First pile cap pour completed for Lancangjiang Bridge's Changning Tower

The CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Co finished concrete placement for the first pile cap of the Changning-side main tower of the Lancangjiang Bridge on the Yongping-Changning (Yongchang) Expressway on Oct 10.

This key provincial control project in Yunnan stretches 1,928 meters, with a 1,416-meter single-span steel truss suspension bridge as its main span.

The 244-meter inclined-frame reinforced concrete tower has two separate pile caps. The completed cap contains about 5,408 cubic meters of concrete and is supported by 16 bored piles, each 3.2 meters in diameter. Located in the steep Lancangjiang canyon, the site faces unstable rock, strong winds, and sharp temperature swings, which raise cracking risks for mass concrete.

Engineers used layered continuous pouring, embedded cooling pipes, real-time thermal monitoring, and round-the-clock shifts maintaining continuous casting. This milestone clears the way for tower construction, with the team continuing to advance main bridge works on schedule.

The CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Co finished concrete placement for the first pile cap of the Changning-side main tower of the Lancangjiang Bridge. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Engineers pose for a group photo. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]