The GN13 contract section of the Guangyuan to Nanchong segment of the Lanzhou to Haikou National Expressway, stretching from pile number K98+000 to K106+845 with a total length of 8.845 km, is a significant infrastructure project. This section involves extensive excavation of 893,000 m³ and filling of 666,000 m³. It includes the construction of seven bridges totaling 2,581.83 meters, two tunnels with a combined length of 3,087 meters, one pedestrian bridge and aqueduct of 47 meters, 16 culverts spanning 692.48 meters, and one separated interchange of 50 meters. The project uses 15,821 tons of steel, making efficient steel processing crucial for controlling costs due to the project’s complexity and low bidding price.
Challenges and the Need for Centralized Steel Bar Processing
The large volume of steel required presents a critical opportunity to enhance cost efficiency. Traditional decentralized processing methods result in high investment, management complexity, and significant raw material waste. Key issues include:
- Increased Production Pressure: Large contract sections and tight deadlines heighten challenges in maintaining profit margins and meeting standardization requirements.
- Raw Material Waste: Scattered processing leads to inefficient management and excessive material waste.
- Low Equipment Utilization: High investment in equipment that often remains underused.
- Underutilized Skilled Labor: The high demand for skilled workers is not met effectively, leading to uneven quality and rework.
- Safety and Management Difficulties: Decentralized plants face higher safety costs and management challenges, including theft and loss of materials.
Proposal for a Centralized Steel Bar Processing Plant
To address these issues, the project department has adopted a centralized steel bar processing plant model. This approach offers numerous benefits:
- Reduced Investment and Waste: Centralized processing minimizes equipment costs and reduces raw material waste.
- Improved Safety: A fully enclosed plant with a robust security system prevents theft and loss.
- Enhanced Efficiency: Concentrated processing ensures better resource management and equipment utilization.
Key Practices in the Centralized Steel Bar Processing Plant
Location and Design: The plant is strategically situated on a 2,500 m² area, featuring raw material storage, processing, and semi-finished product stacking zones. It operates under a factory management model, ensuring efficient processing and quality control.
Standardized Management: Implementing rigorous standards and systems for cost control, quality assurance, and process management improves overall efficiency. A refined management model includes:
- Steel Processing Plan Control: Technicians submit steel use plans in advance, ensuring timely and accurate processing.
- Sample Display and Process Standardization: Full-time technicians oversee quality control, using sample displays to guide production.
- Special Worker Management: Enhanced training and certification for workers ensure skillful and safe operation.
- Conservation and Waste Reduction: A culture of waste reduction is fostered, promoting efficient use of materials and innovative cost-saving methods.
- Quality Control: Strict quality checks and accountability measures prevent unqualified products from leaving the factory, achieving a zero return rate.
Personnel and Equipment Configuration
- Personnel: The plant employs a deputy project manager as the factory director, along with a site manager, technical manager, safety manager, and 15 operators.
- Equipment: Includes one gantry crane, four mechanical connection machines, two bending machines, two cutting machines, two breaking machines, two welding machines, three straightening machines, one generator, and one transport vehicle.
Production and Transportation Capacity
The plant’s capacity is aligned with the project’s construction needs, with a peak daily production and transportation capacity of 30 tons. Adjustments are made based on project progress to ensure optimal performance.
Conclusion
The establishment of a centralized steel bar processing plant addresses key challenges in large-scale projects like the GN13 contract section. By improving efficiency, reducing waste, and enhancing safety, the plant supports the project’s goal of maximizing profits while maintaining high standards of construction quality.
