China's Mega Projects Construction Technology, American Engineers Shocked Watching It

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Did you know that China has earned the moniker infrastructure maniac ?

This is not derogatory but reflects Americans amazement at China's infrastructure construction capabilities as one of the largest developing countries in the world .

China's infrastructure construction has always been an important support for achieving economic and social development .

Over the past few decades , China has invested heavily in infrastructure projects such as highways , railways , bridges , ports and airports .

These projects not only improve people's quality of life but also promote rapid economic growth .

In this video , we'll explore jaw dropping mega projects in China .

But before we delve into our discussion , we kindly request your support by liking this video and subscribing to machine .

I , your thoughts are important to us and we encourage you to share your opinions in the comments below .

Without further ado , let's embark on an extraordinary journey .

Human intelligence is an evolutionary process .

They get just a tiny bit smarter from their previous experience , whether a success or a failure .

This is called learning .

Yes , China has a lot to learn and catch up on after it gained full sovereignty .

A few decades ago , China is like a sponge absorbing and improving technology into its credit .

Surpassing those it learned from many of the mega projects are not done for shows but to improve what is already acceptable .

China is a maritime power with a coastline spanning 32,000 kilometers and it has constructed many cross sea bridges .

However , building bridges across the seas is quite challenging .

The one you see now called the Zhihong Men bridge became China's largest span bridge from its completion .

A record that has been held for a whole decade .

In China's waters , there are over a dozen bridges with lengths exceeding 10 kilometers .

For example , the Hong Kong Zai Macau bridge is 55 kilometers long .

The Zhoushan cross Sea bridge is 50 kilometers long and the Jiao Zhou Bay cross Sea bridge is 42 kilometers long among others , these bridges showcase China's remarkable prowess in engineering and construction .

So foreigners praise China as the infrastructure maniac and China undoubtedly deserves this title .

This is the Tang bridge which was completed in open into traffic in 2001 .

The bridge is constructed from reinforced concrete with its beams embedded with pre stressed steel strands and concrete jointly bearing the load of the bridge deck providing the bridge with greater spanning capacity .

The single span reaches an impressive 50 m .

However , such a span is still insufficient because as a cross sea bridge , it faces a crucial challenge which is navigation .

The single span 150 m span Hong Xiamen bridge can only accommodate vessels of up to 500 tons for passage .

However , facing the world's largest cargo throughput port Ningbo Zhoushan port , the cross sea bridge that connects the Zhoushan archipelago in the mainland must provide ample space for passing vessels in the busy waterways making it an inevitable necessity to construct bridges with larger spans and higher bridge decks .

The Jin Tang bridge with its 620 m long main span crosses over a vital maritime route allowing cargo ships of up to 50,000 tons to pass underneath .

The secret to achieving such a large span lies in the two towering bridge towers equivalent to 70 stories high and 168 inclined steel cables .

These cables securely hold the bridge deck and cleverly transfer the weight of the bridge to the sturdy towers .

Its distinctive design offers strong resistance to wind and it can be seen on most cross sea bridges .

Of course , this design is not always suitable when faced with more complex underwater terrain with currents and whirlpools that even span several 100 m cannot overcome .

A different type of bridge is needed .

A suspension bridge .

The previously mentioned Zyon and bridge is one such suspension bridge with two main cables with a diameter of about zero point 8 6 m connecting a massive deck allowing it to cross turbulent and hazardous waters with its 1650 m span in a single span .

The Tsang bridge , Xian Jen bridge bridge , Tao Yeoman bridge , Zai Hong Men bridge and Jin Tang bridge and their connecting sections together form the Zhan cross sea bridge .

It is these bridges that connect the cities of Ningbo and Zhoushan via sea highway to truly bridge the gap across the sea .

One bridge is not enough .

We need a mega combination .

This combination is bridged along with underwater tunnels .

The Hong Kong Jai Macau bridge completed and opened to traffic in 2018 spans 55 kilometers and serves as the world's longest cross sea bridge connecting Hong Kong Zai and Macau .

The bridge wins its way and gradually descends beneath the sea .

The near end of the bridge , 33 giant pipes are submerged forming a 6.7 kilometer underwater tunnel .

These not only provide ample space for navigation but also reduce the impact of the entire project on the water flow .

The artificial islands on both sides ingeniously transition the underwater tunnel to the cross sea bridge with such a combination , the longest cross sea bridge in the world literally paves a path across the vast sea today .

This mega combination is set to create a new Marvel once again , which is the Shenzhen Zhongshan link that also traverses Ling dinging to connect the two cities in Guangdong province .

The 270 m tall bridge tower you are currently seeing will together form the new city skyline with Shenzhen's towering skyscrapers simultaneously .

The bridge tower supports the Ling Ding Yang bridge with a span of 1666 m making it the largest span bridge in Chinese waters .

Given the project's total length of 55 kilometers with the underwater tunnel accounting for nearly seven kilometers of that length .

The use of immersed two is the most suitable approach overall .

However , employing this method comes with significant technical demands , particularly involving extensive calculations to ensure that there are no gaps between each tube achieving perfect alignment .

This is essential to prevent water pressure from causing leakage or seepage .

These are the widest giant immersed tubes in the world with each section weighing up to 80,000 tons and their displacement even surpasses that of fully loaded aircraft carriers .

They are transported to their designated locations by a unique vessel for submersion forming a one of a kind bidirectional eight lane underwater tunnel .

With the assistance of the Beo satellite navigation system , these enormous immersed tubes about 165 m long in ensure millimeter level installation accuracy .

However , whether dealing with massive and majestic super bridges or large scale underwater tunnels .

The challenge of crossing the sea lies and addressing the challenges posed by the ocean itself .

In the southeastern coastal regions of China , there are over 300 days of strong winds at or above 46 each year making it one of the world's three major wind prone sea areas .

The intense sea winds bring large waves making this area seem like a no go zone for bridge construction .

However , it is now the location of China's first and currently the world's longest cross sea bridge that accommodates both road and rail traffic .

The Ping Tan Hai Xia cross sea bridge .

How does it overcome the strong winds and waves at sea ?

Firstly , it must have a bridge deck with sufficient weight and height .

The total amount of concrete used in the entire bridge is enough to build four national theaters faced with such a massive bridge deck .

Ordinary winds and waves pose no threat to the bridge .

Furthermore , dampers distributed throughout the bridge provide cushioning , absorbing and dissipating impacts from natural disasters like typhoons and tsunamis .

But to avoid windy weather , certain bridge components are prefabricated in factories and then transported to the construction site for assembly significantly reducing the time needed for offshore construction .

For example , the massive steel truss components with a maximum weight of 3400 tons are lifted into place by large floating cranes that are almost four stories tall equivalent to lifting over 2000 cars in a single operation .

The anti collision boxes used to deflect ship impacts have also been cleverly utilized as temporary construction platforms , increasing the efficiency of bridge construction .

Of course , the challenges from the ocean also come from below the surface .

The sea bed here is extremely firm and almost devoid of sediment which presents unique challenges to secure the bridge firmly in this hard sea bed .

Chinese engineers developed giant drilling machines weighing up to 344 tons .

These machines bore massive holes with diameters of up to 5 m in the solid rock .

Subsequently , 18 giant piles with diameters of 4.5 m in length of 60 m are driven into the holes forming a solid foundation for the bridge towers with such a massive foundation .

The bridge piers and towers can anchor securely along along the bridge to stand firm amidst wind and waves .

The challenges from the ocean encompass not only strong winds , waves , complex geological conditions , water depth currents , tides and ship collisions , but also high salinity and humidity in the air , all of which can affect the life span of a bridge .

This is also why building the 16 kilometer long Ping Tan Hai cross sea bridge took more than 5000 builders .

Seven years to complete these engineers with their intelligence and diligent work ethic have created numerous engineering wonders in the land of China .

For example , the Shenzhen Zhongshan bridge with a total length of 24 kilometers involved over 10,000 builders in China with a planned duration of eight years to complete this mega project .

As for the 55 kilometer long Hong Kong Macau bridge from initial planning to opening for traffic , it took more than 20,000 buildings .

There is a whopping 15 years to complete this colossal project .

So with the construction of cross sea bridges being so challenging and time consuming .

Why does China keep finding ways to cross the sea again and again .

The answer is quite simple .

It's for the convenience of the people in the future .

The Shanghai Zhoushan Ningbo cross sea passage will directly connect Shanghai and Zhoushan forming a closed loop with the cross sea bridges uniting the entire Hangzhou bay .

Meanwhile in Fujian , starting with the Ping Tan Haixia cross sea bridge , a cross sea passage stretching 120 kilometers will extend .

This means that in the future , high speed trains departing from Beijing will pass through the Taiwan Strait , arriving directly in Taipei , connecting Taiwan and the mainland .

As one , China's infrastructure construction prowess is not only evident in the construction of cross sea bridges but also the construction of mega dams .

Next we will take you through how Chinese engineers construct mega dams above rushing rivers by Heaton Dam .

A colossal project with an investment of $9.2 billion that spanned 12 years stands as a super engineering achievement where Chinese engineers overcame numerous technical challenges .

This dam is a comprehensive hydraulic project that serves various purposes including flood control , irrigation power generation and navigation .

Its immense scale and high technical complexity make it a global standout .

The completion of this project is undoubtedly a source of pride for Chinese engineering professionals and a testament to human achievement as a whole .

The construction of the Baheen hydropower station commenced in 2007 and after 12 years of relentless effort .

It was fully completed in 2019 by Heon Dam has a height of 300 m and a length of 2300 m capable of withstanding a one C in millennium super flood , ensuring the safety of downstream areas .

Moreover , the dam boasts the world's largest underground power plant housing 16 sets of 1 million kilowatt hydroelectric generator units with a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts .

It produces an annual electricity output of approximately 60 billion kilowatt hours .

This project provides robust energy support for China's economic development while reducing carbon dioxide emissions contributing to China's and the world's environmental conservation efforts .

Next , let's share another mega dam in China .

The Liang Heu Dam , a colossal dam built on the world's rooftop is taller than the Eiffel Tower .

It is located in a high altitude plateau region with an elevation exceeding 3000 m .

The project is situated in an extremely harsh geographical environment character by diverse climatic changes and frequent geological hazards , posing significant challenges and dangers to the construction process even more unbelievably for the construction of such a massive engineering project .

Chinese engineers chose not to use reinforced concrete but instead employed earth and rock as the primary construction materials for the hydropower station .

The dam of the Liang Heu Hydropower Station is one of China's tallest earth and rock filled dams with a total fill volume of approximately 43 million cubic meters .

This is equivalent to the volume of earth and rock from nearly 9000 football fields to ensure the stability and seismic resistance of the dam .

The Liang Heu hydropower station employs various innovative design and construction methods such as layered filling and zone compaction .

These construction techniques optimize the compactness and strength of the Liang Heker dam , enabling it to easily we withstand the impact of earthquakes and floods .

Well , that's all for today's video .

What do you think of these mega projects in China ?

Have you ever thought about visiting them in person ?

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