Innovative Building Platform Transforms Leading Revitalisation Project for Safety and Efficiency

The Huafu Village Revitalisation Project was coined with the honour of “Leading Village Revitalization Project” in Shenzhenwhich will include a 65-storey Bay Area Smart Plaza (灣區智慧廣場). The contractor of the project, Huanan Branch of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group (CCTEB), utilized the home-grown, next generation “Aerial Construction Platform”, to lead the way in a new breakthrough in skyscraper construction technologies, with an immense speed of “completing one storey in five days.”Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of CIC and Ir Albert CHENG, Executive Director, led a delegation with industry experts, to understand the project via technical exchanges, mutual enhancements and simultaneous development.

Overcoming Challenges with the “Aerial Construction Platform”

The Huafu Village East-West Ends Revitalization Project employs the strategy of “residential housing construction by national enterprises with the guidance of the central government.” The total gross floor area will be at 426,000 Sq. meters, including residential areas for relocated residents and talent housing, commercial buildings and offices etc. as well as the new landmark of Shenzhen’s town centre, the Bay Area Smart Plaza, standing at 358.1m, it would be part of a significant community enhancement initiative for the city of Shenzhen.

The Huafu Village Revitalization Project is situated at the heart of the city. Therefore, various spatial constraints have allowed for very little space for storing construction materials which calls for high mobility for both materials and personnel. Add to the fact that the construction site neighbours an arterial road, lifting construction materials to 200 meters or up became an even tougher challenge. Hence, the requirements for quality assurance, concrete pouring and workers’ safety when conducting aerial tasks were much harsher.

The contractor also employed a “master stroke” in skyscraper construction – the “Aerial Construction Platform.” Officially coined “Lightweight Integrated High-rise Top Form Construction Platform”, the device is a combination of a steel platform system, a powered supporting structure, moulding and hoisting equipment, as well as auxiliary operating and safety monitoring systems. The platform can support a total of 240 tons of materials, and 80% of its surface area could be used for storing materials. The platform provides temporary water and power supply, fire, lighting and monitoring systems, concrete spreader, construction elevator, tools storage and engine room, life support and concrete maintenance systems. Above all, platform provides an enclosed working space for material storage, production and construction for workers to work within the platform itself, saving a lot of additional required space.

Reduction in Manual Labour, Boosting Efficiency

The construction of Bay Area Smart Plaza made use of the latest technologies in the form of the “Aerial Construction Platform” which weighs in at 800 tons, and can withstand up to 1,500 tons of weight, as well as gusts of up to level 14. Using predetermined fulcrums, the builder is able to climb upwards simultaneously across all fulcrums, instead of ascending separately. Compared with traditional hydraulic self-climbing formworks, the climbing process is shortened by 6 hours.

The “Aerial Construction Platform” is also an intelligent construction platform. Not only has it achieved integration between tower crane and formwork and provide support for various systems and equipment. Smart elements are also added in, replacing some manual labour with machines, facilitating simultaneous building of the horizontal and vertical structure. In addition, the highly industrialised working environment of the platform also allows workers to simultaneously process steel structure hoisting, bar bending and concrete pouring, achieving a 50% reduction in labour, whilst increasing efficiency by 30%, and hence accomplishing the goal of finishing one floor in 5 days.

Enclosed Working Environment, Ensuring Safety at Work

The exterior of the“Aerial Construction Platform” is covered with a giant blue canvas, and envelops the building itself, with its interior an enclosed, safe working environment. The manufacturers have created a secure and industrialised working environment that makes working above ground as safe as ground based work for workers. Additionally, the main steel structure of the platform also acts as secure fencing to ensure workers’ safety.

Live Monitoring Makes for Unrestricted Exchange

In order to apply effective monitoring and ensure the quality of the construction, the control room at the top of the platform consists of a monitoring system transmitting live situation to the bureau’s headquarters. The construction team states that the headquarters act as the command central of the entire construction project. The management team can conduct live sampling via the monitoring system, including the operating status of the tower crane and safety check ups, all of which were to be shared with the bureau HQ via the monitoring system. Hence its importance in assuring quality of work, management of personnel and handling emergency responses.

Ir Albert CHENG, expresses his appreciation to the site visit, upon completion of the visiting tour, hoping that such exchanges could be enhanced to improve mutual learning, and applying the strengths of each party to achieve mutual growth in anticipation for another wave of technological advancements in the industry, along with the awaiting opportunities.