SLJ900/32

Last updated
SLJ900/32
Bridge construct.JPG
TypeLaunching gantry
Manufacturer Beijing Wowjoint Machinery Company [1]
Production2015 [2]
Length91 metres (299 ft) [1]
Width7 metres (23 ft) [1]
Height9 m (29 ft 6 in) [3]
Weight580 tonnes (640 short tons) [1]
Propulsion64x wheel drive system
Speed
  • 8 km/h (5 mph) unloaded
  • 5 km/h (3 mph) loaded

The SLJ900/32 or otherwise known as the Iron Monster [4] is a superheavy launching gantry and one of the largest and most ubiquitous in the world. At over 90 meters in length, the SLJ900/32 is also one of the world's longest terrestrial vehicles. It is built by the Beijing Wowjoint Machinery Company and designed by the Shijiazhuang Railway Design Institute. [1] [3]

Contents

Description

The SLJ900/32 as aforementioned, is 91 metres (299 ft) long, 7 metres (23 ft) wide, 9 m (29 ft 6 in) tall and weighs around 580 tonnes (640 short tons). It is a disproportionately long and slender vehicle which is needed as it is designed to construct bridges in a safe and efficient manner. [4] Compared to conventional cranes which require clear land and is only able to lift a few meters of bridge material per-lift, the SLJ900/32 is capable of lifting an entire large segment of bridging material (some of which weigh around 800 to 950 tons) in a relatively compact manner without the hassle of interference such as trees or rocks. [5]

Construction process is done via the vehicle carrying picking up a new pre-cast section of concrete all the way from the very edge of the bridge to the installation point underneath its "belly", where it will be connected to a predetermined pillar. [4] [6] Then, using a pneumatic structure, the machine is moored to the first pillar to extend to the second one, anchoring to it, and place the beam. [4] [3] The process would repeat itself until the bridge's foundations are completed.

The vehicle moves on a large 64x wheel drive system, which in itself is divided into four sections of 16 wheels each (forming two trucks, one at each end). [4] [1] Each of the sections can rotate up to 90 degrees that let’s the machine drive sideways for efficiency when picking up beams. [6] The vehicle can maintain a top speed of 8 km/h (5 mph) unloaded, and 5 km/h (3 mph) carrying a bridge segment. [7]

The operational life of each vehicle is capable of building up to 730 spans before retiring. [6]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Drummond-Roe, Cecilia (4 December 2017). "Engineering feat of the month: the SLJ900/32 bridge building machine". fircroft.com. Fircroft. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  2. Hedmond, Shane (20 October 2015). "Massive 580 Ton Chinese Girder Erection Machine Drops Girders Into Place From Above". Construction Junkie.
  3. 1 2 3 Pittman, Kagan (27 October 2015). "Meet China's Bridge Building Robot". Engineering.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "China's 640-Ton 'Iron Monster' Can Erect Colossal Bridges In a Few Days". Interesting Engineering. 16 November 2021.
  5. "Automated Segmental bridge launching machine". Constrofacilitator. 17 July 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 Jones, Kendall (19 June 2017). "Robot Machine that Builds Bridges". Planswift.com.
  7. Calver, Tom (20 July 2018). "The mega-machines helping China link the world". BBC News. Article with animated diagram of functioning.