The Successful Breakthrough of Chongqing Xiaoshimen Yangtze River Water Intake Project

On June 19th, the Xiaoshimen Yangtze River Water Intake Project in Chongqing achieved a major milestone — the successful breakthrough of 2200mm rock pipe jacking tunnels into the Yangtze River!

This pipe jacking construction used Tangxing Technology’s 1800 mm rock pipe jacking machine, with a jacking distance of 192.5 meters. The intake pump shaft is a circular caisson structure with an excavation diameter of 32.8 meters and a depth of approximately 85 meters — equivalent to the height of a 28-story building. Such a large-scale and deep shaft is extremely rare in similar projects across China.

The geological conditions in the construction area primarily consist of mudstone, sandstone, and sandy mudstone, posing extremely high requirements for the pipe jacking machine’s excavation parameters, cutter wear resistance, and alignment control. What made this project even more challenging was the need for the pipe jacking machine to enter the Yangtze River and complete the retrieval of the machine head underwater — a complex environment that significantly increased construction difficulty and risk.

However, thanks to advanced equipment, outstanding technical capabilities, and the relentless efforts of the construction team, all obstacles were overcome, leading to the successful completion of jacking tunnels.

This project is a central component of the Changshou District water network. Once completed, it will supply high-quality Yangtze River water to 450,000 residents in the urban area of Changshou, injecting continuous momentum into the district’s development. Let us look forward to the full completion of the Xiaoshimen Yangtze River Water Intake Project soon!