THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 History …………………………………………. 4

1.2 Architect of statue of unity …………………. 5
2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Why India needs statue of unity ……………………. 6

2.2 The Tallest statue in the world ……………………. 9
2.3 Engineering challenges ……………………... 11
2.4 Materials used in statue …………………….. 14
3. METHODOLOGY

3.1 Structural design ……………………………… 16

3.2 Construction ……………………………… 17
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Funding ………………………………… 20

4.2 Tourism ………………………………… 21
5. CONCLUSION ………………………………… 23
6. REFERENCES ………………………………….. 24

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 1

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

LIST OF FIGURE

SL LIST OF PAGE
TITLE
FIGURES NO
NO

1 1.1 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 3

2 1.2 Ram V. Sutar 4

3 2.1 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 5

4 2.2 Statue of Liberty 6

Leaders of India's Freedom Struggle in

5 2.3 7
Deliberation

6 2.4 The Tallest statue in the World 8

7 2.5 Infrastructure ‘Statue of Unity’ (SOU) 9-10

8 2.6 Iron Man of India 11

9 2.7 Walking pose of the Sardar 11

10 2.8 The face of the Sardar 12

11 2.9 Bailey’s Bridge 13

12 2.10 Materials used in statue 14

13 3.1 Construction of statue 16

14 3.2 Launched by Narendra Modi 18

15 3.3 Infrastructure of statue 19

16 4.1 Funding for project 20

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 2

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

17 4.2 The statue lit at the night 21

18 4.3 Light and sound show 22

19 4.4 Statue of Unity, as seen from the highway 22

20 4.5 Statue of Unity, as seen across the lawns. 23

21 4.6 Signage and map at Statue of Unity. 23

22 4.7 Map and direction indicators to the exhibition gallery 23

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 3

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

CHAPTER-1
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 HISTORY
Narendra Modi first announced the project to commemorate Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel on 7 October 2010 at a press conference to mark the
beginning of his 10th year as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. At the time, the
project was dubbed, "Gujarat's tribute to the nation". A special purpose vehicle
named the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) was
constituted by the Government of Gujarat for executing the project.

Fig.1.1 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

An outreach drive named the Statue of Unity Movement was started to
support the construction of the statue. It helped collect the iron needed for the
statue by asking farmers to donate their used farming instruments. By 2016,
total 135 metric tonnes of scrap iron had been collected and about 109 tonnes
of it was used to make the foundation of the statue after processing.A marathon
entitled Run For Unity was held on 15 December 2013 in Surat in support of
the project.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 4

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

1.2 ARCHITECT OF STATUE OF UNITY

Fig.1.2 Ram V. Sutar

The nearly 600-foot-tall Statue of Unity, completed on November 1, is a bronze

duplicate of India’s first deputy prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It was
designed and master planned by Michael Graves Architecture & Design ( MGA) and
is intended to anchor what will eventually become a resort.

The monument took eight years to design and four to build. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, at the time still the chief minister of Gujarat, first proposed the sculpture
in 2010 and construction began in 2014. The statue proper, designed by Indian
sculptor Ram V. Sutar, reaches nearly 50-stories tall and sits on a three- tiered base
that boosts the height to its record-breaking status.

The geometrically-sculpted base sits on its own riverine island and is connected to
the mainland via a pedestrian and road bridge. Inside, guests are met with a visitor’s
center, hotel, and an exhibition hall, all of which is topped with a memorial garden.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 5

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

CHAPTER-2
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Why India needs statue of Unity

Fig.2.1 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

If there is one country in the world that understands the importance of national unity,
it is the United States of America. After all it fought a civil war to preserve it. That’s
why the first memorial to Abraham Lincoln, the man who fought to keep the country
together, came up in 1868, just three years after his assassination, at the District of
Columbia City Hall.
But that was not enough. By the turn of the century, demand had grown for a grander
memorial. With a $300,000 budget, and after raising its height to 19 feet because 10
feet just didn’t seem tall enough, it was inaugurated in 1922.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 6

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

Fig 2.2 Statue of Liberty

Remarkably, this social investment was made during the Roaring Twenties, a
decade when the US economy grew by 42 per cent and mass manufacturing brought
consumer goods within reach of more Americans than ever before.

India is experiencing a similar rate of economic growth, but that’s not the only reason
why a 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — twice the height of the Statue
of Liberty — seems apt right now.
The Lincoln memorials were built to remind a once deeply divided country about
the man who brought it together. It is worth remembering that they were built by
people worrying about a country where people spoke one primary language and
followed one principal faith — two of the most potent reasons that break nations
apart.
There was, of course, no such uniformity of language or religion in India that more
than five hundred princely states could be merged — without, as Soviet premier
Nikolai Bulganin noted, eliminating the princes. That no royal head rolled during
the integration of princely states with British India
to create the modern nation state was almost entirely due to Vallabhbhai Patel.
Moreover, as Patel biographer P. N. Chopra noted, “Sardar’s India was greater in
size than that of Samudragupta, Asoka and Akbar, and the writ of the Centre wielded
an authority and respect never dreamt of by these great rulers.” This is why it is apt
that the statue of Patel is called the “Statue of Unity”.
There are at least 15 statues of Jawaharlal Nehru around India, including by Ram,

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 7

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

Gandhi in nearly 70 countries, one of the most recent being the one that came up in
2015 at London’s Parliament Square, after a well-publicised campaign led by
economist-politician Meghnad Desai.
True, Patel also had a couple of statues to his name, but none that recognised his
contribution to the national movement on par — as it undoubtedly was — with
Gandhi and Nehru. That is why, when Rajmohan Gandhi wrote his book on Patel
more than two decades ago, he complained that while praise given to Gandhi was
dutiful, and to Nehru fulsome, it was niggardly about Patel.

Fig.2.3 Leaders of India's Freedom Struggle in Deliberation

This concern is supported by a couple of telling examples. Nehru got a Bharat Ratna
as a sitting prime minister in 1955, while Patel’s award had to wait till 1991. Gandhi
and Nehru even got their own adjectives – Gandhian and Nehruvian – but there is
no ‘Patelian’.
This is so because Patel’s contribution has barely been recognised in the way Indian
history is learnt. Most Indians do not understand that the map that they have been
taught to call India would not exist, or would look very different, without
Vallabhbhai Patel.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 8

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

But perhaps the most important void that the Statue of Unity might fill is that of the
trio that led India’s struggle for freedom only Patel never told his story. Both Gandhi
and Nehru wrote voluminously about the saga as they saw it. But Patel, when asked
by his daughter why he didn’t write his version, famously said that some write
history and others create it.
But this statue might just fill the gap.
2.2 The Tallest statue in the World
The ‘Statue of Unity’ (SOU) is dedicated to the Iron Man of India,
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Sardar Patel is widely considered to be the architect of modern India.
The SoU will stand tall as an inspiration to future generations, a reminder of Sardar
Patel’s sterling contribution.At 182 meters from the road entry and 208.5 meters
from the river entry, the SoU will be the tallest statue in the world; taller than the
153 m tall Spring Temple Buddha in China and almost twice as tall as the world
famous Statue of Liberty in New York.
For a sense of its height, the statue is 100 times larger than a man of average height
of about 5 to 5 and a half feet!

Fig.2.4 The Tallest statue in the World

The statue and more……

▣ An exhibition centre at its base showcasing the life and achievements of
Sardar Patel

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 9

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

▣ A 320 m long designer bridge connecting Sadhu Hill to the mainland

▣ A memorial and visitors’ centre
▣ 4-lane approach road
▣ An administrative complex, 3-star hotel and conference centre
▣ A 40-m suspended fabric roof structure for the visitors’ centre

Fig.2.5.1Exhibition centre Fig.2.5.2 Conference centre

Fig.2.5.3 4-lane approach road Fig.2.5.4 Suspended fabric roof

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 10

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

Fig.2.5.5 Museum Fig.2.5.6 Elevator

Fig.2.5. ‘Statue of Unity’ (SOU)

2.3 Engineering Challenges

Wind, Earthquakes
▣ Natural factors like wind and earthquakes posed stiff challenges.
▣ Situated right in the middle of the river Narmada, the statue is exposed to the
tunnel effect of winds blowing down the river.
▣ Studies of wind patterns over the years revealed wind speeds of 39 m per
second (roughly translated into 130 km/hr. ) could buffet the statue in a worst-
case scenario.
▣ The statue has been engineered to withstand wind speeds of up to 50 m per
second (almost 180 km/hr. ).
▣ The challenge is not only of the wind blowing against the statue but the
succession effect it creates at the back of the statue that had to considered in
the structural design.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 11

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

Fig.2.6 Iron Man of India

Walking pose of the Sardar

▣ The Sardar’s legs are clad in a dhoti, his feet in chappals and in a walking
pose that means that the statue is most slender at the base.
▣ The walking pose also opened up a gap of 6.4 meters between the two feet
which then had to be tested to withstand wind velocity.

Fig.2.7 Walking pose of the Sardar

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 12

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25
The face
▣ Another challenge came in the form of the look of the statue.
▣ Since Patel’s face was an important aspect, special care was taken in casting
the facial features that had to be as close as possible to the Sardar’s face.
▣ The statue is also supposed to appear as if it is walking on water, towards the
Sardar Sarovar dam, with its left leg slightly forward.
▣ The actual features of the Sardar were decided through a participative
exercise involving thousands of people.
▣ A mock-up was created and exhibited for people to see and comment on it.

Fig.2.8. The face

Movement of Men and Material

▣ The statue is located amidst remote, mountainous terrain, which posed
enormous difficulties in delivery of materials. A temporary Bailey’s bridge
connected the hill to the mainland.
▣ The statue base also stands above the highest flood level recorded over a 100-
year period of the nearby Narmada dam. A detailed hydrological study
was conducted by a specialist consultant to ascertain the river level and flow
during various conditions.
▣ Altogether, the statue is divided into five zones. Up to its shin is the first zone,
comprising three levels, including an exhibit floor, mezzanine and roof.
It will contain a Memorial Garden and a large museum.
▣ Zone 2 extends up to the statue’s thighs at 149 metres, while Zone 3 goes up
to the viewing gallery at 153 metres.
▣ Zone 4 and Zone 5 would be out of reach of visitors, with Zone 4 comprising
the maintenance area and Zone 5 the head and shoulders.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 13

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

Fig.2.9. Bailey’sBridge

2.4 MATERIALS USED IN STATUE

Fig.2.10.1 Cement concrete Fig.2.10.2 Reinforced steel

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 14

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

Fig.2.10.3 Structural Steel Fig.2.10.4 Bronze Cladding (China)

Fig.2.10.5 BRONZE

Fig.2.10 Materials used in statue

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 15

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

CHAPTER-3
3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 STRUCTURAL DESIGN
▣ Part of the statue enclosed inside the 8mm bronze cladding is a two-layered
structure.
▣ The innermost layer has two 127-metre-high towers made of reinforced
cement concrete.
▣ These towers rise up to the chest area.
▣ The steel frame between the towers and the cladding forms the second layer.
There were multiple engineering challenges too.

One, unlike the Statue of Liberty and Christ the Redeemer, the Statue of Unity
does not have a wider base.

▣ A wider base is required to make a structure stable. As Patel wore a dhoti, the
statue is thicker towards the top and thinner at the bottom.
▣ This challenge was overcome by keeping the slenderness ratio between the
width of the statue and its height to 16:19 — significantly higher than the 8:14
ratio rule that is followed in the construction of high-rise structures.

Two, the base of the statue, below the dhoti-clad legs, is about 25 metres high,
equivalent to an eight-storey building.

▣ This part of the structure houses two massive lifts, which can carry over 25
people to a 135-metre high gallery in just above half a minute.
▣ Fitting these vibration-causing machines inside the statue’s two vertical
cores, the first of its three layers, was a challenge for the engineers.

Three, engineers had to factor in the speed of wind, and the possibility of
earthquakes and flood.

▣ Being built on an island in the middle of Narmada, the statue will have to face
the tunnel effect of winds blowing down the river.
▣ The walking pose of the statue opened up a gap of 6.4 metres between the two
feet.
▣ To deal with these issues, the cladding used in the statue has overlapping
panels, which allow it to move vertically and horizontally, to resist earthquake
and wind forces.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 16

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

▣ Two 250-tonne mass dampers, which are installed in structures to reduce

the amplitude of vibrations, have been used.
▣ As a result, the statue is capable of withstanding wind blowing at almost 220
km per hour and surviving earthquakes measuring up to 6.5 on the Richter
Scale.

Four, the statue’s location amidst remote, mountainous terrain made transportation
of equipment and material difficult.

▣ To make the movement to the island easier, the engineers banked on the fact
that the island remains accessible from one side of the river via land for at
least eight months post monsoon as water in the channel recedes.
▣ A rock bridge was built over shallow water and a temporary Bailey bridge was
constructed for the monsoon, when there is more water in the river.
▣ Over 210,000 cubic metres of cement concrete, 18,500 tonnes of reinforced
steel, 6,500 tonnes of structural steel, 1,700 tonnes of bronze, and around
1,850 tonnes of bronze cladding, made up of some 565 macro and 6,000
micro panels, were used to build the statue.
▣ Most of this material was moved using the two bridges.

CONSTRUCTION

Fig.3.1 Construction of statue

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 17

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

A Consortium comprising Turner Construction, Michael Graves and Associates

and the Meinhardt Group supervised the project. It took 56 months to
complete – 15 months for planning, 40 months for construction and two months
for handing over by the consortium. The total cost of the project was estimated to be
about 20.63 billion (US$290 million) by the government. The tender bids for the
first phase were invited in October 2013 and were closed in November 2013.
Narendra Modi, then serving as Chief Minister of Gujarat, laid the statue's
foundation stone on 31 October 2013, the 138th anniversary of Patel's birth.

Fig.3.2 launched by Narendra Modi

Indian infrastructure company Larsen & Toubro won the contract on 27 October
2014 for its lowest bid of 29.89 billion (US$420 million) for the design, construction
and maintenance. They commenced the construction on 31 October 2014. In the first
phase of the project, 13.47 billion were for the main statue, 2.35 billion for the
exhibition hall and convention centre, 830 million for the bridge connecting the
memorial to the mainland and
6.57 billion for the maintenance of the structure for 15 years after its completion.
The Sadhu Bet hillock was flattened from 70 to 55 metres to lay the foundation.
L&T employed over 3000 workers and 250 engineers in the statue's construction.
The core of the statue utilised 210,000 cubic metres (7,400,000 cu ft) of cement
concrete, 6500 tonnes of structural steel, and 18500 tonnes of reinforced steel. The
outer façade is made up of 1700 tonnes of bronze plates and 1850 tonnes of bronze
cladding which in turn comprise 565 macro and 6000 micro panels. The bronze
panels were cast in Jiangxi Tongqing Metal Handicrafts Co. Ltd (the TQ Art
foundry) in China as suitable facilities were unavailable in India. The bronze panels
were transported over sea and then by road to the workshop near the construction
site where they were assembled.
Local tribals belonging to the Tadvi tribe opposed land acquisition for the
development of tourism infrastructure around the statue. They have been

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 18

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

offered cash and land compensation, and have been provided jobs. People of
Kevadia, Kothi, Waghodia, Limbdi, Navagam, and Gora villages opposed the
construction of the statue and demanded the restitution of the land rights over 375
hectares (927 acres) of land acquired earlier for the dam as well as the formation of
new Garudeshwar subdistrict. They also opposed the formation of Kevadia Area
Development Authority (KADA) and the construction of Garudeshwar weir-cum-
causeway project. The government of Gujarat accepted their demands.
Construction of the monument was completed in mid-October 2018; and the
inaugural ceremony was held on 31 October 2018, presided over by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. The statue has been described as a tribute to Indian engineering
skills.

Fig.3.3 Infrastructure of statue

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 19

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

CHAPTER-4
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 FUNDING
The statue was built by Public Private Partnership model, with most of the
money raised by the Government of Gujarat. The Gujarat state government had
allotted 6 billion (US$83 million) for the project in the budget from 2012 to 2015.
In the 2014–15 Union Budget, 2 billion (US$28 million) were allocated for the
construction of the statue. Funds were also contributed by Public Sector
Undertakings under Corporate Social Responsibility scheme

Fig.4.1 Funding for project

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 20

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

4.2 TOURISM

Over 128,000 tourists visited it in 11 days since it was opened to the public
on 1 November 2018. Buses take tourists from the parking lot to the statue, as the
area around the statue is a "no private vehicle" zone. Elevators run from 3 to 5 pm
to take tourists with tickets up to the observation deck at the top. The statue remains
closed every Monday for maintenance.

Fig.4.2 The statue lit at the night

Fig.4.3 Light and sound show Fig.4.4 Statue of Unity, as seen from the highway

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 21

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

Fig.4.5 Statue of Unity, as seen across the lawns. Fig.4.6 Signage and map at Statue of Unity.

Fig4.7 Map and direction indicators to the exhibition gallery

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 22

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

CHAPTER-5
5 CONCLUSION
Statue of Unity is truly an engineering marvel. It is a tribute to Indian
engineering skills. Our skilled labourers, architects and engineers have
received immense appreciation for constructing this intricately designed
enormous piece of art. We are proud to have the tallest statue of the world
in our country.
Statue of Unity is a symbol of unity and strength. It reflects the true
personality of Sardar Patel who was strong and robust. The initiative taken
by PM Modi has been supported and appreciated by people in power as
well as the general public. PM Modi sees this statue as an inspiration for
the people of our country.

FUTURE PLANS
As of November 2018, construction was still in progress around the
statue for various aspects of the project.
As per the government, there are plans to introduce alternate means of
transport to improve accessibility to the memorial, including a boat service.
An amphibian bus from Kevadiya is also planned as is a jetty service
from the site of the Sardar Sarovar dam and a ropeway.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 23

THE STATUE OF UNITY (21CV81) 2024-25

CHAPTER-6
6 REFERENCES
1. "Gujarat: Sardar Patel statue to be twice the size of Statue of Liberty". CNN-IBN.
30 October 2013. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 30
October 2013.

2. "Gujarat: Statue of Unity expected to attract 10,000 tourists daily". The Times
of India. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2018.

3. "PM Unveils Sardar Patel's 2,900-Crore Statue of Unity Today: 10

Facts". MSN. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 31
October 2018.

4. "For iron to build Sardar Patel statue, Modi goes to farmers". The Indian
Express. 8 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013.
Retrieved 30 October 2013.

5. "Pan-India panel for Modi's unity show in iron". The New Indian Express.
Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.

6. Raja, Aditi (2018-09-23). "Iron Man 2.0". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2018-
11-16.

7. "Large number of people run for unity". ToI. Archived from the original on 24
December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.

8. Menon, V.P. (15 September 19554). Integration of the Indian States. Bangalore:
Orient Blackswan.

9. John, Paul (30 October 2016). "Iron man statue is outsourcing magnet". The
Times of India. Retrieved 9 November 2018.

10. Dave, Hiral (14 October 2018). "Behind the making of Statue of
Unity". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 9 November 2018.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, BIT 24