China’s 640-Ton ‘Iron Monster’ Can Erect Colossal Bridges In a Few Days

Launching the Belt and Road initiative in 2013, China has proven to be the heir to the tradition of the Silk Road. The project comprises land-and-sea routes that link about 70 countries, approximately two-thirds of the world.

What enabled China to initiate and carry out this project was the developed construction machines that not only expedite the construction processes but resulted in cost and resources efficiency. SLJ900/32, locally known as the Iron Monster, is a step forward in bridge construction that lifts, carries, and sets prefabricated and full-length track sections at the loaded speed of 3.1 mph (5 km/h), leaving no place for the prolonged on-site assembling process.

More than 2,000 years ago, the Han Dynasty established the Silk Road, a network of land-and-sea routes that built a bridge between the east and west transforming China into a geoeconomic center. Inspired by the Silk Road, the People’s Republic of China commenced the Belt and Road initiative to link Asia, Africa, and Europe. The Silk Road Economic Belt, the on-land routes of the project, links East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe while the Maritime Silk Road connects China’s coastlands to Europe.
via:https://interestingengineering.com/