L&T builds world’s tallest statue in India

Statue of Unity (SoU) dedicated to the Iron Man of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 

Larsen and Toubro (L&T), an Indian multinational leader in technology, construction and engineering, has completed the construction of the world’s tallest statue in India in a record time of 33 months.

The 182m (597 ft) tall, the steel, concrete and brass-clad Statue of Unity (SoU) dedicated to the Iron Man of India,SardarVallabhbhai Patel, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October.

The Buildings and Factories business of the construction arm of L&T had won this prestigious EPC contract for the design and construction of the Statue of Unity from the Government of Gujarat in October 2014 and construction of the raft of the statue began in December 2015.

The SoU, on the Sadhu Bet Island, approximately 3.5 km south of SardarSarovar Dam at Kevadia in the Narmada District of Gujarat.

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director S. N.Subrahmanyansaid: “The Statue of Unity, apart from being a symbol of national pride and integration is also a tribute to India’s engineering skills and project management abilities. Larsen and Toubro has delivered several projects of national significance and we are proud to be associated with building the world’s tallest statue, which is a fitting homage to the Iron Man of India –SardarVallabhbhai Patel.” Subrahmanyan added: “Our engineering and construction teams along with the architects, the sculptor, and reputed global consultants, have realised this dream of honourable Prime Minister into reality in record time. Our commitment to scale, speed and quality in engineering has yielded this desired outcome, which is not only structurally superior but aesthetically appealing as well.”

“It is indeed a tremendous achievement by the Buildings and Factories business vertical,” said Whole Time Director andSenior Executive Vice President – Buildings, Minerals and MetalsM. V.Satish. “Right from concept through the entire process of developing the design, the features and characteristics of the statue, the engineering, project planning, logistics, cost controls, were all managed extremely efficiently and reflects a triumph of teamwork. We are proud to have built a monument that makes the country proud and delighted that through this we are honouring a towering Indian personality.”

The SoU complex comprises an exhibition centre at its base, a memorial garden, a designer bridge connecting Sadhu Island with the mainland along the Narmada River, an internal roadway of 5 km length, improvements to the existing roads /bridges/ culverts connecting the area of Sadhu Island. It also hosts an administrative complex and a star-rated hotel (Shrestha Bharat Bhavan) and a conference centre.

The statue, a towering piece of engineering by L&T, is conceived as a naturalistic depiction of Sardar Patel in his characteristic garb in a walking pose. It rises out of a star-shaped, geometric base that covers the entire Sadhu Hill.

The statue has a unique, slender width to height ratio, far more exacting than existing technical norms that call for special engineering considerations. The structure has two vertical cores each housing a high-speed passenger elevator. The vertical cores support the steel frames to which about 6,500 bronze panels are clad. A viewing gallery at the level at the chest, can accommodate up to 200 visitors at one go and affords a breath-taking view of the SardarSarovar dam and its environs.