ZPMC Completes Steel Structures Shipment for Melbourne's West Gate Tunnel Project

SHANGHAI, Aug. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) has successfully completed the final shipment of structural components for the pedestrian bridges part of the Westgate Tunnel Project in Melbourne, Australia. Located in Melbourne's bustling western suburbs, this critical transportation infrastructure engineering project represents an investment exceeding $6 billion USD. Upon completion, it is expected to reduce commuting times from Melbourne's western districts to the city center by 20 minutes, significantly alleviating traffic congestion.

Over a span of five years and across 33 voyages, ZPMC has manufactured and shipped a total of 41,500 tons of steel structures for both the main framework and pedestrian walkways of the tunnel's bridge component. This project represents ZPMC's first municipal bridge venture in Australia and signifies a pivotal milestone in the company's aspirations to make a positive impact globally within the steel bridge manufacturing sector. ZPMC has been an influential participant on the international stage since its inception in 1998, having participated in the construction of nearly sixty major steel bridge projects across various continents including America's San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, South Korea's Incheon Bridge II, Canada's Vancouver Golden Ears Bridge, the UK's Queensferry Crossing Bridge and Norway's Hardanger Bridge among others. The company has earned numerous prestigious awards such as the George Richardson Medal, and the Gustav Lindenthal Medal, China Construction Engineering Luban Prize and China Steel Structure Gold Award.

Innovation remains at the core of ZPMC's operations, which began embracing intelligent manufacturing technologies back in 2018. The company has developed an intelligent production workshop, transitioning from initial automated operations supplemented by human labor to a fully automated production process that relies on specialized operators in designated areas. This shift represents a move from "human brain analysis and judgment + machine production" to an "intelligent analysis and judgment + machine production" model.

Moreover, ZPMC has established a dedicated team to develop its Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology capabilities for steel bridges, which has successfully created a material management system, a weld information management system, a BIM platform for steel bridge manufacturing, and a digital operations center for intelligent manufacturing, all aimed at integrating modern manufacturing processes with information technology to ensure efficiency and precision.

Looking ahead, ZPMC is dedicated to continuing its legacy by crafting world-class bridges underlining its commitment towards contributing robustly to global infrastructure development.