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China impresses the world with advanced civil construction technologies, carrying out innovative and unique projects in the desert.
China is proactively confronting the desertification, a significant environmental challenge that affects 27% of its territory. This issue not only poses a threat to the environment, but also has profound impacts on the economy and people's lives. In response, the country has implemented a series of innovative civil construction projects in desert areas, such as the deserts of Gobi and Taklamakan, focused mainly on transport infrastructure. In parallel, China is adopting reforestation strategies in a comprehensive attempt to combat desertification.
China develops a highway that innovates in terms of civil construction
The recent establishment of a new highway in Taklamakan desert, in China, provides an excellent example of the process underlying the creation of a highway. Construction of the Yuli Kimo highway began in October 2017 and took almost four years to complete.
The first stage covered the analysis of the area and the formulation of the road project. Engineers needed to consider the desert's complicated topography, including towering sand dunes and lower-altitude regions in between.
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Additionally, they needed to ensure that the highway was capable of withstanding the locality's harsh weather conditions, such as frequent sandstorms. Once the design was ready, construction crews began the process of preparing the land and leveling for the construction of the road base.
This stage involved leveling the sand dunes and filling in the lowest areas. The highway, which relied on great civil construction technology, was built using several layers of different materials such as gravel, asphalt and concrete to avoid being buried in sand.
How was the highway with high construction technology built?
Additionally, builders installed 58 million square meters of grass netting and more than 900 km of barriers along the road, which uses advanced construction technology. These measures helped stabilize the sand and prevented it from being blown onto the road.
The highway construction process in China also included the implementation of infrastructure including bridges, drainage systems and culverts, this was necessary to ensure the safety and usefulness of the road in all weather conditions.
Finally, the highway was paved, marked with banners and properly signposted. When completed, China's highway, which uses advanced construction technology, was opened to traffic providing a faster and more efficient way for people and goods to travel through the desert.
Other projects that required high construction technology from China
In addition to this highway built in China, other projects were also carried out in the desert, such as the Xinjiang South Railway, which is a railway project of great importance in the country. Crossing the country's largest desert, the Taklamakan Desert, this railway stretches for 1.213 km connecting the cities of Hotan and Kashgar, both located in southern Xinjiang.
The construction process began in 2009 and was completed in 2016, with the investment total of approximately US$5,9 billion. During the project, 2207 bridges, 23 tunnels and 8 stations were built, in addition to 1.200 and 10 km of tracks being laid.
One of the crucial techniques for building railroads in deserts is preparing the land before laying the tracks. It is necessary to level, compact and stabilize the soil to ensure a solid foundation. In the case of the Xinjiang South Railway, engineers used a layer of gravel to improve soil stability.
Another essential technique involves installing the rails to avoid sinking or displacement caused by the movement of sand. In this sense, engineers employ a ballast layer composed of crushed stone and gravel, effectively distributing the weight of the Rails and providing stability.
