Recently, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link officially opened for trial operation. Connecting Shenzhen, Zhongshan, and the Nansha District of Guangzhou, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is a super sea-crossing cluster project integrating "bridges, islands, tunnels, and underwater interchanges." Its completion and opening have successfully linked Guangdong's three major economic zones, effectively strengthening economic cooperation and development in the Pearl River Delta region.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link project has a total length of approximately 24 km, of which the sea-crossing section is 22.4 km, designed to the standard of a dual-direction, eight-lane expressway. The project includes key works such as the West Artificial Island, the East Artificial Island, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Tunnel, the Lingdingyang Bridge, and the Zhongshan Bridge. Shanghai Yuanyang participated in and was responsible for the construction of the west anchorage of the Lingdingyang Bridge, the East Artificial Island, and the retaining structure of the mainline cofferdam-built tunnel section, as well as the construction of the foundation pit support for the open-cut immersed tube section of the West Artificial Island.

Retaining structure of the west anchorage of the Lingdingyang Bridge

The west anchorage of the Lingdingyang Bridge is a gravity anchorage, with the entire anchorage located in water. The anchorage foundation adopts a figure-eight diaphragm wall foundation with a diameter of 65 m; the diaphragm wall is 1.5 m thick, with its base embedded 5 m into moderately weathered granite, and a maximum depth of approximately 52.5 m.

Construction site of the tunnel retaining structure on the East Artificial Island

The retaining structure of the East Artificial Island and the mainline cofferdam-built tunnel section adopts the "double-row mixing piles + diaphragm wall" scheme. The diaphragm wall is 1 m thick and 26 m deep, with I-beam joints used for the panel connections.

The slope support for the open-cut immersed tube section of the West Artificial Island adopts glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) soil nail walls. The slope is constructed in an overall two-tier stepped profile. Weep holes are arranged at intervals on both slope faces to drain unidentified accumulated water from the slope. Steel mesh is laid on the slope, with two continuous horizontal reinforcing bars provided per longitudinal row of anchors to secure the steel mesh, and fine-aggregate concrete is sprayed on the surface as the support facing layer.

Relying on its strong diaphragm wall construction capabilities, Shanghai Yuanyang has successively participated in and completed the retaining structure construction of three key works of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link project, providing solid technical support and construction support for the foundation retaining structures of the project. During construction, Shanghai Yuanyang strictly managed construction operations and strictly controlled finished product quality, delivering quality projects to the client on schedule.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is a major project of the national "13th Five-Year Plan" and a major transportation infrastructure project designated for construction in the "Pearl River Delta Planning Outline." It is an important transportation link connecting the three major zones of the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone and bridging the two major functional clusters of the Pearl River Delta—"Shenzhen-Dongguan-Huizhou" and "Zhuhai-Zhongshan-Jiangmen." It is a convenient corridor from eastern Guangdong to western Guangdong and even the great southwest, and an important project for building the one-hour transportation circle of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Its completion and opening are conducive to exchanges and cooperation among surrounding areas in the economic, cultural, tourism, and other fields, and will promote the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.