On April 9, the 2021 National Tunnel and Underground Engineering Construction Technology Innovation Exchange and Observation Conference was held in Jinan. Li Shucai, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Vice President of Shandong University, Li Xuemin, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Railway No.10 Engineering Group Co., Ltd., and Yan Jinxiu, President of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association and Deputy General Manager of China Railway Academy Co., Ltd., attended the meeting and delivered keynote academic reports. More than 200 industry experts and scholars participated in the exchange.


　　“This will be a grand event that fully showcases China's leading technologies and fruitful achievements in the tunnel and underground engineering field, and a grand event that fully pools the resource advantages of the scientific, educational, and business communities to promote higher-quality, higher-standard, and higher-level development in the tunnel and underground engineering field,” said Li Xuemin. He stated that the conference would have a profound impact on the tunnel and underground engineering field, further promoting cooperation among universities, research institutes, and construction enterprises at the strategic level, comprehensively advancing the innovative, high-end, and international development of technologies, equipment, and materials in the field, and making new and greater contributions to the grand blueprint of building a science and technology powerhouse during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period. It would also strengthen China Railway No.10 Engineering Group's confidence, motivation, and pace in pursuing innovation leadership and implementing the strategy of strengthening the enterprise through science and technology.


　　With the theme of “Tunnel and Underground Engineering Construction Technology Innovation,” the conference conducted extensive and in-depth academic exchanges on frontier research, major and difficult projects, new technologies, new equipment, and new materials in the domestic tunnel and underground engineering field. At the meeting, Academician Li Shucai delivered an academic report titled “Detection and Treatment of Water and Mud Inrush Disaster Sources in Tunnels,” Yan Jinxiu, President of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, delivered an academic report titled “International Tunnel and Underground Space Technology and Development,” and Li Xuemin, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Railway No.10 Engineering Group Co., Ltd., delivered a report titled “Innovation Leadership, Bravely Serving as the Pioneer of China Construction,” discussing the company's efforts and achievements in deepening enterprise reform, scientific and technological innovation, and project excellence in recent years.


　　Li Xuemin introduced that China Railway No.10 Engineering Group unswervingly implements the strategy of “strengthening the enterprise through science and technology.” Since the “13th Five-Year Plan,” the company has promoted the construction of an innovation system, advanced scientific and technological system reform, enhanced the capacity for scientific and technological efficiency, expanded channels and space for scientific and technological innovation, and ensured high-standard progress in construction production with strong scientific and technological strength, achieving breakthrough progress in tunnel and underground engineering construction technology. It has cumulatively constructed nearly 200 tunnels, including 5 extra-long tunnels of over 10,000 meters, with a total tunnel construction length of more than 600 kilometers; and has cumulatively constructed about 200 kilometers of subway sections (including about 175 kilometers of shield tunneling sections) and over 70 subway stations for civil engineering and decoration, with a total area of about 1.2 million square meters.


　　At the meeting, China Railway No.10 Engineering Group and Shandong University signed a cooperation agreement to establish the “Research Center for Intelligent Construction Technology of Complex Tunnels and Underground Engineering” and held an unveiling ceremony. Academician Li Shucai of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Yan Jinxiu, President of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, jointly unveiled the center.


　　The newly established “Research Center for Intelligent Construction Technology of Complex Tunnels and Underground Engineering” will conduct research for major domestic and international projects, actively promote the application and transformation of results, and create a model of enterprise-university cooperation. The center will carry out scientific and technological research on major domestic projects such as long and large tunnel projects represented by the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, major water conservancy projects represented by the Central Yunnan Water Diversion Project, urban underground projects represented by urban rail transit, and large-diameter shield tunnel projects represented by urban and intercity railways, deepening industry-university-research-application collaboration. At the same time, it will target key development areas at home and abroad, strengthen key technology research and original technology development, and conduct comprehensive cooperation in talent training and industry-education integration, scientific research and achievement transformation, equipment sharing, and infrastructure construction.


　　It is reported that the conference was hosted by China Railway No.10 Engineering Group Co., Ltd., Shandong University, and Jinan Rail Transit Group Co., Ltd., and guided by the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, the China Civil Engineering Society, the Chinese Construction Machinery Society, and the Shandong Rail Transit Society. The conference lasted two days. On April 10, the conference will organize participating industry experts and scholars to visit Jinan Heavy Industry Group Co., Ltd. to see two earth pressure balance shield machines collaboratively innovated and developed by China Railway No.10 Engineering Group and Academician Li Shucai's team at Shandong University, which will soon be used for Guiyang Metro Line 3. After the conference, China Railway No.10 Engineering Group will also organize the 2021 national shield tunneling practitioner technical and skills training, providing comprehensive training for shield tunneling practitioners through a “theory + practice” approach and issuing skill appraisal training certificates to trainees who pass the training.