In the city of Jinan, just over four and a half hours by Beijing car, China Railway 14th Bureau Group is leading the construction of the world’s largest diameter submarine tunnel. When the work is finished, residents and visitors of The capital of Shandong They will be able to move from one side of the Yellow River to another through a two -level road with six lanes in total. But before this happens, workers must complete the drilling tasks they started months ago.
Behind this project is a huge tunnelador baptized as “Shanhe” of 163 meters, with a diameter of 17.5 meters and a weight of 5,200 tons. This sophisticated engineering piece left the mounting line in May 2024 and began To function and the aforementioned work in September last year.
A tunnel to better connect the city of Jinan
As the cutting head progresses, several members of the work control parameters such as the movement of the pieces, the advance of the cylinder and the mud level. The machine also needs constant maintenance tasks and even repairs. In this case, specialists direct an army of workers who manipulate hydraulic mechanisms, water pipes and tools for the work to be at the end of this year. “Shanhe” has advanced around 15 meters per day and has exceeded 1,000 meters perforated.
This powerful machine has 306 cutters of different types of teeth, designed for higher cutting yield. In addition, it incorporates advanced technology such as a pressurized compound head, main telescopic drive and a telescopic chamber for the excavation tank. But that’s not all. It is also equipped with advanced geological forecast, gas environment monitoring, tool wear detection, synchronous grout detection and an auxiliary support system.
China Daily highlights a very interesting fact: 7 out of 10 tunneladoras sold in the world are Chinese, and within the country, 95% of these machines are also of national manufacture. China leads this sector, as also occurs in port infrastructure and Batteries for electric vehicles. With little competition, local production marks the rhythm and consolidates its position in strategic industries, reflecting a strong commitment to self -sufficiency and technological domain in key areas that goes beyond its borders.
Images | Xinhua
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