A smart cantilever bridge builder independently developed by China Railway No. 4 Engineering Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway Engineering Co., Ltd. (CREC), successfully poured the No. 5 segment of the 128-meter continuous beam over the Macha River along the Nanjing-Huai’an Intercity Railway.
A smart cantilever bridge builder independently developed by China Railway No. 4 Engineering Group Co., Ltd. successfully poured the No. 5 segment of the 128-meter continuous beam over the Macha River along the Nanjing-Huai’an Intercity Railway. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
This innovative equipment was first put into use on the Fuyang-Huaibei High-speed Railway in March 2024 and has since evolved into a multi-model product series covering 4- to 6-meter segments. It injects strong momentum into the intelligent and automated upgrade of construction equipment for major transportation projects.
The 6-meter segment smart cantilever bridge builder deployed on the Nanjing-Huai’an Intercity Railway is designed to enhance automation and intelligence in bridge construction. It integrates five core systems: load-bearing components, formwork, platform protection, intelligent control, and digital monitoring. The builder features a support point jacking design that replaces traditional deck anchoring. During movement, the jacking system acts on the underside of the completed box girder’s flange plate, fully eliminating the risk of tipping. A fully enclosed protection platform ensures comprehensive coverage of the construction area.
The equipment breaks through the limitations of single-segment cantilever casting, reducing the number of segments per bridge from 16 to 10. This significantly shortens formwork installation and adjustment time, cutting the overall construction period by two months. Its walking and formwork adjustment are precisely controlled by an electro-hydraulic system, eliminating the need for manual anchoring.
The smart cantilever bridge builder also integrates cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, and 5G. It is equipped with modules for monitoring internal force, deformation, and imbalance, enabling real-time monitoring and early warning of structural stress, bridge alignment, key parameters and progress.
Compared with traditional construction methods, the equipment improves work efficiency by 25 percent, effectively solving issues such as the complexity and time-consuming assembly/disassembly of traditional hanging baskets. It marks a major step forward in the push toward intelligent bridge construction.
To date, more than ten units of this type of smart cantilever bridge builder have been assembled and applied in key railway bridge projects, including the Fuyang-Huaibei High-speed Railway, Beijing-Binhai Intercity Railway, and Shaoyang-Yongzhou High-speed Railway, as well as the Hangzhou East Railway Station.
(Executive editor: Cui Feng)
