Conceptual Design of the Chenab Bridge in India

Indian Railways has undertaken the mega-project of construction of a new railway line in the State of Jammu and Kasmir. The project includes a large number of tunnels and bridges which are to be implemented in highly rugged and mountainous terrain. The alignment crosses a deep gorge of the Chenab River, which necessitates construction of a long-span railway bridge. The main feature of the Chenab Bridge is its 467 metres long steel arch main span located about 320 metres above the surface of the river. The paper describes mainly the conceptual design, but partly also the structural design of this bridge. In the design work both national Indian codes as well as several international codes had to be followed considering that the design standards match the construction standards.