Concrete Admixture in Expressways

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The world's earliest highway is generally considered to be the Bonn-Cologne line in Germany. After the mid-20th century, the construction of highways entered a peak period. In Europe, France and Germany are leading nations in terms of highway construction. The 1950s to 1970s saw a peak in the construction of highways in the United States. The construction of highways in China, however, only developed rapidly after the reform and opening up, and has now become the largest highway network in the world. After more than 90 years of exploration and development, nearly a hundred countries and regions around the world currently have highways. As of 2022, the total length of highways worldwide has exceeded 400,000 kilometers.

Highway construction is a necessary infrastructure for economic development. It plays a critical role in connecting regions, facilitating the movement of goods and people, and enhancing trade and commerce. By improving accessibility and reducing transportation costs, highways stimulate economic growth and contribute to the overall prosperity of a region or country.

ARIT has participated in the construction of thousands to tens of thousands of meters of highways. ARIT has contributed an invisible force to the development of cities. The impact of such construction is often profound yet less visible, serving as a foundation for the city's prosperity and progress.

Projects of ARIT

Name

Liuheng Highway Bridge

Line length

31.4 km

Project Details  Project Details 

Background

The Liuheng Highway Bridge is constructed in two phases. The second phase is a large-scale cross-sea island connection project, consisting of multiple bridges and connecting roads. Among them, the Shuangyumen Suspension Bridge is the world's largest single-tower steel box girder suspension bridge with a span of 1768 meters, which also sets a new record for the longest span of a sea-crossing bridge in China. The Qinglongmen Cable-Stayed Bridge is the world's largest span three-tower steel box girder cable-stayed bridge, with dual main spans of 756 meters crossing the Qinglongmen shipping channel.

Project challenge

The concrete is required to have good workability, with no slump loss within 1 hour, and a setting time of over 20 hours. There is no bleeding or laitance during the pouring of the foundation slab.

The setting time of the concrete is controlled between 20 to 30 hours. On one hand, this is to reduce the hydration rate of the concrete in large-volume foundation slabs, thereby reducing the internal hydration heat and minimizing the temperature difference between the concrete and the surrounding environment. On the other hand, controlling the setting time within 20 to 30 hours, based on the volume of concrete used in on-site construction, can prevent the surface from setting too quickly. This helps to prevent cracks from forming between the upper and lower pouring surfaces during the pouring process.

Solution from ARIT

Technician of ARIT analyzed the materials on site, determined the mix ratio, initially conducted small-scale machine adaptation, followed by large-scale machine testing, and ultimately proceeded with on-site construction. The entire construction process was smooth, with the concrete exhibiting good consistency, no laitance or bleeding on the pouring surface, and no laitance after vibration. The entire construction process lasted nearly 40 hours without any setting issues.