Measures to deal with any difficulties relating to cracking and
heaving caused by permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway will be taken by China's
Ministry of Railways, said Vice Minister Sun Yongfu Wednesday.
Speaking at the Asian International Permafrost Conference in
Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, Sun Yongfu said the Ministry
of Railways would further study the effect of temperature increases
and train loads on the permafrost-ground that is permanently frozen
and is prone to movement as temperatures fluctuate.
"We've already established a long-term inspection system of the
permafrost and will solve problems in a timely fashion," the
official said. Around 550 kilometers of the world's highest railway
is built on permafrost.??
China's Ministry of Railways spokesman, Wang Yongping, said
earlier there had been foundation movement on sections of the track
and that some railway structures had been affected.?
Cheng Guodong, of the China Academy of Sciences, said starting
to run trains on the line was not the final hurdle. "There remain
some problems to solve such as issues relating to permafrost,"
Cheng said. He said the major problems were partial foundation
cracking, water accumulation and that cracking occurred when
cooling techniques were not applied.
"Current problems are merely on the surface which can be solved
with normal maintenance and the stability of the railway foundation
is not affected," he said at the Asian International Permafrost
Conference held from August 7 to 9.
"The railway represents the latest development of permafrost
engineering," said Jerry Brown, president of the International
Permafrost Association. "Other countries can learn from China's
achievements in this field."
Yet international experts agreed that permafrost engineering,
including the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, is a complicated business and
needs further examination.?
"The Siberian Railway has been running for over 100 years yet
stability problems remain," said Professor Valentin Kondratiev from
Russia. "It's little wonder the magnificent Qinghai-Tibet Railway
will suffer some problems."
American permafrost engineering expert Max Brewer said that the
Alaska Railway, which also runs on permafrost, was built in 1923.
"It's naive to expect such a long railway not to encounter
problems," he said.
Security measures have already been put in place to protect the
line. "We've installed a long-term permafrost monitoring system in
order to settle new problems," said Sun Yongfu in a written
speech.
"As for movement of the permafrost foundation we'll take timely
measures to repair them," Sun said. "As for the impact of global
warming and repeated loading we'll conduct further research."
Chinese engineers are carrying out detailed examinations and
maintenance along the line and will develop effective measures to
deal with emerging issues.??
"The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway doesn't mean an
ultimate success nor will the permafrost problems be solved once
and for all," said Cheng Guodong. "Measures will be continuously
taken and we're confident we can ensure the safety and stability of
the line.”
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2006)