In-house Journal of L&T Construction Volume - 39, Issue ...lntecc.com/homepage/documents/concord_jul16.pdfThey then re-approached L&T and after getting in touch with others in the

In-house Journal of L&T Construction

July - September 2016Volume - 39, Issue - 3

Projects that DARED TO DEFY To Deliver On-Time

3ECC CONCORD, July - September 20162 ECC CONCORD, July - September 2016

which was partially executed by some other contractor. The Trust Board was in a dilemma as it was important for them to complete the Q-complex before a pre-decided date.

They then re-approached L&T and after getting in touch with

others in the higher management, L&T started to show interest

in the job and presented an alternate proposal in precast and

with a fresh time schedule. Originally, the project was to be

completed by August but taking into account the time required

to start and complete the project due to the delays of the earlier

contactor employed by TTD, L&T proposed the completion

time of December. TTD then called the concerned in L&T for

a meeting and being Larsen & Toubro, with great trepidation,

earnestly requested our management to give a time concession

of 1 month. The management not only considered their request

but committed the completion date of August as originally

planned by the board assuring them that L&T would take up

the challenge to do a good job and complete it by August.

Some of our best people were involved in the project and it was

delivered to TTD in August which was to their surprise as they

had definitely expected a time delay of 4 to 5 months. That’s

how we have built up reputation, credibility and brand L&T

When Mr Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti narrated this event, it

was heart-rending because as of today, we are not the same

organization as we used to be in those days. Many a time,

we commit to our customers but are unable to keep our

commitment due to various reasons, excuses and inefficiencies

that have crept into the organization. We need to get this back

on stream and that’s one of the reasons why I shared the above

example. Time and again I am being called for meetings with

customers because the entire management hierarchy has

failed to deliver as per time commitments. The system is not

delivering as per the requisites. It is getting difficult to make

the elephant in us dance to the customers’ tunes.

We need to get the spirit back and be an organization which

is known for doing things on time, to quality and to speed.

And off course by doing this, we will ultimately improve our

reputation and profitability.

To use a cricketing analogy, there are lots of similarities

between a successful run chase in a limited overs cricket

match to the timely completion of a project: there are large

objectives to be achieved in both cases; these then need to be

broken down into smaller goals like the various milestones

in a project. In both cases, it is very important to know, understand and overcome the conditions and the opposition which is like our risk assessment process to identify and mitigate internal and external risks, obvious and latent. Leadership is vital, role definition is critical, and, most important of all, its teamwork that almost always wins the day.

The projects featured here are all that

have got a lot of these aspects right. I

would have liked this issue to be a bigger

and thicker one, with lots more of timely

delivered projects to showcase.

Of course, many projects are delayed

because of several factors many of

which may be beyond our control –

difficult clients, unreasonable deadlines,

delays in approvals and clearances,

lack of adequate and prompt cash

flow, tardiness from vendors, issues

in mobilizations, or some absolutely

unforeseen problems. But these are

part and parcel of construction projects.

There is not a single project where

these problems do not occur. Therefore,

it is imperative for us as the leading

construction organization to be able to

either foresee these issues and pre-empt

them or swiftly think on our feet to

resolve them. I am certain that all these

projects would have also encountered

such road blocks but they were able to

overcome them with smart thinking,

innovative solutions, prompt action and matured leadership.

Building strong bridges and being transparent with clients and partners are major reasons for timely execution of projects. By making the client our ‘partner’, one is able to take them along in the process, make them co-owners

of the project that smoothens decision-making and quickens action. Clear, precise and regular communication is crucial not only with external parties but also internally: each and every one right from the Project Director to the workmen have to be clear of their roles and what is expected of them. If each one treats the project as their own and assumes collective ownership of it, half the battle is won.

Organizational structure in a project is crucial and the leader of the project is certainly the most important of all. Planning, costs, accounts & admin and overall conceptualization of breaking down the whole into parts to be delivered is the key. For example: earlier for residential building projects, we used to have a Project Manager along with several in-charges for civil works, MEP works, finishing works, etc. reporting to the Project Manager. However, now we have tower wise in-charges at such projects. The in-charge of a particular tower is answerable for all the activities related to that tower construction including concrete, shuttering, reinforcement, electrical, lifts and other associated works. Responsibility, thus, gets evenly distributed, reduces interface issues and thereby improves the efficiency of project delivery. Similarly, when we do a metro rail project, instead of having in-charges for piles, pier caps, piers, girders, etc., we have section in-charges, who are responsible for a 1 or 2 km stretch and have overall responsibility for their particular sections including all related activities and thus are able to deliver much faster.

So one needs to constantly evolve such ideas to see how to deliver projects

Timely delivery is of prime importance for any project. Be it for the customers, partners of a joint venture or a consortium, vendors, suppliers, workmen and even the

general public. All appreciate a timely completed project. But, most of all, timely delivery is critical for us as an organization from the perspective of cash flow, turnover, profitability and credibility. Hence, I wanted this issue of ‘ECC Concord’ to showcase projects that were completed on time, within the stipulated delivery schedules.

To start with, I would like to share an incident which establishes the trustworthiness of L&T for a customer.

Recently, I was at an inauguration of a housing project and managed to meet, among others, Mr. Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, the chairman of one of India’s oldest business houses and a group that has a reputation of producing silk saris of immaculate quality and taste, not only in India but overseas as well. Although, we haven’t done any work directly for Nalli, yet after meeting and getting to know me there, when Mr. Chetti was requested to speak on stage, he started to talk about Larsen & Toubro – ECC. He mentioned that a long time ago when he was a part of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams trust, they had awarded the construction of a Q–Complex to a contractor. The project was getting delayed and was 4 to 5 months behind schedule. In fact, the job had hardly moved forward. At that juncture, someone mentioned to them that it would have been good to involve L&T ECC in the project. They contacted a senior at L&T who informed them that L&T would not be willing to take up a job for which they had not bid for and that too, a job

Forewordbetter, in time, to cost and to quality and make people responsible for overall delivery rather than for a part of the work. This will improve project delivery from the organizational point of view.

While time is important, we have to be ever conscious of the cost at which the project is being executed. Keeping cost in control is not only the responsibility of the Project Head, it is a serious responsibility at other levels too. Therefore, time, profit and quality are imperatives that are completely non-negotiable.

Each project is unique, ground realities will differ, the challenges will be many and diverse but the merits of relational contracting don’t change. And as we approach the end of this year, I hope that 2017 will hold new promise, fresh opportunities and many more projects that we are able to complete on time and on cost.

Wish you and your family a very happy, healthy and joyful new year 2017.

All the best!

S. N. Subrahmanyan

Deputy Managing Director & President, L&T

Timely Delivered!

4 Tech Mahindra, Bengaluru

14 Hero Moto Corp Ltd, Jaipur

20 132/33 kV Grid Stations at Amrat and Mabella-2 Installation of 132 kV OHL/132 kV cables in Muscat

26 Water supply and distribution schemes for Vellore

4 ECC CONCORD, July - September 2016 5ECC CONCORD, July - September 2016

Inception to completion in 32 months flat!Tech Mahindra, Bengaluru


They faced several challenges: a brownfield project; the danger of disrupting ongoing operations,

space constraints, an unforgiving soil composition, a wide and diverse cross-section of stakeholders but the team at the Tech Mahindra project stood firm, fastidiously sticking to best practices to deliver a tough project in time and in the process delighting the customer too.

In a population of 1.25 Crores, India boasts of having the world’s largest pool of technical talent and is easily the top global technology services outsourcing destination. Bengaluru, India’s IT capital, leads the way playing host to more than 35% of the country’s IT companies. In fact, it is

said that at least one start-up is born in Bengaluru every day!

Adding to the lustre of IT parks in Bengaluru’s Electronic City – Phase II, are the three towers that L&T has built for Tech Mahindra, an Indian IT multinational providing networking technology solutions and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) to the telecommunications industry.

The eye-catching campus that is spread over 18,50,000 sq feet was delivered in 32 months flat and is a reflection of L&T’s design & build capabilities in delivering fast track IT projects. Being a brownfield project within the existing operational

facilities of Tech Mahindra, the biggest challenge was to execute the project without interrupting any of the ongoing campus operations.

What we did right to deliver on time!“Timely delivery is one of the most important factors that determines a contractor’s credibility and profitability,” stresses Mr. K.P. Maheswarappa, the Project Manager of Tech Mahindra. “Therefore, to achieve our delivery target of 32 months, our first and most vital step was to thoroughly understand the project objective and scope of work.

The stringent project timelines and targeted milestones were then clearly communicated to all levels including the front line engineers & technical supervisors in the project team. Being a turnkey fast-track project, we also made sure that all other stake holders, spanning from the concept architect, design team, consultants, procurement team to the specialized agencies were all on board right from day one. Everyone on the project was thus aligned and working towards a common goal.

“Every aspect of execution was scrutinized to keep the project on track. Early and on time mobilization of infrastructure, workmen, creating the workmen colony & P&M helped us immeasurably. A clear and precise logistics plan was evolved to overcome the space constraint and setting infrastructure near the site ensured smooth progress of works. Next, detailed engineering and mock up approvals were obtained during the early stages of project and these in turn helped us to plan and procure all long lead items well before actual work started.

“Keeping each person abreast of things was an imperative for which we conducted daily, weekly and

monthly coordination meetings at site during which progress was reported as accurately and honestly as possible. We made it a point to be transparent and therefore were always aware of anything that could prevent us from prompt and effective decision making. These frequent meetings went a long way in pre-empting coordination issues among the various sections operating at the site and avoiding any loss of time and money in rework.

“The last and most important factor that was responsible for our timely delivery was the constant encouragement of good practices which were rewarded and motivated; milestone achievements were celebrated, all of which helped every individual to contribute to the success of the project and ensured relationship building with the client starting with the front line engineers.”

Expanding the IT hubThe project, awarded to B&F IC on a lump sum turnkey, design & build basis, the first of its kind for Tech Mahindra involved the construction of 3 towers - Information Technology Centres (ITC) 6, 7 & 8 along with ancillary buildings including STP of 2 X 320 KLD capacity, chiller plant, DG room of capacity 3 X


2000 kVA and a GIS building within an the existing campus of 5 other ITCs. As an eco-friendly, energy efficient green building, the project is aiming for an United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Gold rating.

Master planningEDRC, as the Principal Design Consultant, was mandated with the scope of developing the detailed structural design, the MEP design, architectural and inter disciplinary coordination, construction drawings for the structure, MEP, coordinate

service layouts along with review of the shop drawings and approvals. Rajinder Kumar Associates (RKA), New Delhi, were brought on board as the principal architect, who provided the building architecture for optimized utilization of available space. Satyavani Projects and Consultants, Hyderabad were the structural consultants with C.G. Clamair and Sai Charan Engineers as the MEP consultants.

The construction of ITC 6 commenced on 23rd January 2014 and that of ITC 7 & 8 on 17th February 2014 respectively.

Design & ArchitectureThe state-of-the-art Tech Mahindra camp in India’s Silicon Valley stands tall with its imposing façade and beautiful landscape. The structural design in all 3 towers is uniform with RC framework of predominantly post tensioned flat slabs. Conventional slabs are used only in the lift core areas. To adequately strengthen the structure, concrete grade of M60 was used for the columns up to the 2nd floor and M45 for the higher floors. PT slabs are 225 mm thick and designed with M45 grade, with spans of 11 m.

The façade is simplistic with ACP cladding, structural glass glazing and texture paint at selective areas to let in maximum daylight. The architectural façade design is contemporary and uses high performance glass for optimum energy utilization and maximum natural lighting for the work areas. The interesting cantilevers at different levels renders a unique composition and lends an occult balance to the façade.

Workplace design is vital. Employees, who spend several hours at a desk, have work spaces that are functional, visually appealing, comfortable, and inviting-all of which enhance productivity and efficiency. A variety of floorings including vitrified tiles, vinyls, false and granite floorings used in different areas of the office space add to the aesthetic appeal.

Buildings account for 50% of all carbon emissions. Hence, the design of building services plays a significant role towards sustainability, functioning and the energy demand of buildings. Building services engineering for the project comprise HVAC, electrical works, public health engineering, lifts, Building Management Systems, fire protection and fire alarm systems that all conform to the regulations laid down by USGBC and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

SALIENT FEATURES – TOWER 7 & 8

Built up Area 13.65 lakh sq.ft.

Seating Capacity 3141 nos.

Parking (including stacked) 2697 parking spaces

Facilities

y 7 conference rooms & 4 VC rooms

y Library

y Cafeteria with 476 seats

y 3 training rooms – 141 seats

y Basement stacked parking with CPMS

y ODCs

y Creche

SALIENT FEATURES – TOWER 6

Built up Area 4.65 lakhs sq. ft.

Seating Capacity 2158 nos.

Parking (including stacked) 400 nos.

Facilities

y 32 Labs

y Cafeteria with 646 seats

y Training rooms & VC rooms

y Basement parking with car park management system

y ODCs & conference rooms

y Corporate floor with executive dining & live conceptual room

y Gym

The collaborative design workshops involving all stake holders, namely the client’s infrastructure team, construction and planning teams and consultants regularly provided the necessary thrust to move forward in the right direction eliminating time-consuming bottlenecks and enabling smooth project progress. The design team also handled the challenging task of integrating the existing services with the new design despite the non-availability of any built drawings for the existing below the ground services. Multiple trail pits were dug to map the existing services and the EDRC design team had to provide coordinated solutions on a case-to-case basis.

The use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) helped to ensure integrated project delivery right from the design phase. Coordinated services drawings prepared using BIM and Navis works resulted in error-free and clash-free progress.


Technology that stands tallCreating strong foundations

Tech Mahindra is a unique project in many ways one of which is the depth of excavation work involved. The existing ITCs 1 to 5 and the new buildings were planned with minimum setback requirements to maximize the FSI of the project. ITC 6 has 3 basements while ITCs 7 & 8 have 4 basements each resulting in excavation depths of approximately 20 m. However, the clearance available for excavation was only 5 m in many zones. The shoring system had to be robust to mitigate the constraints. The soil consisted of sandy silt to an average depth of 11 m and weathered rock level varying between 11 m to 20 m from ground level. The net safe bearing capacity of the soil at the lowest basement level is 400 KN/

sq.m (ITC 6) and 450 KN/sq.m (ITC 7 & 8). Such deep excavations demanded special measures to stabilize the earth pressure for which a special shoring system with contiguous piling (M30 grade concrete) in most of the areas and soil nailing with shotcreting for areas with less working space were used.

During excavations for ITCs 7 & 8, the project team encountered a hard rock stratum posing a huge challenge to the progress of works. Despite the cost factor, to meet the ultimate objective of timely completion, the team employed the quicker and less noisy diamond rope cutting method for cutting and removing the hard rock strata.

Raising the structure

The total scope of concrete work for the towers and the buildings was about 90000 m3 and the project demanded

continuous supply of concrete to meet the cycle time. The central mix plant, an in house batching plant, with a capacity of 56 cu.m concrete per hour was setup adjacent to the construction site. Transit mixers transported concrete from the batching plant to the site and concrete was pumped to the location using mobile boom placers and static pumps that helped in achieving the cycle time and thereby faster completion. An average cycle time of 13 days and a best of 8 days were achieved, thanks to the coordinated efforts of all involved: the project execution team, subcontractors, supported by well-maintained equipment and the best efforts of the P&M team at site.

Formwork is yet another functional system that accelerates progress. L&T table formwork constituted the major scope of work and other forms like Flex and HDT systems were also used.


In table form, both the H20 and H16 beams are primary and secondary members respectively, connected to the props with a table head. The required number of table forms, as per floor area, was fabricated at ground level and then lifted to the upper levels using tower cranes. Three tower cranes were used independently for each of the towers. The table form was lowered and moved around the floors using hydraulically operated trolleys and shifted between floors using large C-frames and tower cranes.

Building Services

Being a brownfield project, the team had to ensure that the ongoing operations in the campus were not disrupted. Apart from the new facilities being developed, there was a requirement for augmenting the

existing services too. All the work was carried out within the limited weekend shut down periods and successfully completed largely due to the dedicated efforts of the MEP engineers, specialized vendors and service departments who pitched in to support the core team.

Team L&T installed new HT centrifugal chillers and a dedicated chilled water piping system (a combination of air-cooled and water-cooled chillers) for Towers 6 and 7. The old STP was dismantled and replaced with new STPs that use the Moving Bed Batch Reactor technology. Efficient internal lighting, occupancy / day lighting sensors in common areas, VFDs on secondary pumps and AHUs, CO2 sensors in return air duct, CO sensors in parking areas, energy efficient pumps, etc. are other key MEP features within the building.

All the Air Handling Units are fitted with MERV 13 as bag filters and MERV 8 as prefilters. The fire escape staircases and lift wells are pressurized by centralized pressurization fans on the roof top that activate on sensing smoke in the guest corridors/ common passages / lift lobbys and are capable of maintaining a positive pressure drop of 50 PA across the doors.

The power requirements are met by a 66 kV supply fed from the Bangalore State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. (BESCOM) which steps down to 11 kV and is fed to the HT panel located near the ITC blocks which further steps down to 11kV/433V by an oil type transformer and connects to the Main PCCs and HVAC PCC. The building receives emergency supply from 11 kV DG sets through synchronizing panels.

Project Tracking & Control

Know your target - was an initiative of the team to assign individual targets and responsibilities involving micro level planning using a dedicated spreadsheet that listed the next 24 hour target for each of the engineers and section heads at site. Every day, the target was so planned that ensured completion of milestones ahead of time.

The rate of successful progress in construction projects predominantly depend on the availability of resources – Men, Material & Machinery. One of the key drivers for the timely delivery of this project was initiating and getting all material mock up approvals from the architect and the client within the first 6 months, finalizing specialized agencies, ensuring release of all long lead

item orders and bringing all vendors associated with the project on board during the initial stage itself. Further, a robust tracking mechanism with weekly coordination and progress tracking with all stake holders helped staying on track at all times.

“Delivered in the given time frame!”The successful execution of the Tech Mahindra project was the result of a dedicated execution team, planning and control measures adopted in the pre-planning phase along with the positive attitude of the project manager and all the project participants including the service departments. This has also emerged to be the most important success attribute for quality compliance.

Customer satisfaction and quality was the motto of the project team right from the outset and in this process, the team followed stringent safety norms at every stage of execution.

“At the end of the day, only one thing matters – Customer Satisfaction”. During the inauguration of Tower 7, Mr. Shivanand Raja, Senior Vice President, Commercial & Corporate Services, Tech Mahindra appreciated Team L&T for their hard work and said, “L&T has been very transparent. They are completely professional and have a highly intelligent and experienced team which has delivered the project in the given time frame. I wish L&T good luck.”


Built with precision. Built with speed for speed!

Hero Moto Corp Ltd, Jaipur


An iconic 11-storied tower. A high-speed parabolic test track with 15 main tracks and 40

different surfaces. All of which to be built to the most exacting specifications and stringent timelines. The task was tough but the team delivered handsomely … and on time!

Wanted on time by allHero Motor’s world-class Global Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) at Kukus near Jaipur was a project that everyone wanted on time. Team L&T had a reputation to protect having

delivered the MISL Proving Ground project in Rohtak on time; for the client it was a matter of prestige. Therefore despite the initial delays in handing over the complete area for construction, as Ankit Mahajan, Planning In-charge of CIT Jaipur recounts, “the client was very particular that the project gets completed in time. In fact, at one of their plant inaugurations, their CMD actually announced the project completion date!” In many ways, it was a win-win situation for all.

The client could not be blamed for having lofty expectations from the

team because the project had been awarded to L&T on the strength of their impeccable track record in having previously met delivery and quality demands when executing similar projects. The scope was demanding: to construct test tracks of 40 different surfaces to simulate real world global and domestic road conditions with patterns varying from concrete surfaces to potholes, railway crossings to mud roads. Also part of the mandate was the design and construction of an Iconic tower, R&D labs, administration, cafeteria and other utility buildings, a helipad, a cantilever path, a boulevard

the test track, the team from the earlier project i.e. MSIL Proving Ground was mobilized. Common service departments for both jobs cut the cost of two setups. However, as Ankit points out, “we stuck to only one planning team for both the jobs for efficient deployment of resources. What’s more, with two different execution teams working side by side, there was always a healthy competition between them!” He smiles.

Constructing the test track was a real testThe test track spreads over 100 acres with 15 main tracks, 40 different surfaces and 16 km of several micro testing tracks and various corners inspired by several famous tracks across the world. Although, specialists from the successfully executed Rohtak project were involved at every stage of planning, the complexity of design, layout, gradient and different surfaces posed several construction challenges.

Vendor sourcing was the toughest and most time consuming as the high-tech, high-speed parabolic track required special equipment like paver with parabolic screed, specially designed static rollers and holders for all the paving equipment. Very few companies in the world possess the requisite capability to execute such projects primarily because none of this equipment is manufactured by any OEM today and contractors who do possess them do not share the technology for modification. The other road block was that the expected technical consultancy did not materialize and when it did, it was too expensive to consider.

Necessity is the mother of inventionWith foreign technical help not forthcoming, the attempts to source construction equipment from a Japanese contractor failing because of the exorbitant cost and time fast running

area with three structural bridges and a combined basement. All of these were taken up by B&F IC and completed and delivered in a record period of 26 months.

Two projects in one Since the scope for the building and test track were distinctly different, it made eminent sense for the team to view them as two projects in one. Two separate execution teams were identified. For the building part, the majority of the mobilization was done from the regular factories construction setup while for


out, the team took a bold decision to create an indigenous parabolic pave, the first of its kind in India and with the help of an Ahmedabad-based manufacturer, chosen after rigorous screening and tests, the paving was completed saving hugely on cost and time.

Transparency always worksIn a project of such complexity and time pressures, it was imperative to take the client along by making them part owners of the project. They were kept abreast of all important decisions like vendor selection. In fact, in the critical path for the construction of the 11 storied iconic tower, a few design changes were proposed to meet the construction timeline without altering the architectural view of the building which was readily agreed to by the client. Strict milestone-based monitoring ensured that progress was swift and as per schedule.

Apart from the client, all stakeholders involved in the project were regularly kept in the loop like the agencies involved for the façade works; the ACP and glass manufacturers and the glass processing agencies were roped in for weekly meetings and follow ups on their resource mobilization was done at the grass root level. Monthly meetings ensured that all were on the same page and equally aware of approaching deadlines.

Quality control specialists were identified for both packages while a common MRM was conducted on a monthly basis and good practices were shared between both the execution teams. The same concept was followed during the EHS monthly meetings as well. With internal finishes and MEP works being in the client’s scope, coordination between various agencies engaged was critical and issues, if any, were resolved in the weekly meetings held with the client, PMC, L&T and various contractors.

TeamworkThe P&M department played a major role in the day to day functioning and supported the execution team with a number of initiatives to increase speed and productivity of construction. Right from installation and commissioning of the batching plant to the erection of the tower crane, creating inroads and sourcing construction equipment, conceptualizing and developing the Parabolic Profile Paver and optimizing the utilization of the existing equipment, the P&M team significantly value-added to the project and the organization at large.

For stock inventory, there was enormous support from the formwork team who mobilized the material as per the project requirement without any delay. “The Cluster Project Manager was closely involved and hence keeping a relatively high stock

inventory in order to meet the project timeline was justified.”

Healthy cash flow Often, a project gets waylaid by lack of liquidity. In this case, cash flows remained healthy that went a long way in timely completion.

Recognition from where it matter most Appreciating the efforts of Team L&T in the construction, technology usage, quality, safety and speed, the CMD & CEO-Hero MotoCorp Ltd, Mr. Pawan Munjal stated that the testament of these efforts is the Platinum rating granted to the centre by Indian Green Building Council. “Thanks to L&T’s efforts in making our dream a reality.”


18 months to engineer a composite power system quickly and on time!132/33 kV Grid Stations at Amrat and Mabella-2 Installation of 132 kV OHL/132 kV cables in Muscat


The Sultanate of Oman is a country on the go! Apart from the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the

Sultanate has been ‘pushing’ forward several development initiatives that have given its economy a great fillip. Through robust industrialization and significant investments in infrastructure development, the Sultanate has successfully implemented several landmark schemes to address their growing utility needs. The power sector, in particular, has seen phenomenal growth driven by the Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) which controls the transmission and distribution of electricity at high voltages across the governorate. A trendsetter, OTEC has upgraded power infrastructure with several power transmission and distribution schemes across key regions to meet increasing power requirements and, at the same time, minimize voltage fluctuations.

L&T, as a preeminent player in powering the economies of the Middle East, has been ably partnering OETC’s objective of a more ‘Powerful’ Oman by executing

significant projects over the last two decades, the latest being the execution of a composite power infrastructure scheme at Amrat and Mabella-2 regions within the schedule of 18 months.

Understanding the mandate Conceptualized to mitigate the increasing power demands especially during the harsh summer months, strategically the scope of works comprised five distinct packages across two separate locations. It involved the construction of a new 132/33kV grid station with two 125 MVA transformers and installation of double circuit 132 kV overhead line from the existing 132 kV overhead line to the proposed 132/33 kV grid station at Amrat, extension and modification in existing feeders at 132/33 kV Mabella-1 grid station for adding new 132 kV cable feeders for the control of the proposed 132/33 kV Mabella-2 grid station. Part IV package comprised installation of 132 kV cables from the existing 132/33 kV Mabella-1

grid station to the proposed 132/33 kV Mabella-2 grid station and from the new 132/33 kV Mabella-2 grid station to the existing 132/33 kV Seed grid station. The remaining scope covered construction of a new 132/33 kV grid station with two 125 MVA transformers at Mabella-2.

Set the ball rollingTo start with, the project team addressed issues that very often act as speed breakers. They quickly obtained the necessary ground clearance approvals and environmental permits from Mulika and Krookie, the local municipal bodies, as the interlinking of power schemes between Amrat and Mabella-2 regions was spread across a 75 km jurisdiction that encompassed habitats, utility zones and critical cross overs. Further, there was an OETC safety audit on the mobilization process across the two locations where specifics such as setting up of project essentials covering workmen colony, work areas, store yards to facilitate execution of tasks were thoroughly inspected. The review was

completed at Mabella-2 by 30th April 2014 and at Amrat by 5th May 2014 and complete clearances were given to take up works.

Starting off together Time is always saved when multiple work fronts are opened. In this case too separate teams were formed to take up the different packages so that new construction works related to grid stations at both Amrat and Mabella-2 started simultaneously. While the transformers were issued by the client, most of the critical equipment such as GIS, cables and towers, all long lead items, had to be sourced. The project team listed out the critical work areas and put together a task force to follow up and ensure that the procurements were realized on time. While this process was on, relying on their past experience of having executed such GIS projects, the team formulated the basic dimensions of key equipment and went ahead with the designing of the buildings. Later on, the actual inputs received from the vendor were regularized. This innovative approach to execution ensured that most of the structures were

constructed well within the schedule. Further, this tactical approach was deployed to design the installation of other equipment as well which created sufficient lead time for the execution team to commence their electrical and mechanical activities.

Progressing in tandem A seamless execution plan was evolved to construct both the new 132/33 kV grid stations which was akin to handling separate job sites. The civil scope covered survey, ground works, foundation engineering, construction of multi-storey buildings for GIS, compound wall, trenches, tunnels, ducts, installation of structural support structures, road works, water supply system, storm water channels and car parking facilities. A major quantum of electrical and mechanical works executed comprised construction of 16 bays and 12 feeders for the 132 kV GIS and 48 panels for the 33 kV GIS, installation of four 33 kV 20 MVAR capacitor banks, control and relay panels, metering equipment, distribution boards, emergency lighting, firefighting systems, earthing and lighting protection systems, lightning

masts, installation, configuration and integration of the new FO MUX units into the existing OETC telecommunication network, telephony and substation control systems.

Ensuring smooth progress A minor span of the network involved laying of underground cable across 16 km and OHL works for close to 5 km at Mabella-2 required approvals from a cross-section of stake holders as the alignment was running close to habitats, power and gas lines. The Right of Way was ensured after interfacing with each utility service provider and the access way was determined only after a thorough study of the schematics of the existing utility as there were around 21 critical cross-overs. The factory acceptance test for the cables was planned in four lots so that the materials reached site in a phased manner enabling clearance for site activities and keeping the work ticking over. Further, the site team utilized the cable manufacturing timeline to complete the preparatory works such as excavation, compaction, sand bedding, road crossings and duct


banks for immediate laying of the cables. Similarly the alignment for the 132 kV OHL, initially routed through a hilly terrain, was realigned around a minimum gradient route for safe and speedy execution. Precise designing of the alignment coupled with the immediate commencement of benching and excavation works ensured that the team gained momentum in completing the critical stretches of the project. All these ensured that the completion target was well within the team’s sights.

Working around the constraints due to shutdownsIngenious methods were resorted to execute the critical upgradation works across the existing power infrastructure systems through precise planning banking on the seasonal demand for power and categorizing the activities as ‘without shutdown’ and ‘under shutdown’. Both the 132

kV GIS bay extension work at Mabella -1 GS and 132 kV OHL LILO at Amrat between Madina Sultan Qaboos and Jahloot regions were executed largely during the winter season when the load requirement was at a low with preparatory tasks such as tower installation, structural work, painting, fixing of accessories completed well in advance. To reduce the execution time the project team used tower designs from earlier projects to avoid type testing of towers. During the lean shutdown period of 35 days, only essential modifications and protection related works in the existing control and relay panels, SCADA were taken up which ensured seamless testing and commissioning of the upgraded power infrastructure system. The shutdown activity for the bay extension commenced on 12th November and was completed on 18th December 2014 while the OHL shutdown commenced on 5th December 2014 and was completed on 6th January 2015 with the line getting energized on 5th May 2015.

Crossing hurdles without breaking stride While precise planning ensured that the project was largely on track, there were a few instances that necessitated grave reviews especially with regard to the underground cabling works which had to be stopped midway as the alignment crossed a road proposal. Realizing the severity of the issue, a stake holders’ meet was immediately convened and it was only after several rounds of discussion that an alternative route was formulated for the areas where cables were not laid while special protection works were carried out in areas crossing over the upcoming road. None of these however stopped the team from completing the underground cabling works by 13th July 2015 as was contracted.

Sequencing heavy equipment movement The mechanical works of shifting and

installing a range of heavy equipment that comprised transformers and GIS systems was securely carried out post a thorough route survey and obtaining the requisite approvals from the Royal Oman Police. To facilitate easy shifting of materials, the main parts were dismantled and moved separately while the accessories were subsequently shifted. As the GIS systems were shipped from Germany, the factory acceptance test was completed at the Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEM) end and dispatch clearance was issued on 24th November 2014 with the equipment reaching Sohar port in January 2015. The shipment was cleared within 4 days from the port thanks to proper documentation and installation works commenced immediately after the material reached Amrat and Mabella-2. Some of the initiatives that fast tracked the integration of the GIS equipment at site included obtaining the installation schedule from the vendor, ensuring the OEM check-lists were fulfilled,

establishing structural support systems for the erection works, aligning to the high voltage testing as per the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Expediting the manufacturing process Preparation, submission and approval of 132 kV and 33 kV control and relay panels are always are time consuming as they are likely to be modified frequently before the final installation. To mitigate this issue, all drawings were submitted at one go to the client, consultant, testing and commissioning departments and revisions were comprehensively updated to the satisfaction of all the parties. To further make the process facile, timely visits were made by the site personnel to the manufacturer’s and likely revisions were directly passed on thereby ensuring prompt delivery of materials. The factory acceptance test was successfully completed on 17th and 18th December 2014 and dispatch clearance for the finished material was issued on 22nd December 2014. A similar approach was followed for the SCS and SCADA systems. The factory acceptance test was completed on 2nd December and 5th December 2015 at the OEM’s facility in Spain and dispatch clearance was obtained on 7th December 2014. This process enabled critical materials to reach the site by January 2015 thereby giving sufficient lead time to put the systems together.

All is well that ends well … in timeA long-standing client’s expectations were not only met but exceeded which has gone a long way in further reinforcing an already strong relationship. Through a combination of precise planning, foresight, preparations and perfect coordination, the team was able to deliver both projects in time; in fact the Amrat grid station was commissioned 87 days ahead of the contractual completion. Haste, in this case, made profits!


Delivering vital water infrastructure in time. Because water is always required urgently!Water supply and distribution schemes for Vellore


Team L&T of the TWAD Vellore Phase I had a huge mandate to quench the thirst of 20-lakh

plus people across Vellore, the largest district in Tamil Nadu, encompassing 11 municipalities, 5 town panchayats and 944 rural habitations. And, they delivered their mandate in time much to the delight of the client and of course the teeming, thirsty populace of Vellore. Further, they took up the execution of the subsequent two phases and commissioned one of the largest water supply and distribution schemes in the country spread across 300 km, again well ahead of the schedule! Here’s a vivid account of how they made it happen.

Setting the scope L&T Construction’s Water Supply and Distribution Business Unit was awarded Package I which comprised setting up of

a water infrastructure network across a distance of 79.26 km from Mettur dam to Kadathur. The scope also included the construction of an intake well, raw water pumping stations, a treatment plant, treated water pumping stations, booster pumping stations, sumps, pumping mains and allied works and maintenance for a five year on a DBOT basis.

Carrying the client along One of the major factors that hamstring projects that result in delays is lack of co-ordination between the various stakeholders and that was a greater threat in such a project that spanned three districts – Salem, Krishnagiri and Vellore. Team L&T ensured that there was seamless integration by establishing close knit units across the various work fronts through an exclusive WhatsApp

group connected 24/7 with the client who was able to review progress on a day to day basis. Issues, major or minor, were immediately and directly raised to the highest levels for instant mitigation so that nothing derailed the progress of the project.

Further, the Managing Director of TWAD convened a monthly on-field meeting by visiting the entire span where workable solutions were hammered out for any long-standing concerns. Being informed is half the battle won and in this case, the client was on the ball on all macro and micro aspects of the project through a transparent system of communication. Hence keeping the job on track became a shared responsibility.

Getting it right first time and earlyAs the Phase I works were taken up

on a EPC mode, the team was able to accommodate and address all the criticalities of execution at the design stage. This obviated the need of any major revisions while on-field which saved precious time. Moreover, since the subsequent phases – II & III were also awarded to L&T as an item rate contract, it was possible to synchronize the requirements along the line of execution and integrate the head works with the tail end works. A typical example was the construction and installation of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) with 6 reactor clarifiers in close proximity to the inlet works. In consultation with EDRC, a special type of formwork was designed to get the perfect circular shape for the clarifiers and a bracketing system was adopted to increase productivity. Similarly, the filter house was another critical area with 10 twin beds each having 7000 nozzles. Since the area was very congested for carrying out the formwork for nozzle slabs, a cast-in-situ method with tripod jacking technique and hanging platform was adopted. In this method the lower

portion of slab was scaffolded with a rigid tripod jacking mechanism and the shutter was completed with split type plywood which made access easier for carrying out reinforcement and nozzle fixing.

The entire WTP (13768 cu.m of concreting, 989 t of reinforcements, 60073 sq.m of shuttering, 27930 cu.m of excavation) was completed in a record time of 15 months.

Balancing cash flow To speed up works, the client approved 70% of the payment at site which facilitated procurement of heavy duty equipment such as pumps and vital accessories well in advance. A whole range of heavy equipment was efficiently installed which included 3 sets of 950 KW pumps with a capacity of 3760 cu.m/hr at the pump house and 9 sets of pumps (1600 KW/1400 KW/1150 KW) at the booster pumping station much ahead of schedule which enabled early testing and commissioning of the system.


Overcoming the issues of a wet wicket One of the most critical tasks involved construction of head works and intake works on an island-like mass (600 m wide) surrounded by the waters of river Cauvery and the surplus water from Mettur dam within a mean shutdown period of 32 days which was critically monitored by the farmers. A secure work strategy was formulated with a conventional method of earth replacement for accessing the land mass to mitigate a perennial water level of 8 m around the channel through the laying of well-graveled soil over the slush in a progressive manner to prevent sinking and seepage. An economic design enabled the construction of the entire structure within a limited space of 8.6 acres with provisions for future enhancements.

The major scope of the intake works included the construction of a raw water pump room of size and depth of 17 m x 11.00 m x 12.50 m over a RCC framed structure resting on a rock through RCC walls. The raw water is drawn from the river through an open 80 m long channel. Since the intake well was adjacent to the water column, coffer dams were constructed to arrest the seepage of water during the execution and as the depth of the well increased, the bund sizes were enhanced accordingly. Excavation was carried out by the progressive earth shifting method where multiple excavators were simultaneously engaged at different levels to shift the soil. The entire substructure was raised by adopting the sequential dewatering and concreting method. The raw water pumping main for conveying water from head works to the proposed treatment plant runs to about 100 m.

Rebuilding a vital bridge … in just 15 days! The project team planned to accomplish the installation of a 317 m long pipe carrying bridge with precast blocks over

21 piers and two abutments across the surplus weir of the river downstream to avoid water pressure during the monsoon. However, while at the peak of the foundation works, a massive flood hampered progress washing away reinforcement structures, the coffer dam and filling the excavated land with boulders. This called for reconstruction at key locations. Since precast slabs could not be erected in this mode, the entire pipe carrying bridge was redesigned using a cast-in-situ method with a fixed width of 4.72 m after calculating the minimum width required for erecting the pipeline over the slab. The process involved laying of a 1.5 m dia MS pipeline at a height of 22 m above the precast slab across the river with a running water level of 5 to 6 meters through a roller arrangement method and the pipes were then pulled with chain pulley blocks to the desired location and welded. Despite all these challenges, the entire span was completed in a record time of 15 days.


Enhancing the power infrastructure A new 33 kV double pole structure outdoor switchyard with one incoming and two outgoings power lines was constructed to power the 181 MLD plant operations and commissioned in 3 months. Again, time was saved because the approval of the electrical schemes came in a single submission after convincing the client/TANGEDO officials for maximum high tension power supply for the entire project.

Third eye monitoring from HQ In addition to the on-site scrutiny, the project had the advantage of being monitored 24/7 from HQ Chennai

through a surveillance system that was installed at the core works area. This enabled the senior management to constantly review the progress of works and provide real-time solutions as and when required. This facility was highly appreciated by the client and the audit teams during the work review and enabled the project to bag a slew of accolades.

Rerouting to find a quick way forward

A major portion of the alignment across phase III was along the arterial highway - NH 46 and getting permission to work across it was unlikely. To mitigate the issue, a revised route was proposed covering an additional 53 km along the Pallar River at a considerable cost which was

approved by the client that proved to be the defining factor to scale up the execution works as the major quantum of transmission works covered laying of 1500 mm dia mild steel spirally welded pipes with a thickness ranging from 10 mm to 14 mm to the pumping main across a cross section of terrains of hillocks, villages and crossings.

4.28 million safe hours shows that safety was followed tooHaving done the ground work, team L&T took up the initiative of ensuring that the trail runs were successfully conducted though the commissioning scope rested solely with the client. An internal plan at site ensured that the raw water was conveyed before treatment using the gravity mode

35ECC CONCORD, July - September 201634 ECC CONCORD, July - September 2016

and was thoroughly checked along the alignment. A quality lab was also established at site to have firsthand control of the testing process which complemented stringent work procedures and enabled the site achieve a zero incident record of 4.28 million safe man-hours.

Automating operations A state-of-the-art Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) was installed which enabled the TWAD authorities to have complete

information of water parameters such as flow and pressure from the main control center. While signing off from this signature project, the site team has the obligation of providing operations and maintenance support for a 5 year period which the Water Supply and Distribution Business is adept in rendering across most large scale water infrastructure projects.

Signed, sealed and delivered in timeIt was a tough mandate and despite the several setbacks, the project

was completed in time thanks to an understanding and accommodative client who was always kept in the loop and participated in the decision-making process to overcome bottlenecks and keep the project on track. Not only is it a sterling example to other project heads and managers; It was indeed a fine example of excellent relational contracting!

New Orders

New orders that auger well for a robust growth

With focus trained on better water management, L&T Construction was able to bag several schemes that benefit irrigation

and water distribution in the second quarter. In a recent win, the Company’s Heavy Civil Infrastructure IC along with its partner, PES Engineers Private Limited, bagged a major order from the Irrigation and Command Area Development Department (I&CAD), Government of Telangana, for the construction of a barrage with radial gates, hoisting arrangements including formation of guide bunds on either side of the barrage across river Godavari at Medigadda, Mahadevapur in the district of Karimnagar, Telangana. The business also won major defence orders apart from orders in the metro segment to construct elevated viaducts and station buildings.

The Water and Effluent Treatment IC secured orders from the Water Resources Department of Madhya Pradesh for the construction of a balancing reservoir, distribution chamber and pumping station at Bansujara left bank’s main canal in the Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh. The project will bring 75000 hectares under irrigation. Another order for the construction of a 30 MLD Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) using Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) technology along with an associated pumping station was bagged from Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

The WET business also secured orders from the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) for the construction of a second water storage reservoir at their Visakhapatnam Steel Plant apart from bagging a 24/7 pressurized water supply project for Tumkuru city and a storm water drainage scheme for Vijayawada.

The Power Transmission & Distribution IC won the mandate to construct gas insulated substations in the cities of Vadodara, Navasari, Pune, and Gwalior and another from PGCIL for the construction of 400kV Double Circuit Mundra – Bhuj Transmission Line in Gujarat. Other orders include rural electrification works under the Integrated Power Development Scheme and an electrification job in Odisha. Under

the Urban Electrification project, an order for the design and construction of new substations, feeders and upgradation of Kanpur city’s electricity network in Uttar Pradesh was bagged that will significantly improve availability, reliability and quality of power supply in the district.

On the international front, PT&D IC secured an order from a National Grid Saudi Arabia (a subsidiary of Saudi Electricity Company) for the construction of 132 kV double circuit transmission line and 132 kV cabling in the Rafah, Arar, and Sakaka areas of Saudi Arabia apart from a couple of substation projects in the Middle East. Other wins include medium voltage distribution substations and underground cabling works from Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) in Malawi, Africa.

The Smart World business bagged an order from Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation (BSEDC) for the implementation of a Wi-Fi Project in the campuses of government universities, constituent colleges and other premier academic institutions in Bihar. The business has also secured an order from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for engineering, supply, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of Wi-Fi hotspots and Wi-Fi offload systems on turnkey basis for the Southern & Western States of India. The scope of work includes installation of Wi-Fi Access Points (AP), provisioning of bandwidth connectivity to the Access Points (AP) and integration with the existing network.

A breakthrough order was secured by the Building and Factories business from a reputed paint manufacturing company for the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Karnataka apart from construction of software development blocks and a couple of residential projects.

35ECC CONCORD, July - September 2016

Edited by Vinod Jacob Chacko for L&T Construction from L&T Construction Headquarters, Manapakkam, Chennai - 600 089. Associate Editor: Gopi Kannan. S, Editorial team: V. Ramesh Kumar | Ashwin Chand | Mayura. K, Photography: V. S. Natanavelu | R. Vijay Kumar, Design & layout: Global Print Design, Chennai

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Management. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor. Not for sale. Only for free circulation among employees of L&T Construction and their customers.

L&T Construction’s Smart World & Communication Business Unit bagged two awards for ‘Smart Security Initiative and ‘Smart City Surveillance Initiative’ at the recently concluded Asia Smart Cities event organized by CMO Asia in Singapore. The SW&C BU which has been making a continuous impact in the security and smart cities arena was conferred the award for implementing smart safety and security spectrum for the Mumbai City Surveillance project.

Mr. R. Srinivasan Vice President & Head, Smart World & Communication BU and Mr. S. Rajavel, Senior Vice President & Head, Water, Smart World & Communication along with senior executives of SW&C BU received the awards at CMO’s Mumbai office. This prestigious award is given to

organizations and projects for their innovative smart city strategies and solutions to transform cities in the field of technology to make cities more secure, livable, sustainable and economically viable.

For more than a decade, the Chief Marketing Officers’ (CMO) Council has been driving thought leadership and advocacy as a global knowledge transfer agent for thousands of senior marketing professionals worldwide. It has 7,000-plus members in more than 110 countries, control more than $400 billion in annual marketing spend and represent many of the most progressive and adept multi-national brands, regional business powerhouses, and nimble emerging growth companies in both established and developing nations.

L&T’s Smart World business bags Innovation & Excellence awards for Safety & Policing at

Asia Smart Cities, Singapore

Documents

In-house Journal of L&T Construction Volume - 39, Issue ...lntecc.com/homepage/documents/concord_jul16.pdfThey then re-approached L&T and after getting in touch with others in the