At dawn, the cold wind from the Bayinbuluke grassland came rushing towards me, enveloped in frost. The technician from Project Manager Department 5 of Kuiduku Expressway Section 3 of China Railway 21st Bureau wrapped himself tightly in cotton clothes and stepped on the frozen and hard meadow, once again arriving at the designated pile position of the separated overpass bridge. The land beneath our feet may seem calm and vast, but in reality, there are hidden challenges - the combination of high-altitude permafrost, complex hydrology, and plateau topography, each inch of soil layer seems to pose a problem for construction. But today, they are going to lay the first pile on this' hard bone '. As the final concrete was precisely poured into the hole and slowly solidified into shape, the first pile foundation was successfully poured, and a burst of uncontrollable cheers erupted on site. This is not just the completion of a pile, but also signifies the official start of the construction of the entire section of the project.

Find out the bottom of frozen soil

The project is located in the hinterland of Bayinbuluke grassland, with multiple complex working conditions overlapping, which puts forward extremely high requirements for pile foundation construction technology, safety control, and ecological protection. Before the first pile construction, the project department adhered to the principle of prioritizing the plan and leading the technology, and organized a backbone technical team to repeatedly conduct on-site inspections. They reviewed the terrain and landforms of the site section by section, analyzed the distribution of frozen soil layer by layer, thoroughly surveyed the underground hydrological conditions, and listed and understood the construction difficulties and key control points one by one. Based on the operational characteristics of mechanical equipment in high-altitude environments and actual on-site conditions, the technical team dynamically optimizes the special construction plan for pile foundations, systematically refining the entire process from drilling and cleaning to cage making, hoisting, and grouting. The technical standards for each process have been repeatedly scrutinized, and every control responsibility has been clearly assigned to individuals. The system of job responsibility for all employees has been implemented effectively.

Build a solid foundation of quality

From the placement of the drilling rig to the pouring of concrete, every step must not be neglected. The project department has established a full chain closed-loop control system, with dedicated technical personnel monitoring and controlling the entire process in real-time, monitoring core indicators such as hole diameter, hole depth, steel cage alignment accuracy, and conduit burial depth. The performance parameters of the mud and the workability of the concrete are dynamically adjusted according to the site conditions, and the pouring rhythm is precisely controlled. In the process of processing and hoisting steel cages, standardized and normalized construction requirements are refined to every operational action. The technical, safety, and environmental protection special guarantee plans formulated in the early stage are implemented synchronously, and the specific implementation measures are decomposed layer by layer to the team and individual. Key construction images and data materials will be retained throughout the process to accumulate first-hand reference for subsequent large-scale construction.

Guarding the grassland background color

Ecological protection is an insurmountable bottom line for construction on the Bayinbuluke grassland, known as the green pearl of the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. The project department always adheres to the concept of green construction and strictly abides by the red line of grassland ecological protection. At the construction site, the soil and water conservation measures are standardized and in place, and all the mud generated from drilling is treated harmlessly to prevent any pollutants from infiltrating into grasslands and groundwater bodies. Special personnel are arranged to patrol high-risk areas such as mechanical lifting, temporary electricity use, and high-altitude operations at high altitudes around the clock, and safety hazards are comprehensively investigated and rectified. The builders are taking action to fulfill their commitment to promoting engineering and ecological protection in coordination - the road is extending, and the greenery of the grassland remains as before.keywords:Engineering infrastructure

The first pile is settled, and the battle drum urges the expedition. The construction team of China Railway 21st Bureau will take the smooth pouring of the first pile as a new starting point, continue to tackle the difficult environment of the high-altitude plateau, and strive to complete and open the Kuidukou Expressway as soon as possible.Editor/Yang Meiling