A Comansa 21CM550 tower crane is working on the construction of the first cable-stayed railway bridge in India.In January 2017, the Indian Railways awarded HCC (Hindustan Construction Company) the contract to build this cable-stayed bridge for the prestigious Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL) which is being developed by the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited to connect Katra and Reasi Stations on the Jammu-Baramulla line.
Initially, an arch bridge was planned in Anji Khad, later on, an expert technical committee decided that the location was unsuitable for this type of bridge, and the decision was made to build a cable-stayed bridge with a single pylon standing 331 metres above the riverbed.
To meet the demands of the project and the challenges in constructing the pylon at such a remote, complex site, HCC selected a 21CM550 flat top crane in the Comansa 2100 series. It is designed to ensure optimal performance in projects where particularly heavy loads are to be moved, such as in bridge construction.
With its easy assembly and smaller space requirements, the crane’s flat-top design patented by Comansa overcame the logistical challenges in the complex topography of the area. Additionally, the automatic trolley change along with the Power Lift system, allows variable loads to be dealt with efficiently, while ensuring that the crane achieves optimum performance.
Even though the Anji Khad Bridge is being built in a difficult terrain, the Comansa crane overcame this challenge as it is equipped with a lightning protection system designed to prevent damage to its electronic devices. Plus, it can withstand wind pressure as per European C25 standard.
In addition, Comansa’s collaboration with local partner Escorts Limited allows it to use the reliable technical services of Escorts, and source spare parts as quickly as possible so that the project's demanding deadline can be met without delay. The project is scheduled to open in December 2022.
