Approaching a giant

A colossal statue of Sardar Patel, a giant of the Indian independence movement, has been constructed on a small river island in the Indian state of Gujarat – with access to the island provided by a series of new bridges

With a height of 182 metres (597 feet), the Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world – almost four times the height of the Statue of Liberty in New York, excluding pedestals. The island on which it stands is located close to the enormous Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River, towards which the statue faces. Therefore, the island now offers visitors breath-taking views, not only of the statue but also of the nearby dam. The project design specifications included the requirement for structures to be able to withstand earthquakes measuring up to 6.5 on the Richter scale, at a depth of up to 10 km and within a radius of 12 km.

Access to the island is via a series of new bridges, including a 330m-long main bridge. These bridges are equipped with 169 mageba bridge bearings – RESTON®POT pot bearings and RESTON®SPHERICAL spherical bearings for vertical loads of up to 10,500 kN, and RESTON®FORCE bearings for horizontal loads of up to 5,900 kN. mageba also supervised installation of the bridge bearings on site to maximise long-term service, helping to ensure uninterrupted access to this monument to an icon of modern Indian history for many years to come.

Project design and construction: Larsen & Toubro
Project supervision: Turner Construction, Michael Graves & Associates and Meinhardt Group
Owner: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust

With a height of 182 metres, the Statue of Unity in India is the tallest statue in the world

The monument is located on a small island which will be accessed by a series of new bridges – the construction of which required 169 mageba bearings

A RESTON®FORCE structural bearing, designed to resist horizontal loads of up to 5,900 kN, as fabricated by mageba in Kolkata

A RESTON®POT bearing, complete with anchor plates designed for large horizontal forces, during installation under mageba supervision

Inspection of installed bearings before removal of temporary superstructure supports