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Tuesday, 24 June 2014 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Access Engineering Plc said yesterday it has successfully completed the country’s largest pilling contract as part of the Outer Circular Highway project.
The proposed Outer Circular Highway which is developed as four lanes with a design speed of 100 km/h will be an external link to the key expressways the Southern Expressway, the Katunayaka-Colombo Expressway and Colombo-Kandy Expressway.
Once completed, OCH will enable motorists plying on those roads to reach respective destinations bypassing Colombo city.
Construction of the OCH project is executed in three sections; Kottawa-Kaduwela, Kaduwela-Kadawatha and Kadawatha-Kerawalapitiya. The first section or Kottawa-Kaduwela section of the OCH was recently declared open by President Mahinda Rajapaksa whilst steady progress is being made in section 2 scheduled for completion during the second half of 2015.
Piling work in OCH section 2 was entrusted to Access Engineering PLC by the main contractor Taisei Corporation; one of the leading construction companies from Japan.
The piling work completed by Access Engineering PLC at OCH includes construction and testing of 1,700 cast-in-situ bored piles. Piles which are 1500 mm in diameter are driven to an average depth of 11.8 m. And these piles support superstructures of the bridges and viaducts which meet a total of 6.5 km in length. This comprehensive assignment has been successfully completed by Access Engineering PLC utilising their specialised equipments and expertise.
“Part of the project required piling in the Kelani River which always was challenging where we initially had to create dry environments with cofferdams to proceed with the work,” said OCH Piling Project Manager Pivithiri Jayasinghe. “Our construction crew worked through harsh weather conditions while adhering to numerous environmental regulations to complete this complex task on time,” he added.
“This project to date is the single largest awarded or completed piling contract undertaken by a Sri Lankan Construction Company. With every project we undertake, we are thrust into the spotlight where we demonstrate our contribution and commitment towards the rapid development phase put in to action by the Government,” Jayasinghe added.
