Lighter, Smarter Roofs To Shape Phase-2 Stations
‘PEB’ Pillar Erection
Nagpur: Maha Metro on Thursday kicked off station-building works for its Phase-2 network with the erection of the first pre-engineered building (PEB) column at the elevated Lok Vihar Metro station on the Automotive Square-Kanhan corridor. The step also marks the rollout of a redesigned station roof system that cuts steel consumption by nearly half while aiming to speed up construction and reduce costs.Unlike conventional station roofs, the PEB system uses steel members that are fabricated off-site and assembled at the construction location, reducing on-site work and allowing quicker installation. Maha Metro officials said the revised design introduced for Phase-2 is significantly lighter than that used earlier, while retaining the strength required for metro operations.The new roof design uses slimmer steel columns, a simpler curved roof and fewer side extensions, while some heavy steel sections have been replaced with lighter supports. As a result, the amount of steel needed for each station has dropped from about 230 metric tonnes to nearly 120 metric tonnes — a saving of around 110 metric tonnes per station.Despite the reduction in steel, the roofs have been designed to accommodate solar panels, allowing stations to generate renewable energy after commissioning. Officials said the lighter structures will also be easier to transport, lift and erect, helping contractors complete station buildings in a shorter time.With the first PEB column now in place at Lok Vihar, Maha Metro is expected to gradually begin similar station-building works across other Phase-2 corridors. Officials said the simplified structural design is expected to improve construction efficiency, reduce material consumption and support timely completion of the expansion project while keeping long-term sustainability in focus.
