Retaining Structures for Grade Separations

Chandra Chandrasekaran and Bhupatindra G. Vaidya

Abstract

Over the next eight years, the State Government will deliver a coordinated program to remove 50 of the worst level crossings in Melbourne, improving safety, reducing congestion and enabling more frequent train services. Solutions which involve lowering of road or rail below ground level typically require carefully engineered retaining structures to minimise impacts on existing infrastructure and congested adjacent environments. This presentation will share the experience gained during design and construction of three grade separations recently completed in Melbourne. It will include an examination of geological and hydrogeological constraints at these sites, existing infrastructure, types of retaining structures used and field experience gained during construction.

About the speakers

Chandra Chandrasekaran and Bhupatindra G. Vaidya are Principal Geotechnical Engineers with WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff with a combined 50 years of geotechnical design experience.

Chandra has wide ranging experience in civil and geotechnical engineering projects in Australia, Asia and the Middle East. In particular, he has extensive experience in the design and construction of temporary and permanent works for deep excavations, vertical shafts, deep foundation systems, soil improvement works, rock slope stabilisation works, and risk assessment studies for excavation and tunnelling works, as well as instrumentation and monitoring. Chandra led the geotechnical design of two grade separations on the Regional Rail Link project, prepared the business case design for the Mitcham Road and Rooks Road Grade Separation and was a geotechnical reviewer for the Springvale Level Crossing Removal Project.

Vaidya has 26 years of practical experience in geotechnical engineering projects in Australia and Asia. He has wide experience in the planning of site investigations and geotechnical design of structures including retaining walls for deep excavations, slope stabilisation, foundations, planning of geotechnical instrumentation and assessment of instrumentation results. Vaidya led the geotechnical design for the Springvale Level Crossing Removal Project and was geotechnical reviewer on the Regional Rail Link Project, Footscray to Deer Park.

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