A 10-Story Building: China’s New Hydraulic Cylinder to Be Used for Offshore Engineering Projects.
China has manufactured a massive hydraulic cylinder for large pile-driving vessels participating in offshore infrastructure projects, with a maximum thrust of 5,000 tons—enough to lift 1,000 adult African elephants simultaneously. This independent development marks the first time China has created the largest and most powerful hydraulic cylinder in the world, having rolled off the production line in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, on October 22, according to Interesting Engineering.
Hydraulic cylinder off the production line on October 22. (Photo: CCTV).
The development of this hydraulic cylinder, designed for building foundations for offshore engineering projects, indicates that China has mastered the core technology for producing super-large and super-long cylinders. As the second-largest economy in the world, China is pursuing a strategy to enhance its maritime power, focusing on the production of high-end equipment and promoting technological development. Large pile-driving vessels play a crucial role in building infrastructure to cross rivers or seas and in installing offshore wind farms.
Measuring 28 meters in length and nearly 2 meters in diameter, this hydraulic cylinder is as tall as a 10-story building. Developed by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the equipment is designed to power a 150-meter-long pile-driving vessel currently under production.
Previously, Chinese companies lagged behind many leading global firms in designing and manufacturing large hydraulic cylinders. They were entirely reliant on imports for key components such as sealing rings and erosion-resistant materials.
The vessels equipped with the new hydraulic cylinder will be put to use by the end of this year in the construction of the Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge, which will become the longest cross-sea high-speed railway bridge in the world upon completion. Future applications of this technology include large offshore drilling rigs and the construction of wind farm infrastructure. This is the result of collaboration among several companies in the fields of new materials and intelligent manufacturing.
In July, a maritime engineering alliance was established in Beijing, focusing on building and operating maritime transportation infrastructure, constructing wind and solar power facilities, protecting and restoring coastal areas, constructing reefs on islands, preserving ecosystems, and installing deep-sea pipelines.
