Collapse of P.S.C.

Girders in Rushikulya Bridge

Er.Jagdish Panda
Ex.-Engineer-in-Chief Cum
Secretary Works Department, Orissa.
 Introduction
• Existing Bridge - @ 284/0 Km of NH-5
• Second River Bridge - @ 30m D/S of Existing Bridge under NHDP connecting Chennai to
Kolkata
• Structural Components :
(a) 3-lane bridge
(b) Well foundation
(c) PSC superstructure with 5 Beams of size 0.8m width (Bottom) and 1.2m width (at Top);
(d) Depth of the Girder = 3.275m (including Slab)
(e) Length of the Girder = 48.77m
(f) No of Span = 11

Cross-Section of PSC Girder at Mid-Span: Prestressed Girder Section at Mid:

142.0
1200
500 1500 500 11250 500
200 225 THK. IN-SITU
DECK SLAB IN M30
1100

WEARING COAT
2.5% 1200 UNIFORM 62 THK 3 200
1100
450

2.5 %

200
250
5 250
3275
2 325
325
2825
IN-SIDE
DIAPHARAM
3.275
4
250
1 200
250
800
200 800
PSC GRADE
ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN MM
.

Incidence of Collapse

• Collapse of three Spans P8-P9(Commencing from Berhampur site)

at 4:00 PM on Dated 21.06.2008.
• The dates of construction of PSC girders P8-P9 and Prestressing
there have been mentioned below:

Dt. of Const. Dt. of Stage-I Dt. of stage-II

Prestressing Prestressing
Girder

Central .G (G.-1) 25.03.2008 05.04.2008 22.05.2008

G.No.-2 29.04.2008 09.05.2008 Not Done

G.No.-3 31.05.2008 11.06.2008 Not Done

N.B.- C.G.- Central girder, G. No. 2- Girder next to C.G., G. No.

3- End girder
 Investigation on collapsed P.S.C. girders.
 On the request of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Berhampur vide
their letter No.- NHAI/ PIU/ BAM/ 21/ OR-VIII/ 20/ 2008/ 13707 dated 15.07.2008,
a team of Professors of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur visited
the site of the collapsed PSC girders at Rushikulya Bridge on 09/08/2008.

 On the request of IIT, Kharagpur, NHAI supplied the following items :

1- Drawings of the bridge (one set)

2- Design calculations of the bridge including design of bearings

3- Concrete core samples- three sets, each set having three numbers

4- Steel reinforcement bars (1m. of length each)- 3 nos.

5- Two POT-cum-PTFE bearings

6- Few blocks of concrete which have come out of girders and piers

7- Results of ultrasonic tests carried out

8- Meteorological data at site on the day of collapse of girders

9- Samples of steel bar as used in P.S.C. girders

 Investigations

Based on design calculations, drawings and different correspondences (from NHAI

supplied Report), IIT, Kharagpur Panel of Professors have studied the followings:

 Test Results of Concrete Cores – 9 Cores taken from Collapsed girder

 Steel Reinforcing Bars- 8mm, 10mm and 12 mm HYSD bars from Collapsed
girder taken

 Bearings and calculations

 INFERENCE OF I.I.T. AFTER INVESTIGATION
• Concrete : Design Concrete Grade # M40 ; Characteristic Compressive Strength=44MPa
Average Compressive strength of 9 Cores = 17.8 MPa (which is not 150mm standard
core size)
Correction Factor 1.05 applied for non-standard of core diameter
Also Applied 1.25 correction factor to get compressive strength of standard cube .
Compressive strength of collapsed concrete (both correction applied)= 23.36MPa
(Cores taken from fallen girders- Possibility of micro-crackings being present in the
cores)

• NHAI provided NDT results conducted by M/s S.M. Consultants. Also conducted Ultra
sonic Pulse velocity Test and Rebound Hammer Tests on pier Caps of Pier No # P8 and
P9.
• Compressive strength by Rebound Hammer found >/= 32 Mpa (-/+ 25 % by IS:13311
(part-2) which is not indicate presence of internal micro-cracking,flaws,heterogeneity
across the cross-section.
• Actual value of Pulse Velocity is a function of no. of parameters , hence assessment of
quality of concrete was satisfactory to a general extent only.
Table 2 : Test results of cores taken from the collapsed PSC girders

Sl. No. Identification Diameter Height Compressive strength (N/mm2)

1 G1/1 91.0 154 15.99

2 G1/2 92.0 201 18.28

3 G1/3 91.5 201 17.10

4 G2/1 91.5 201 19.74

5 G2/2 91.5 171 13.02

6 G2/3 91.5 203 22.40

7 G3/1 92.0 176 17.99

8 G3/2 91.5 195 20.10

9 G3/3 92.5 179 15.62

 Inference of IIT after Observation……..Contd.

Steel Reinforcement :
Table3 :Test results of steel bars taken from the collapsed PSC girders
Sl. Mass Cross- 0.2% 0.2% Ultimate Ultimate
• Stipulated IS:1786-1995 Requirement of No. (kg/m) section Proof Proof tensile tensile
al area stress stress strength strength Elongation
0.2% Proof Stress = 415 Mpa  O.K.
(mm2) (N/mm)2 (average) (N/mm)2 (average)
(N/mm)2 N/mm)2
• Ultimate tensile strength = 10% more than A- Diameter : 8 mm

0.2% proof stress ( Not Less than 485 8/1 0.417 53.12 440 544 15.00%
Mpa)  O.K. 8/2 0.403 51.34 449 451 556 550.33 20.00%
8/3 0.404 51.46 466 551 16.25%
• Elongation of 8mm,10mm and 12 mm size B- Diameter : 10 mm
Bars found in the collapsed girder was 10/1 0.642 81.78 445 631 16.94%
more than required 14.5%; which was O.K. 10/2 0.641 81.66 474 435.33 639 603.67 16.13%
in the view point of ductility requirement of 10/3 0.727 92.61 387 541 17.14%
steel.
C- Diameter : 12 mm
12/1 0.917 116.8 435 532 23.33%
12/2 0.916 116.7 429 434.67 533 538.67 25.00%
12/3 0.919 117.1 440 551 24.17%
 INFERENCE OF I.I.T. AFTER INVESTIGATION

Bearings:

• Weight of girder to each bearing = 992.848KN

• Testing compression on bearings = 1250KN

• Visual inspection No distress found on bearing
• The end blocks of central PSC girder were intact at both ends even after the collapse occurred.
• From the photos, it is found that Anchorage blocks have slipped.

Shrinkage Strains :
• Prestressing was done either on 10th/11th day, it is not clear whether the
shrinkage of concrete was fully completed at that time.
 INFERENCE OF I.I.T. AFTER INVESTIGATION

Thunderstorms:
• On June 26th, 2008 between 15:50-16:00 Hrs, a strong wind blew from sea
side which swirled around PSC girder.
• During this Storm, 3 completed Girders and 1 under-construction girder
affected.
• Weather Report of Gopalpur says : Wind Speed =8 KMPH @ 8:30 Hrs &
14KMPH @ 17:30 Hrs. No wind speed measured available at 15:20 Hrs to
16:45 Hrs.
• Girder may failed due to any one reason due to wind:

 If Wind Pressure causes M (Overturning) >M(Restoring)

 If Velocity of Wind is enough, Cause of failure of Steel and Concrete
by Lateral Bending.
INFERENCE OF I.I.T. AFTER INVESTIGATION….Contd.

Over-Turning Effect : Lateral Bending Effect:

• Required Basic Wind Speed to • Based on calculations it is observed that a
Topple the Girder= 230.382 KMPH wind speed of 102.538KMPH (28.483
(64 m/s) m/s) is sufficient to cause failure of PSC
• Calculation of Restoring Moment: Girder , i.e. (Crushing of Concrete),
 Lever Arm taken = 400mm(assuming
no imperfections in the bearing 7
whole width of girders in in contact
with bearings).
 IIT’s Observation: PSC girders might have been
failed due to any one of the followings :

• Poor Quality of Concrete-Consultant don’t agree

• Anchorage SlippingRuled out by Consultant

• Un-expected ThunderstormWind Tunneling venturian effect and

slenderness of girder in approved drawings
• Strength of Concrete at the time of Pre-stressing

• Absence of temporary Lateral supportProvision of 3 Nos of inclined

lateral supports may not practically feasible in absence of any
methodology / guidelines available in IS/IRC/MORTH
 Recommendations by IIT Team

• The strength of concrete before pre-stressing needs to be checked by testing

cubes.

• It should not be a practice to interpolate/extrapolate the strength of concrete on

10th/11th day after casting from 7th/28th day test data.

• Temporary lateral supports in sufficient numbers need to be provided to avoid

lateral bending failure of Girders and / or overturning of girder failure due to wind.
 CONCLUSION
• It is concluded that there was heavy blow of wind from South Westerly direction as was
corroborated by the statement of the workers present during the critical hour of collapse
before the I.I.T. Team.

• The wind blow was very short in duration but severe in nature and could not be captured by
the satellite imagery of the particular place. Water level in the river bed also rose up due to
suction effect.

• Had not the new bridge been located with a gap of 22 m D/s only (girder to girder) from the
old bridge the wind with a speed of 102.538 Km/hr would not have swirled in between the two
bridges and oblique venturian flow would not have occurred and hit the first cast girder of the
new bridge.
• As such the girder would not have slanted against the second and the second unto the third
resulting in collapse of the girder. The wind would have travelled to the upstream of the river.

• This further corroborates the fact that the two girders between Pier No. 7 & 8 cast exactly
under similar conditions prior to 21.06.2008 after first stage of prestressing which is nearer to
the centre of the river (more exposed to sea front) without cross bracing stood in tact after
this collapse and still standing to the test of time.
For Details, Please Contact:
Mobile No: 9438663174