How does an 80000 ton steel giant "settle down" under the sea? They have taken a move ->integrated ship | sunken pipe | underwater
The final section of the sunken tube and final joint of the Shenzhong Channel are floating in place, and the sinking and docking operation is scheduled to begin this afternoon.
Yesterday afternoon at 1 o'clock, the sunken pipe floating installation fleet officially departed. After passing through the dedicated channel of the prefabrication yard, the Rongshutou channel, the Lingding channel, and the newly built floating transportation channel, the ship sailed for about 50 kilometers at sea and arrived at the destination of the floating installation at 2:30 am today. The integrated ship carried the sunken pipes and the final joints and anchored above the Longkou area. The floating transportation of the last section of the sunken pipes and the final joints of the deep middle channel underwater tunnel was completed safely and smoothly as planned.
At around 5 o'clock in the morning, the diver began to dive into the water to explore and check whether the docking end of the sunken tube was intact. They also checked whether there were any obstacles in the sunken tube area that hindered the safe sinking and docking of the sunken tube. As of 7:30 this morning, the integrated ship for sinking and floating installation had completed mooring and twisting operations. The construction personnel had loosened the temporary fastening connection device between the last sinking pipe and the integrated ship for floating installation, preparing for the next step of pipe joint sinking and docking.
At present, the sea is cloudy with light rain, but there is no wind. Experts suggest that the weather does not affect the installation of sunken pipes. The plan is to start the sinking and docking operation of the last section of pipe E23 and E22 this afternoon.
Precise control of escort deep and medium channel construction in different flight segments and time periods
The last section of the immersed tube and final joint of the Shenzhong Channel underwater tunnel started floating yesterday. To ensure floating safety, the Guangdong maritime department dispatched a patrol ship to escort the entire process, ensuring the smooth progress of construction operations.
On the afternoon of the 8th, a sunken pipe transportation and installation integrated ship escorted by four maritime patrol ships slowly sailed out of the dock. The final joint length of the E23 pipe joint carried by the ship in the deep middle channel was about 165.7 meters, with a total weight of about 80000 tons. From the undocking of Niutou Island in Zhuhai to the sinking and installation position at the tunnel site, the whole formation needs to sail 50 kilometers across multiple channels at the the Pearl River Estuary, with long sailing distance and high floating risk.
Zhang Xiaobo, captain of the Shenzhen Bao'an Maritime Safety Bureau Airport Maritime Patrol Law Enforcement Brigade: In this floating transport, we dispatched 14 law enforcement personnel, organized more than 70 traffic vessels, and broadcasted more than 300 pieces of navigation safety information. We will make every effort to ensure the "double safety" of the construction of the Shenzhen China Channel and the navigation of the the Pearl River Estuary.
The Shenzhen China Channel crosses the main channel of Lingdingyang Bay and is an important channel for all kinds of ships in Guangzhou Port, Zhongshan Port and other ports to enter and exit the the Pearl River Estuary. As one of the most dense waters in China, the the Pearl River Estuary has more than 4000 ships a day. In order to minimize the impact of construction operations on busy waterways, the Guangdong Maritime Department has issued construction forecasts and navigation notices in advance, distributed navigation route maps, and coordinated the resolution of navigation issues for relevant shipping enterprises. And a 4-level protection system consisting of a safeguard ship, a warning ship, navigation aid signs, and warning light strips will be established in the construction area to eliminate navigation obstruction risks and safety hazards, ensuring the smooth progress of water construction operations.
Zhuang Zeping, the overall commander of water traffic safety guarantee for the installation of sunken tube floating transportation: During the escort process, we implement traffic control in different sections and time periods on the waterway through which the sunken tube transportation operation passes. Through intelligent maritime and other information systems, major navigation nodes can achieve "minute second level" control, minimizing the impact on port production and operation, and normal navigation of ships.
News link: Give sunken tubes a stable "home"
Each standard immersed tube of the Shenzhong Channel submarine immersed tube tunnel is 165 meters long, 46 meters wide, 10.6 meters high, and weighs nearly 80000 tons. The foundation treatment of the seabed is crucial for achieving millimeter level precise docking of such steel giants over 20 meters underwater. Before installing the sunken tube, it is necessary to build a strong and stable "home" on the mud and rocks on the seabed.
The geological conditions in many areas of the water area for the construction of sunken pipes in the Shenzhong Channel are soft. The builders have developed a new technology to reinforce the seabed, fill and compact the foundation with stones, and level the gravel. This way, the foundation, which has undergone processes such as compaction and hardening, can withstand the heavy pressure of steel shell concrete sunken pipes, just like laying a 50 meter wide, the world's widest underwater "slate road" on the seabed.
The Shenzhen China Channel is located at the mouth of the the Pearl River, where the sediment volume is large and is easy to return. The builders have tailor-made the world's most advanced self elevating gravel laying and leveling ship, laying gravel ridges on the stone slab road to deposit silt in the depressions between the gravel ridges, ensuring the smooth landing and high-precision docking of the sunken pipes.
Zheng Xiulei, Director of the Riprap Leveling Division of China Communications First Navigation Bureau's Shenzhong Channel Project: This ship is currently the world's largest and most advanced platform self elevating leveling vessel. It will adjust according to the real-time benchmark measured by GPS, laying along the predetermined ridge route to ensure that the gravel ridge we lay is flat. Therefore, our ship is also vividly referred to as an underwater 3D printer.
After completing the docking, the sunken tube is directly exposed to the sea, and due to its high buoyancy, it is still in an unstable state. At this time, the world's largest supply locking backfill ship needs to play a role. It can quickly build a trapezoidal mountain with stones on the sunken tube, effectively preventing it from moving laterally in seawater and building a stable "home" for the sunken tube.
