China’s bridge construction technologies marvel world

A video clip of Chinese engineers connecting two rotating flyover sections as part of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway recently went viral online. The amazing moment offered a glimpse into China’s bridge-building capabilities. 

A screenshot of the video showing the remarkable connection.

The work was carried out on early morning of September 17. After each section made a 31-degree turn, the two elevated railways slowly swung towards each other until they met. The newly connected section of railway now spans above Datong-Qinhuangdao railway that has been running for years.

The 3,503.48-metre-long flyover between the Tumu Township and Guanting Reservoir in Huailai County, north China’s Hebei province, crosses over Datong-Qinhuangdao railway, Beijing-Baotou railway and Beijing-Tibet highway.

The Datong-Qinhuangdao railway is one of the busiest lines in operation in China.

Photo shows the Hangzhou Bay Bridge. (Photo from Zhejiang Online) 

To minimize the impact of bridge construction on the Datong-Qinhuangdao line, the "pier-top spin construction approach" was used. The technology not only guaranteed safety but also remarkably reduced construction difficulties and costs.

It is well recognized that China leads the world in infrastructure construction. On the pages of highestbridges.com, a website collects information of the highest bridges of the world, eight Chinese bridges are on the top 10 list, and 81 are among the top 100 highest bridges across the world.

Besides that, China is also known as holder of many other records in technical breakthroughs. According to statistics, six of the world’s 10 longest sea-crossing bridges are built in China, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, the Donghai Bridge, the Qingdao Bay Bridge, the Zhoushan Sea-Crossing Bridge, and the Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge.

Photo shows the Hangzhou Bay Bridge. (Photo from Zhejiang Online)

China is also home to 7 of the world’s top 10 cable-stayed bridges and 6 of the world’s top 10 suspension bridges. In addition, a lot of bridges that are hard to build and break records are built by Chinese companies.

For instance, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which opened to traffic in September 2013, is the most complex and longest single-towered, earthquake-proof and self-anchored suspension span of its kind across the world. Malaysia's Second Penang Bridge, the longest sea-crossing bridge in Southeast Asia opening to traffic in March 2014, was also built by Chinese firms.

On December 18 of 2014, the Zemun-Borca Bridge, China's first big infrastructure investment on the European continent, opened to traffic in Serbian capital Belgrade, becoming a landscape above the Danube River.

Photo shows the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. (Photo from the website of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge)

On April 19, 2016, the Kigamboni Bridge contracted by Chinese companies opened to traffic. It is the largest cable-stayed sea-crossing bridge in African regions south of the Sahara Desert.

On July 7 of 2016, the largest cable-stayed bridge in Africa—the Mohammed VI Bridge, opened to traffic in Morocco. The bridge is dubbed by local people as the “Dreaming Bridge”.