(250825) -- ZHENFENG, Aug. 25, 2025 (Xinhua) -- This aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 25, 2025 shows a load test on the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, set to become the world's tallest bridge, had completed a key load test as of Monday, ahead of its scheduled opening in late September. The five-day testing process confirmed that the bridge's structural strength, stiffness and dynamic performance met safety standards, according to the testing team. The load test, considered the final step before the bridge welcomes traffic -- included both static and dynamic tests. The testing team drove 96 trucks, weighing about 3,300 tonnes in total, onto designated points of the deck in batches to measure displacement and stress in the main span, towers, cables and suspenders. The bridge is 2,890 meters long with a main span of 1,420 meters. Rising 625 meters above the river, it will set the record for both the tallest bridge in the world and the world's largest span bridge built in a mountainous area, upon completion. (Photo by Chen Xi/Xinhua)
TIANJIN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) — China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Tianjin Dredging Co., Ltd. on Tuesday announced the successful launch of the “Tongjun” dredger, a 35,000 cubic meter capacity, ultra-large, self-propelled grab suction dredger.
Another dredger, the “Junguang,” with the same capacity and belonging to the CCCC Guangzhou Dredging Co., Ltd. was also launched on the same day.
Dredgers are typically classified into two types based on their operating mechanisms: cutter suction dredgers and grab suction dredgers. The simultaneous breakthroughs with the two grab suction dredgers mark China’s international leadership in the field of large-scale dredging equipment.
Both dredgers are designed with a length of 198 meters, a beam of 38.5 meters, and a depth of 18 meters. They can dredge up to a maximum depth of 120 meters.
As next-generation, high-end, intelligent, and environmentally friendly grab suction dredgers, the “Tongjun” and “Junguang” are capable of exceptional performance, including strong soil penetration, deep dredging, long-distance transport, and extended blowing capabilities. They are expected to be widely used in port and waterway dredging, deep-sea sand extraction, land reclamation, deep-sea mining, trench excavation and backfilling, gravel bed construction, and deep-sea pipeline laying.
Both dredgers are designed to operate in waves and winds of up to grade eight. With the self-developed intelligent dredging control systems, one crew member is able to handle all navigation and operational tasks. Under normal working conditions, the dredgers can fill their mud holds completely within 90 minutes.
Once these two dredgers are put into operation, they will further optimize China’s dredging fleet, accelerating the professionalization, specialization, and internationalization of the nation’s dredging capabilities, said a staff member of CCCC Dredging (Group) Co. Ltd.
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