Flood drill prepares teams for collapsed foundation walls

Beijing held a drill in its Central Business District area on Friday to prepare for emergencies that torrential rains might bring to the foundations of high-rises and the risk this poses to human lives.

Many skyscrapers in the CBD, including 19 buildings higher than 100 meters, are under construction.

The taller the building is, the deeper its foundations will be. Such buildings could become locations for collapsed foundation walls during flood season, said Liu Gang, director of the CBD management committee.

The drill, conducted at a construction site in the CBD, simulated an emergency in which foundation walls collapsed after torrential rains and a worker was trapped inside.

The flood control teams, including more than 100 members, came in to quickly pump out the water in the deep foundation. They also piled sandbags at the collapsed section and repaired broken pipes to prevent further collapse. The medical team concentrated on helping the injured worker during the drill.

Wang Chengjun, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said such a drill is necessary because rainfall in June has reached 97.8 millimeters, more than in June of last year, and this poses more risk of flooding.

Flood-control efforts in construction sites with deep foundations and along railways are priorities this summer, he said.

Beijing is experiencing construction on a large scale, including 352 deep foundations for high buildings and 11 subway lines.

Among the tall buildings under construction in the CBD is the Zhongguo Zun, which means China Goblet. The building, which will be the tallest building in the capital, will have a height of 528 meters and the deepest foundation, at 38 meters.