The Golmud-Lhasa section of Qinghai-Tibet railway line is 1,142
kilometers long, with 960 kilometers of it sitting at 4,000 meters
above sea level. The protection of the fragile ecosystem, the lack
of oxygen at high-altitude and the perennial frozen ground were
three of the challenges met in the construction of the line.
Plateau ecosystem not markedly affected
The Tibetan Plateau is the source of many rivers and home to
many species of plants not found anywhere else in the world. The
plateau ecosystem is primeval, peculiar and fragile. Before the
start of the project experts from the State Environmental
Protection Administration (SEPA), Ministry of Land and Resources
and Ministry of Railways conducted a thorough investigation into
the ecosystem along the length of the line and worked out detailed
environmental protection measures. One billion yuan was earmarked
to protect the ecosystem as construction work progressed.
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Cai Fan, deputy Party secretary of the Headquarters for
Qinghai-Tibet Railway construction, said that the "fragile
ecosystem" was taken into consideration even in the early planning
stages. The design was drawn up to avoid locations that would
affect the environment of nature reserves. Construction sites were
selected and designed to ensure that vegetation was not destroyed.
Construction firms signed "responsibility contracts" with
environmental protection authorities in Qinghai Province and Tibet Autonomous Region accepting their
authority.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway travels through two state-level nature
reserves – Hoh Xil and Qiangtang. To protect wildlife, 25 migration
passages were built beside the railway. According to electronic
monitoring in June 2005, a group of Tibetan Antelopes migrated
freely through the passages. Investigations by SEPA and other
authorities show that frozen soil, vegetation, wetlands, water
quality in rivers along the railway have been effectively protected
and the plateau ecosystem was not markedly affected.
No deaths from high-altitude oxygen deficiency
About 85 percent of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is located in
places where the altitude is over 4,000 meters, the annual average
temperature is below zero and the air oxygen content is only 50 to
60 percent of that in lowland areas. These locations were described
as the "forbidden zone" for human life due to the lack of oxygen,
the incredible sandstorms, strong ultraviolet radiation and the
regular outbreak of diseases.
To tackle health problems, a medical insurance system was put in
place, according to Cai. A total of 115 medical facilities were set
up along the railway, staffed with more than 600 medical
professionals. Workers had access to rapid and effective medical
treatment as well as regular health checks. They also enjoyed
regular breaks from work to rest in low-altitude
areas.
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When working in the Kunlun Mountain Tunnel – 4,600 meters above
seal level – workers have to carry a 5-kg oxygen cylinder to help
with their breathing. Around 120,000 cylinders of oxygen were used
in just one year's construction. China Railway 17th Group Co Ltd
installed oxygen-supply pipelines in workers' dormitories. During
the construction in Fenghuo Mountain Tunnel – 4,905 meters above
sea level – China Railway 12th Group Co Ltd built an
oxygen-producing station to "feed" the tunnel. The oxygen content
in the tunnel reached 80 percent. Seventeen such stations were
built along the railway line equipped with 25 high-pressure oxygen
cabins which provide at least two hours of oxygen for each
worker.
A total of 453,000 cases of sickness were reported during the
construction period, including 427 cases of hydrocephalus and 841
cases of pulmonary edema, but no deaths were recorded.
"Museum" for frozen soil engineering
The volume of soil expands while freezing and reduces when
thawing out in the summer. Affected repeatedly by this phenomena
cracks can be seen in roads and houses. With low and high altitude,
strong sunlight and frequent geological movements, the frozen
ground on the Tibetan Plateau is extremely complex.
Borrowing ideas from research findings and successful
experiences of other countries, Chinese experts adopted creative
measures to deal with frozen soil engineering difficulties. Areas
of frozen soil where geological structures are complicate were
avoided. Bridges were built instead of roads in areas where the
ground conditions were unstable.
Twenty other frozen earth engineering problems were solved
during the construction by taking creative measures.
Zhang Luxin, leader of the project's expert consultancy team,
said the possibility of large scale damage to the railway resulting
from the frozen ground is remote. Trains operating on the line can
travel at 100 kilometers per hour and it will be operational all
the year round.
(China.org.cn)
