Chinese equipment maker Sany says it has made a technical breakthrough in its work on the Shiziyang road bridge over the Pearl River delta in Guangdong.
The $7bn crossing will stretch for more than 35km, and will have a 2.2km-long double-deck suspension bridge at its centre.
Sany is supplying “pump trucks” to pour the concrete for the base of this span’s 367m-tall towers.
The Changsha company said in a press release that it had completed work on the east tower.
Its bearing platform has two circular structures that are 40m in diameter and 9m high, and are composed of C45 concrete.
C45 has a compressive strength of 45 megapascals, making it one of the strongest mixes in commercial use, but Sany called it “a huge challenge for the equipment”.
The pour was carried out by four trucks operating continuously for 22 hours.
The company said it used a “stepless pressure pumping system and digital main valve technology”, which it said improved direction changes by 20% and increased the amount of liquid concrete that could be deposited.
It added that the system prevented pipe blockages, allowed for more accurate direction of flow, and used a new type of power transmission that reduced engine operating speeds by 300rpm.
“The successful completion of the Shiziyang Bridge’s east tower bearing platform showcases Sany’s leadership in technological innovation and construction efficiency, setting new industry benchmarks,” said Sany chair, Xiang Wenbo.
China Communications began work on the Shiziyang bridge in 2021.
It was designed by London-based Knight Architects with Cowi of Denmark as the consulting engineer.
When complete, the bridge will carry 16 lanes of traffic, and play a role in the further economic development of the Greater Bay Area, which includes Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
Among the records it will break are the longest span (about 200m longer than the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge over the Dardanelles), the most number of lanes and the highest main tower.
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