Yu Le is a newly appointed member of the Beijing Municipal CPPCC. He has brought a proposal recommending “vigorous efforts to launch undertakings and research to promote underground construction technology, laying a solid foundation for the survival and development of underground space in Beijing.” This proposal by Committee Member Yu Le is based on his many years of professional experience in his field and can be described as carefully considered.

Committee Member Yu Le has long been engaged in subway design technology work and once held positions at the Beijing Municipal Engineering Design Institute and the Beijing Urban Construction Design Institute for more than 15 years. At present, he is the chief designer of multiple Beijing subway lines, including the Airport Line, Line 15, and Line 16. In his years of frontline design work, he has gained the most intuitive understanding and very in-depth thinking regarding the “strengths and weaknesses” of underground space utilization in Beijing. “At present, underground projects in Beijing, mainly subways, are basically carried out at depths of more than 35 meters underground, while in many international metropolises represented by Tokyo, underground space has now been expanded to more than 60 meters. This shows that Beijing still has a great deal of underground space waiting to be developed.”

Yu Le believes that developing Beijing's underground space is highly necessary and also very promising. “First, expanding underground space can help Beijing solve the problem of difficult parking. At present, the underground space of high-rise buildings is very limited because of the fear that digging too deep may cause the building to tilt. Once the relevant technologies mature, the use of underground space can be increased exponentially while ensuring building safety. Second, the expansion of underground transportation space and the realization of three-dimensional transportation can also alleviate Beijing's traffic congestion. Third, expanding the use of underground space may also improve Beijing's urban flood control capacity. Large pipes can discharge rainwater into underground space, and when it is not raining, the water can be pumped out to supplement green spaces, achieving circular development.”

Yu Le explained that, in fact, the reorganization and planning of Beijing's underground space has already begun; however, deeper expansion still faces certain limitations at the current stage. “Both technological research and development and the development of construction equipment are indispensable.” Yu Le said that the current related reserves are not sufficient, and many cutting-edge technologies are still in the research stage and have not yet entered the engineering stage. He has focused on issues in this field for nearly ten years and, in the process, has quietly made his own efforts to promote the healthy and orderly development of underground space. “For example, promoting the mechanization of subway construction greatly reduces workers' labor intensity and provides better guarantees for construction quality and safety. Another example is the treatment of groundwater during subway construction, for which efforts and attempts have also been made by drawing on the advanced experience of Japan, Shanghai, and other places.”

This year, as a CPPCC member, he is full of enthusiasm for earnestly fulfilling his duties as a committee member and also hopes to help advance and develop the industry he loves. “I hope that through government advocacy, financial support, and talent innovation, the utilization and expansion of underground space can be promoted toward deeper and more practical development, so that many cutting-edge technologies can enter application as soon as possible.”