Yan Peng Expansion Project's Over-Crossing Blue Yan Railway Rotating Bridge Successfully Rotated

On the early morning of March 24, the turn of the Blue-Yan Railway Overpass Torsion Bridge, part of the Rongwu Expressway Yantai Hub to Penglai Hub Expansion and Reconstruction Project (hereinafter referred to as the “Yam-Peng Expansion Project”) built and invested by Shandong Expressway Group, was successfully completed, achieving precise connection with the main line and laying a solid foundation for the project’s opening to traffic.

The Blue-Yan Railway Overpass Torsion Bridge is a key control point of the Yam-Peng Expansion Project and is currently the largest span pre-stressed concrete continuous beam torsion bridge for highway-railway crossings in Shandong Province. It adopts a three-span pre-stressed concrete variable cross-section continuous box girder structure, with spans of 80 meters + 125 meters + 80 meters, a single-sided torsion length of 122 meters, a total length of 244 meters for the torsion segment, and a single torsion weight of 186,000 tons, setting a new length record for similar highway torsion bridges within the province.

As the first project in the province to adopt an “independent bidding + delegated construction” management model involving railway elements, Yam-Peng Company proactively took responsibility and faced challenges head-on, precisely resolving issues related to construction bidding, delegated construction agreement negotiations, and internal railway organizational adjustments. This has paved the way for efficient subsequent construction and smooth implementation of key nodes, while also accumulating valuable practical experience in innovative management models for highway projects across the province.

To ensure the safety and precision of the torsion construction, the project team focused on technological innovation, digital intelligence empowerment, and information control, establishing a model for railway bridge construction. First, they innovatively applied steel shell joint construction technology, integrating steel shell formwork with enclosed protective measures to eliminate railway operation safety hazards from the source. Second, they extensively used BIM technology to conduct three-dimensional dynamic simulations and parameter optimizations of the entire torsion process, accurately modeling and calculating torsion angles, speeds, and stress conditions, enabling refined control over the entire construction process and providing data support for the bridge’s full lifecycle operation and maintenance. Third, they built a smart information management platform, integrating core modules such as construction control and intelligent construction, achieving full-domain visualization of data including perception, dangerous behavior analysis, deformation automatic monitoring, electronic fencing, vehicle warning, and smart access control, effectively promoting the transformation from traditional “manual defense” to efficient “technological defense.”

Addressing various technical challenges during project construction, the team tackled each issue with precision. To solve problems such as high hydration temperature rise and low pouring efficiency of large-volume concrete, experts were specially invited for guidance. Through optimizing material ratios and synchronized operation of multiple mixing stations, they effectively shortened pouring times and improved concrete tensile strength, achieving dual improvements in quality and efficiency. To meet the strict support system requirements posed by hilly terrain, they adopted a combination of steel trusses and disc-type supports to comprehensively strengthen the safety of the T-beam structure and high-speed driving safety. To resolve the technical issue of rotation failure in conventional torsion bearings that cannot be remedied, they innovatively applied steel bearings with backup horizontal rotation functions, further ensuring the safety and reliability of torsion construction.

The Yam-Peng Expansion Project is an important part of Shandong Province’s “Twelve Vertical, Eight Horizontal, Eleven Radial” highway network layout, with a total length of 61.2 kilometers. It is being expanded and reconstructed into an eight-lane, two-way highway with a design speed of 120 km/h. Once completed, it will further strengthen the rapid connection between Yantai city and Penglai International Airport, improve Yantai’s three-dimensional transportation network, and play a significant role in building a modern integrated transportation system, supporting Shandong Province’s “Transport Power” development strategy, and promoting high-quality regional economic development.

【Source: Dazhong Net】