Logistical and Structural Design Challenges of the World's Tallest
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ctbuh.org/papers Title: Logistical and Structural Design Challenges of the World’s Tallest Statue Authors: William Howell, Project Manager, Turner Construction Company Jairam Panch, Vice President & Managing Director, Turner Construction Company Mandar Nadkarni, Associate Director, Meinhardt James Wisniewski, Senior Associate Architect, Michael Graves & Associates Subjects: Architectural/Design Building Case Study Façade Design Geotechnic/Foundation Structural Engineering Wind Engineering Keywords: Core Façade Foundation Structural Engineering Publication Date: 2015 Original Publication: Asia & Australasia: A Selection of Written Works on the World's Tall Building Forefront Paper Type: 1. Book chapter/Part chapter 2. Journal paper 3. Conference proceeding 4. Unpublished conference paper 5. Magazine article 6. Unpublished © Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat / William Howell; Jairam Panch; Mandar Nadkarni; James Wisniewski Logistical and Structural Design Challenges of the World’s Tallest Statue William Howell, Project Manager & Jairam Panch, Vice President & Managing Director, Turner Construction; Mandar Nadkarni, Associate Director, Meinhardt; James Wisniewski, Senior Associate Architect, Michael Graves & Associates The Statue of Unity, a statue of Sardar to as “SVPRET” or “the Trust”) a plan was Sardar Sarovar Dam, presents significant Vallabhbhai Patel, is slated to be the world’s implemented to construct a memorial design and logistical challenges. tallest statue at 182 meters in height. It will site including the world’s tallest statue be constructed at the Sadhu-Bet Island, 3.5 commemorating the Iron Man of India, The structural design philosophy, kilometers south of Sardar Sarovar Dam at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. To initiate the conceptual design, and logistical challenges design and construction, a joint venture (JV) for the statue itself were examined, as Kevadia in the Narmada district of Gujarat, team was selected in 2011 for combined culminated by the JV team from their India. Following the conceptual design, design, and project and construction appointment in 2011, which was built upon planning, and programming of the authors, management (PM-CM) services. The JV team previous years of work by the Trust and their the project has been successfully tendered included Turner Project Management India site and planning consultants. and the design-completion and construction Pvt. Ltd, with Michael Graves and Associates began in 2015. The project is expected to be as the architects, and Meinhardt India Pvt. The main contractor bid process was completed in 2018. Logistical and structural Ltd as the multidisciplinary engineers. completed on October 27, 2014, when challenges associated with the conceptual the EPC contract was awarded to L&T Ltd. design and planning were among the many The project comprises the 182-meter tall Chennai. L&T, whom, along with their challenges facing this project. Downstream statue of Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a prestigious consultant team, will further of the Narmada Dam, the Statue of Unity 3.5-kilometer highway connecting Sadhu develop and enhance the design with project is surrounded by remote, mountainous Island to Kevadia, a hotel, a convention center, oversight from the JV team. a memorial garden, and a Visitor Center. terrain presenting extraordinary difficulties. The The structure has an irregular curved form that statue, with exposed feet and lower legs—i.e., The Trust decided to pursue a design-build is larger at the top than at the base, requiring inverse proportions to all other large statues— strategy and thus the JV team’s scope a unique but simple and constructible posed significant structural design challenges included the concept design along with PM- structural system. This was accomplished requiring unconventional structural solutions. CM management for the duration of through the intense collaboration of the JV the project. team, and resulted in a structure comprised of a pair of cylindrical composite concrete Under the members of the Executive The iconic statue, standing atop the cores acting as the primary gravity and lateral Committee of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (recently leveled) Sadhu-Bet Island, system with a suspended space frame to Rashtriya Ekta Trust (hereinafter referred approximately 3.5 kilometers south of the support the cladding. 72 The statue contains a viewing gallery of this paper, additional geotechnical testing Opposite: Hillock circa 2013 (left) and being leveled as of early at the 153-meter elevation, which can of the hillock has been completed and the 2015 (right). Source: Turner Construction accommodate up to 200 visitors at a time leveling of the hillock has started in March Top: Overview of the statue. Source: Michael Graves Associates and will offer an expansive view of the dam of 2015. The stone removed in the leveling and the surrounding environment. process will be used as backfill where the hillock edges need to be built-up at the Logistics & Materials edges of the hillock supporting the podium. The height and uniqueness of the statue The hillock has several facture planes that structure would make the design and have been detected which will require construction of it difficult in almost remediation, via epoxy or grout injection any location. In the case of the statue, and grouted anchor rods, as part of the considering the relatively remote location (a foundation construction. four-hour drive from Ahmedabad or a two- hour drive from Baroda, the nearest airports) The proximity to the Narmada dam, an and that the statue will be constructed immense and monumental structure in its atop a small hillock in a river basin just own right, is a considerable benefit to the downstream from the Narmada dam statue construction. Although very different material delivery, staging, and erection also in the type of construction and materials, the posed unique challenges. As of the writing dam’s initial construction and subsequent 73 Right: Construction sequence space frame. Source: Michael Graves Associates Opposite: Structural connections concepts – core wall to steel space frame connected to composite columns or cast-in embeds and space frame to cladding sub-frame. Source: Meinhardt Group additions has proven that large quantities Several options were evaluated for the suspended space frame can be either of high quality concrete can be mixed and maintaining access to the island during welded or bolted in place. placed in this mountainous and remote the Monsoon floods. These included a region. However, the challenge at the site cofferdam, a rock bridge, and an elevated For simplicity, the space frame attachments will be in achieving the required concrete steel bridge. have been kept to a radial module of 45 strength. Although the dam utilized degrees around the cores, and with a concrete with a strength of approximately Access to the island is planned via two uniform vertical distribution of horizontal 16 MPa (160 kg/cm2) (Charlwood, 2009), methods. Primarily, a built-up rock bridge primary members at 11 meters. The lengths the design of the statue (including the which will be constructed at the normal of the horizontal and diagonal struts are to podium and foundation) calls for concrete flood level, and then a Bailey bridge will be be adjusted in length to meet the statue’s strengths from 40 MPa up to 65 MPa (fcu). constructed above the high flood levels. exterior profile. W360 (W14) wide flange The statue will require approximately The Bailey bridge will have two lanes, structural steel shapes have been utilized 52,000 m3 of concrete, reinforced with one dedicated to vehicle and material for the primary core and space frame approximately 12,000 tonnes of grade movement, and the second dedicated to members to allow for simple flange-to- 500 MPa rebar. Additionally, the statue worker access. flange connections. composite cores, suspended space frame, cladding substructure, and podium framing Laydown and fabrication areas will be The two proposed alternatives for will comprise approximately 5,000 tonnes established on the land side, near the connecting the suspended space frame of structural steel with a minimum grade entrance to the Bailey bridge. members to the composite core included: of 355 MPa. The structural steel in the cores and space frame of the statue is comprised Materials will be delivered to the island via 1. Bolted W360 stubs, shop-welded of W360 (W14) I-shapes. The concrete will the Bailey bridge and placed via two tower to the internal steel shapes in the be supplied from site batching plants. The cranes and several mobile cranes. cores, that breach the core wall to rebar will be supplied locally. However, the allow for bolted field connections structural steel will likely be imported. As part of a ‘Loha’ campaign, iron tools 2. Field welded connections to embed have been collected from farmers across plates that are welded to the internal While the required material quantities are India with the intent of it being melted steel shapes in the cores. (These significant, they pale in comparison to the and converted into rebar for use in the types of connections are typically quantities required for the dam construction statue foundation. Thus the people, and in used for steel beam to concrete core and the JV team was confident that these particular, the farmers of India, will be an connections, albeit typically with quantities could be transported via trucks, integral part of statue structure. straight concrete walls.) barges,