China News Service, Hengyang, January 25th: Title: "Supervisor" on bridges and tunnels on the Beijing-Guangzhou Line: Keying "inquiry" tens of thousands of times a day
Author Tang Huaicheng Liu Huan
"Bang, bang, bang..." In the early morning of the 25th, crisp knocking sounds came one after another on the Meihe Bridge on the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway. Six bridge and tunnel workers in the Hengyang Bridge and Tunnel Inspection Area of the Hengyang Public Works Section of the Guangzhou Railway Group were hanging safety ropes and wearing yellow work hats. They stood on a bridge pier more than 20 meters above the river to perform knock inspections on the railway bridge.
On January 25, bridge and tunnel workers from the Hengyang Public Works Section inspected the steel beams at the bottom of the Meihe Iron Bridge on a "mobile hanging basket". Photo by Liu Huan
"During the Spring Festival, the density of train operations increases. We must cover and inspect all equipment within the tube to ensure the safe operation of passenger trains." Chen Jia, a "post-90s" foreman, said that the work area has jurisdiction over 69 bridges, 4 tunnels and 1,008 Culvert tubes etc. This young team, with an average age of less than 32 years old, shuttles across bridges, tunnels, and hillsides all year round to ensure the safe operation of the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway artery.
The Mei River Downstream Bridge is more than 370 meters long and is mainly composed of T-beams, steel frames and high-strength bolts. It is located at the intersection of Mei River and Xiang River in eastern Hunan. It has been in operation for 65 years. "Under repeated rolling by trains, some bolts will become loose or broken." To this end, Chen Jia and the others have to be like "woodpeckers" every day, gently tapping the bridge body with their inspection hammers and "scanning" the bridge Are all parts intact? Each "consultation" takes more than three hours and more than 10,000 taps to complete.
Bridge and tunnel workers use inspection hammers to check for "disease" in steel beam bolts. Photo by Liu Huan
"When checking bridge sleepers by knocking, you must knock carefully from multiple directions and listen carefully from multiple angles." Chen Jia reminded everyone while knocking on both sides of the sleepers: "Good bridge sleepers are very solid when struck, and the sound is also very powerful. If you listen carefully you can pick out the subtle differences.”
After more than an hour of inspection, the inspection of the bridge was completed. Next, they will go under the bridge to inspect key parts such as steel supports and piers. "Everyone must fasten their seat belts securely and wear safety helmets when working." After instructing, Chen Jia and her fellow workers carried tools and carefully climbed from the inspection ladder into the suspended "mobile gondola".
Looking at the rushing river below from the gap in the "hanging basket" makes people shiver. Chen Jia and his fellow workers had to raise their heads and arms for a long time, using inspection hammers to continuously hit key parts of the bridge. They looked for empty piers and loose bolts at the connection points of the bridge through visual observation and listening. , cracks and other diseases.
"Percussion inspection is also a technical job. If you strike too hard, you are afraid of breaking the accessories, and if you strike lightly, you are afraid that there will be no problem." Chen Jia joked that it is not easy for a construction worker to do "embroidery work" well.
After more than three hours of intense work, Chen Jia's work clothes were already soaked with sweat. "We will protect every bridge and tunnel to ensure that every passenger returns home safely." (End)