Keeping quality on track
October 20th, 2023, was a watershed date for the Delhi– Meerut RRTS (Regional Rapid Train System) Package 17 team, led by Project Director, Shyam Baboo Saraswat, when 34 TKm of a Priority Section of the RRTS was thrown open to the public by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi. Awarded in November 2020, the team is steaming ahead, having already completed ~110 Tkm of the total length of 209 TKm in just 22 months of execution and ~36 months from commencement.
Through our value engineering, we use localized material, fly ash instead of cement and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), which has reduced cost by as much as 20%.
Shyam Baboo Saraswat
Project Director
With a Quality Score of 95.00% and zero NCRs in 2023, QA/QC Head, Indra Jeet Yadav, is a satisfied man, though he is quick to admit that they have had to face several challenges along the way. “Our first major challenge was related to technology transfer and about absorbing the new technology,” says Indra seriously, “and the second was that we were producing and installing ballast-less precast slabs for the first time in India.”
Our first major challenge was related to technology transfer and about absorbing the new technology, and the second was that we were producing and installing ballast-less precast slabs for the first time in India.
Indra Jeet Yadav
QA/QC Head
For the design mix, the team is using Grade M-55 Precast Track Slab Concrete for early compressive strength and repeat casting of the mould in 24-hour cycles and has established Mix Design Self Compacting Concrete (SCC) to apply under the track slab grouting for five hours, on a live road for 82 km. “Through our value engineering, we use localized material, fly ash instead of cement and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), which has reduced cost by as much as 20%,” adds Shyam.
Some specific steps to drive Quality
“We have taken specific steps from the Employer’s requirements and our Corporate Quality Policy to drive Quality at site,” remarks Indra, “and have effectively implemented Quality Management Systems as per global standards to continuously improve our processes, products, and service.”
From a digitalization perspective, the entire process from producing the Precast Track Slabs to installation is on the Scan Data System (SDS). All documents like RFIs, approvals, Quality NCNs/NCRs, and observations raised & closed are in the QC App of NCRTC.in/Speed and maintained in the soft mode.
The project in numbers till date
- 110 TKm completed (with nearly 101 TKm of Ballastless, and the balance in Ballasted track)
- 36 BLT Turnouts + 36 BT Turnouts & 2 BLT Scissor crossovers completed
- 36,000 slabs produced out of the scope
of ~42,000 slabs - 20,000 TM rebar used
- 1 lakh cum. of concrete used
A matter of great pride for the team was winning the Best Quality Assurance & Control Award from the Contractor, DELHI MEERUT Corridor, for 2023, which was awarded by Shri. V. K. Singh, MD, National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) at New Delhi. While they are also happy winning the Quality Trophy at the Railways SBG’s Annual Event in December 2023, winning L&T Construction’s Quality Award – 2023 certainly takes the cake.
The Delhi–Meerut RRTS Project is one of two projects – and for the first time since instituting the Annual Awards in L&T Construction – that has won both the Quality & Safety Awards in the same year this year. Having already clocked 6 million safe manhours and won the British Safety Council’s Sword of Honour award, the project exemplifies that Quality & Safety always go hand in hand.