Forging ahead with Endeavor to Build a Maritime Power

The underwater world, for the most people, is mysterious, while for the Marine Engineering Research Institute of Tianjin Survey and Design Institute for Water Transport Engineering Co, Ltd affiliated to Tianjin Research Institute for Water Transport Engineering, M.O.T. (hereinafter referred to as TIWTE Marine Engineering Survey Institute, or the Institute), it is a platform for them to demonstrate their skills.

A journey of thousands of miles can be achieved through the accumulation of single step, just as the enormous ocean can be formed through gathering of every flow. From its establishment in 2004 to the participation in the construction of a number of major water transport projects in recent years, every step TIWTE Marine Engineering Survey Institute has taken is a foundation to its growth.

Along the way, TIWTE Marine Engineering Survey Institute insists on exploring, understanding and serving the ocean. From the archaeological salvage and positioning of Nanhai Ⅰ as well as the overall salvage and measurement of “Sewol” in South Korea, to the emergency rescue service for the collision and explosion accident of  “Sanchi” in the East China Sea and the construction of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge Project, the Communists of the Institute have always risen to challenges, pioneered and pushed ahead to be the mainstay in scientific research in many engineering fields such as marine salvage, cross-river channel, offshore wind power, offshore oil, submarine routing.

Improving working competence

Taking the CPC’s leadership as a top priority in the first-front of the scientific research

Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge is a world-class large cross-sea project integrated with “bridge, island, tunnel and underwater hub interconnection”, as well as a major project of the 13th Five-Year Plan and a core transportation hub in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. The Institute deeply participated in the sinking construction of immersed pipe in the S08 contract of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge Project, and was responsible for tasks like the measurement, positioning, monitoring as well as supervision in the whole process of the construction, including subgrade bed leveling and sweeping, immersed pipe floating and installation and other related work.

E30管节出坞。本文图片由 部天科院 提供


The S08 contract of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge Project mainly included the construction of E23-E32 pipe joint of steel shell immersed tube tunnel. For the pipe joint, which weighed 60,000 tons, its subgrade bed leveling elevation was precisely required to be at 4cm in 20-meter-depth water, and its underwater installation and positioning were required at 5cm.

As for the first-front marine surveyors, the hardship and loneliness of on-site surveys in Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge is unimaginable, which requires unusual persistence and dedication; while for the home front team, the innovative working methods, high-quality scheme writing, research and development of new technologies are also indispensable intellectual support for the construction of the Bridge.

Facing unprecedented challenges, the Party branch of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge Project Department of the Institute fully played the leading role, insisted on taking the CPC’s leadership as a priority in the first-front of the scientific research, carried out various work according to the world-class standards, and gradually solved key problems through theoretical research, harbor basin experiment, on-site sea test and other steps, finally realized the leap from prototype verification to practical construction application.

Survey and mapping are important means to obtain the most original and accurate data. Since 2018, the members of the Project Department have carried out the relative research such as  underwater leveling elevation measurement and underwater high-precision positioning. Whether installing equipment for a long time in hot days or surveying all night, Yang Kun, Wang Chongming, Yang Haizhong, Lei Peng, Li Hanguang and other workers strictly followed the project progress and never complained. In addition, Tian Chunhe, Zhang Yanchang, Wang Fangzheng and An Yongning overcame difficulties and cooperated in the research and development of multiple key construction support systems, providing comprehensive technical services with more comprehensive content, more precise measurement and more advanced technology for Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge Project.

After two-year efforts, the Institute accomplished the positioning of undocking and placement of four pipe joints, the sea test of underwater leveling measurement and control system, and the physical floating exercise of E32 pipe joints. This achievement have been fully recognized by the Survey Control Center of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge Project. It is expected that in late August, the subgrade bed leveling and floating installation of E32 pipe joints of S08 contract will be officially started, meanwhile, the whole team is ready to work.

Focusing on the goal “the Party branch built on the project and the Party flag floating on the construction site”, the Party group of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge Project Department drove the project construction with the study of the CPC’s history, and improved the speed, quality and efficiency of the project construction. In order to enhance the working capability and cohesion of the team, in addition to organizing the study of the CPC’s history within the team and visiting the Sea Battle Museum and the Humen Fort, the Project Department also held joint learning and construction activities of the CPC’s history study with Guangzhou Salvage Bureau to review the admission oath of joining the CPC, to listen to special Party lessons and obtain enlightenment from its history and gained experience from practice.

Teaching others by words and actions

采集实验数据。


We are the people who can crack a hard nutFrom 1998 to 1999, Shanghai Salvage Bureau was responsible for the laying of submarine cables in Weizhou Oilfield, while its navigation and positioning services were provided by the Institute. In order to accomplish the task, the Institute made a breakthrough and changed the situation when foreign enterprises monopolized the marine navigation and positioning market. To better serve the construction of a maritime power, in 2004, the Institute established the Marine Engineering Survey Department to try to explore a new path beyond the port measurement.

The Institute was responsible for underwater positioning and attitude monitoring during the salvage Nanhai Ⅰ, participated in the overall salvage of “Sewol” in South Korea, provided search and scanning assistance for the crashed aircraft “AirAsia QZ8501”, and supported Blue Sea Action with reliable technologies. Over the years, it has analyzed and judged the new situation and tasks. Based on the national strategy and major scientific research needs of the industry, it also effectively promoted the in-depth integration of the Party’s construction and the project. Besides, it provided early, medium and late support in some fields, such as marine accident emergency rescue, the R&D of new rescue and salvage technologies, equipment application and marine engineering services, which achieved sound results and played a positive role in boosting response ability.

Whether serving major projects or participating in emergency rescue, the Party members of the Institute have always been being pioneers and models, forging ahead with determination.

Moving forward without regrets, the Institute was devoted itself to the construction in the water transportation and maritime power: overcoming the plateau reaction to help the measurement of Qinghai Lake on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau; assisting in the construction of inland navigation, dredging and measuring the Yellow River and Yangtze river channels; building a first-class port to provide services for bathymetric and hydrological measurement of coastal ports; in terms of the contribution to the new clean energy, taking the offshore wind power installation and supporting the wind power construction in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Fujian, Dalian and other coastal areas; rushing to the work front-line and getting over the marine environment including typhoon, wind and waves, high temperature and high humidity. It is learned that as long as new employees joined in, the Institute would meticulously select responsible and experienced senior engineers as their tutors to carry out one-year guidance. In addition to providing technical guidance to new employees in the project, the tutors also taught the cultural spirit, professional quality and working methods of the Institute, and put forward constructive suggestions about development planning to the newcomers. When encountering a hard nut to crack, the Institute members with a strong sense of urgency and responsibility would bear the work. Because, the team behind them, they believed, will offer unconditional support to them. Based on this spirit, youths from generation to generation such as Zhang Kaihua, Wang Wenjie and Dun Yu will inherit the spirit of bravery and willpower. 

It is advisable to keep astrong will to achieve great achievements. Under the leadership of the Party committee of TIWTE, the Party members of the Institute always lead the charge to overcome all obstacles in offshore engineering as well as to make a breakthrough in technical issues, and increase the driving force for the high-quality development of water transportation.