After the Ningbo-Yuyao intercity railway opened, many friends in Fenghua are eager to know: how is the Ningbo-Fenghua intercity railway progressing?
　　The reporter learned today from Ningbo Rail Transit that, as of now, all more than 1,200 pile foundations for the first section of Phase I of the Ningbo-Fenghua Intercity Railway (Gaotangqiao Station to Chaoyang Station) have been completed, and the entire civil works have achieved the expected goal of half the time and half the task.
　　The first section of the Ningbo-Fenghua Intercity Railway starts from Gaotangqiao Station on Line 3 and passes through Jiangshan Station, Shishan Station, Heyi Station, and Chaoyang Station. The civil works period is planned for 23 months and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.
　　The Ningbo-Fenghua Intercity Railway is an important backbone line connecting Fenghua and the central urban area of Ningbo, and will serve as the transportation backbone for residents traveling between Ningbo's central urban area and surrounding important towns.
　　The Ningbo-Fenghua Intercity Railway has a total length of 21.59 km, including 0.84 km of underground line and 20.44 km of elevated line, with 9 stations (excluding Gaotangqiao Station) and an average station spacing of 2.41 km.
　　Except for Gaotang Station, which connects to Rail Transit Line 3 and is underground, all other stations in the first section are elevated stations. Therefore, the primary task of the civil works is to complete the construction of pile foundations.
　　“Pile foundation construction can be roughly divided into steps such as surveying, setting out, drilling, lowering reinforcement cages, and pouring concrete. It takes an average of about 7 days to build one pile foundation.” said Chen Jiao, executive chief engineer of the TJFH04 bid section of the Ningbo-Fenghua Line of China Railway Tenth Bureau under Ningbo Rail Transit.
　　Chen Jiao told the reporter that because Ningbo has deep soft soil layers, according to Ningbo's geological conditions, pile foundations need to pass through muddy soil and enter moderately weathered rock, so the depth varies from 50 meters to 65 meters. “At present, the deepest pile foundation is located in the section between Shishan Station and Heyi Station. Due to the complex geological conditions there, the rock penetration depth must reach more than ten meters, and the total length of the pile foundation has reached 62 meters.”
　　High-voltage power lines are everywhere along the construction route. To ensure safety, the construction unit responsible for this section has taken multiple measures: installing limit devices on lifting equipment, setting traction ropes for lifted items, selecting experienced and skilled operators, assigning dedicated personnel for monitoring, formulating detailed operating procedures, and requiring strict compliance with regulations at each step... “Ultimately, all the hundreds of pile foundations beside the high-voltage lines in the first section were successfully completed as planned.” Chen Jiao said.