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Equipped with a 150-meter tower, 28-meter oil cylinder and advanced positioning systems, the world's largest pile driving vessel is capable of installing foundations weighing up to 700 tons, reducing emissions and optimizing operations in projects such as wind farms and mega bridges in China.
A vessel so powerful it looks like a floating mountain, driving giant steel pipes into the seabed with surgical precision. This is the Erhang Changqing, the world’s largest pile-driving vessel, recently delivered to China’s Jiangsu Province. It is not only a milestone in maritime engineering, but also a symbol of the country’s technological prowess.
Developed by Second Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., of the giant China Communications Construction Co., Ltd. (CCCC), the “Erhang Changqing” redefines standards with its world's tallest drilling tower, record-breaking piling capacity and incredible resistance to extreme conditions.
What makes “Erhang Changqing” the largest in the world?
With a tower 150 meters high, equivalent to a 50-story building, this ship is capable of handling piles weighing up to 700 tons and 7 meters in diameter. This represents a leap over the previous record holder, “Yihang Jinzhuang”, whose tower was 142 meters.
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Its impressive drilling capacity ensures it can handle demanding foundations such as those for offshore wind farms and colossal bridges.
Withstanding strong winds and gigantic waves is no problem for the “Erhang Changqing”. It is designed to operate in extreme conditions, thanks to innovations that make it stable and efficient even in rough seas.
Why is China investing in pile driving vessels?
China is the world leader in offshore wind turbine production, and vessels like the Erhang Changqing play a vital role in installing these structures. Without them, it would be impossible to harness the energy potential of offshore winds.
Building large bridges requires robust foundations on the seabed, a task that can only be carried out by specialized vessels. This type of investment puts China at the forefront of global infrastructure.
The Oil Cylinder: A Masterpiece of Engineering
The oil cylinder of the “Erhang Changqing” is the heaviest and tallest in the world, weighing 385 tons and measuring 28 meters. With a diameter of almost two meters, it is the “engine” that guarantees the ship’s strength and precision.
Producing a cylinder of this magnitude was a challenge. Previously, crucial parts such as O-rings and corrosion-resistant materials were imported, generating high costs. Thanks to collaboration with universities such as Tsinghua and Tongji, China has been able to domesticate these components.
With an advanced positioning system, the vessel ensures that the piles are placed with millimeter precision. This is crucial to ensure the stability of the foundations, even in adverse conditions.
Reduction of emissions and fuel consumption
“Erhang Changqing” uses supercapacitors and energy storage batteries to optimize consumption. This reduces carbon emissions and makes operations more economical.
With automated real-time monitoring and reporting systems, the vessel combines technology and safety. During operations, the computer calculates the ideal positioning and automatically detects any irregularities, generating detailed reports.
The Erhang Changqing is more than just a ship; it is a symbol of China’s ability to innovate and lead in marine engineering. With advances in sustainability, precision and efficiency, it shows how technology and ambition can transform marine construction.
The delivery of this giant is not only a milestone for China, but also an example to the world of how innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand. The “Erhang Changqing” is not only the largest pile driving vessel in the world, it is also a glimpse into the future of marine engineering.
China once again demonstrates “gigantic operations” using all its civil engineering knowledge to build mega projects. Now using the ship Erhang Changqing to build mega dams and pharaonic bridges. But such super works can bring future problems, as the “weight” of the constructions on the tectonic plates can cause them to move and the usual catastrophic results. Planet Earth is a “pile” of earth and stone that suffers the external pressure of magnetism against the pressure of the “pressure cooker” that is the core of the planet. And any “****” that one of the two encounters is just: volcano eruption and frightening earthquakes.
We have no other place to live.
And we have very little time to enjoy what the planet offers us.
And even worse is the destruction of nature.
You're welcome.
What is China leading in? In being behind the rest of the world, it has to be, right? Other countries have had these ships for almost a century, but China goes there and builds an “old” type of ship and wow, “China is the all-powerful”, this is nothing more than a suck-up, always sycophantic to the backward Chinese.