Precast Segments Stacking Yard SAR 7 Y2k

Ganga Bridge,
Patna

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Ganga Bridge, Patna SAR 7 Y2k
Ganga Bridge, Patna

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Ganga Bridge,
Patna

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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Contracting Pattern

 Stage 1 Contract : By Gammon India Limited

secured through competitive bidding on merit

 Stage 2 Contract : Awarded to Gammon India

through negotiations, based on satisfactory

performance of the first contract

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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Credits
 Owners : Bihar PWD
 Designers : Gammon India Limited
 Contractors : Gammon India Limited
 Project Mgt. : Bihar PWD
 Project Finance : Govt. of Bihar
 Bridge Inauguration
Stage 1 : Mrs. Indira Gandhi, PM - 1981
Stage 2 : Rajiv Gandhi, PM - 1986
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 Ganga Bridge Patna
Project Management Issues – lV
Political Commitment
 The successive Chief Ministers committed to the
project
 Periodical visits and progress reviews by the
Chief Minister and PWD Minister
 Redress of policy problems
 Bonus to contractors’ employees by the CM
 Recognition of the contractors’ contribution
during inauguration
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Ganga Bridge, Patna

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 CONCLUSION
 Road users will also able to enjoy countryside and rest
areas which, according to one company director, “enable
drivers to have some fresh air, where their of plenty of
space to relax in a most beautiful environment”.
 It is the longest bridge in the world.
 It is the largest bridge project undertaken by state
government without any external fund.
 It is the largest bridge along any state highway
anywhere in the country.
 It is the largest design-build bridge contract in India.
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 REFERENCES
 Principles and practice of Bridge Engineering—
S.P Bindra
 Bridge Engineering—Rangwala
 The Indian Concret Journal Feb 2005
 Design of Bridges—N. Krishna Raju

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