Herculean Task

Tunnelling projects are tedious. More the reason why equipment for tunnelling are highly advanced and gigantic.

- Shashi V

Building big infrastructure projects has always been risky. But, they are crucial to the future of cities, and its citizens. Big infrastructure projects economically transform a city and its people. But not all infrastructure projects are ‘over the ground’. Increasingly, there has been a surge in underground structures, especially in urban areas nationwide, be it in the road, rail, water, irrigation, or energy sectors. And, while underground constructions offer immense tangible benefits, they also bring engineering challenges, and often these projects go off the rails, either with regard to budget or time — or both.

The risks associated with megaprojects are well documented. According to a McKinsey report, one study estimated that nine out of ten projects go over budget. Rail projects, for example, go over budget by an average 45%, and their demand is overestimated by 51%. McKinsey has estimated that bridges and tunnels incur an average 35% cost overrun most times; for roads, it is 20%. Given that many projects are approved with a 20% return on investment expected, this leaves governments to pick up the tab for the rest.

Time overruns, too, are a perennial problem. So, how can companies – and governments – do better to build megaprojects that deliver their societal benefits, and do so on time and on budget?

INTRICATE DESIGN

The solution lies in the design and engineering acumen of the leading execution agency. “We have a track record of having completed more than 80km of tunnelling thus far with substantial mandates to execute tunnelling in some of our major on-going projects, such as Mumbai Metro, Ahmedabad Metro, Bangalore Metro and Singoli Bhatwari Hydro Power Project in Himachal Pradesh among others,” says SV Desai, executive VP and head, heavy civil infrastructure IC, L&T Construction.