The city wall may only be one or two miles long from east to west, but it was not a small project.
On the city wall, watchtowers, gate towers, and other facilities were to be built, with the tops needing to be at least ten meters wide.
The base of the city wall needs to be at least twenty meters wide.
The initial goal was not to plan for a moat, so the city wall would have to be 20 to 30 meters high.
A rough calculation shows that such a massive project cannot be completed in a short period of time.
Fortunately, no bandits from the grasslands have come yet, so we can build it up slowly.
After construction began, the two watchtowers located on the eastern hillside beside the Shuibin River were the first to be built.
Bricks, stones, and cement were also transported to these two locations first.
Even if the city wall had not been built, these two watchtowers would have served as small fortresses outside the city, forming a defensive position with the old city of Dongning.
The watchtower, covering an area of half an acre, is resembling a small city.
According to Li Xin's design, the watchtower was equipped with warehouses, houses, staircases and other facilities, capable of accommodating at least several hundred people.
Therefore, the construction work for the watchtower was also quite extensive.
Fortunately, the cement has been successfully fired.
After the foundation excavation was successful, Li Xin specifically instructed his men to use large Luoyang shovels to dig deep holes at intervals.
The large Luoyang shovel was also made by blacksmiths in the city at Li Xin's behest.
In rural areas, digging foundations is still quite practical.
After the foundation pit was dug out, the prepared wooden cages were lowered into the pit, and the well-mixed concrete was poured directly into it.
Since there was little ironware in the city, steel bars were not used; instead, more flexible tree branches were used.
Timber-reinforced concrete, while not as good as reinforced concrete, is still usable.
After all, foundation engineering involves more than just these.
The watchtower has more than forty deep holes, which are connected by moats about half a meter deep, and are also connected by timber-reinforced concrete.
The foundation work alone took four or five days.
After the foundation was laid, Li Xin adopted a frame structure.
At key nodes, columns, and beams, all were constructed using timber-reinforced concrete.
To ensure stability, the pillars inside the watchtower are relatively thick and dense.
The remaining parts were constructed using brick and stone.
Although brick-concrete structures are not as sturdy as reinforced concrete, they are still better than rammed earth city walls at present.
The biggest advantage is the fast construction speed.
Time is of the essence.
Supplies were also scarce.
Therefore, this was a last resort.
Under Li Xin's guidance, a man in his twenties learned quite quickly.
Within a few days, he became a skilled worker on the construction site.
Li Xin also instructed Qiao Juncheng to become the construction supervisor of the watchtower and to be in charge of its construction.
In just half a month, the first floor of the watchtower has been completed, and the timber-framed concrete structure has been successfully capped.
Li Xin, He Chaojun, and others arrived at the Shuibin River Watchtower and stood on the top, their faces beaming with bright smiles.
"You're pretty fast!"
Li Xin couldn't help but praise, "Qiao Juncheng, do a good job, don't rush!"
Once the first floor is stable, construction of the second floor can begin.
"Your Highness, rest assured."
Qiao Juncheng nodded quickly.
"Observation and firing ports will be opened on the second layer of the wall."
Holding the blueprints, Li Xin said, "At that time, we will be firing from different positions on the second, third, and fourth floors."
Once these two watchtowers are completed, they will become the most fortified barrier in the northern part of Dongning City.
Qiao Juncheng, you have a long way to go and a heavy responsibility to shoulder. Do a good job!
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will keep your instructions in mind and fulfill my mission!"
Qiao Juncheng quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute in response.
...
During this period, Qiao Juncheng was in charge of overseeing both the Shuibin River Watchtower and the Dongshan Watchtower.
Outside the city, various activities such as limestone mining, grinding, charcoal making, cement making, and brick and stone firing are all in full swing.
Even with thousands of people involved, the cement production still couldn't keep up with the speed of the watchtower's construction and use.
"Dong Haibao,"
Li Xin frowned and asked, "Is it because there aren't enough cement kilns?"
If that's not enough, build additional cement kilns now.
Cement production must keep up!
The construction of the watchtowers is almost out of stock.
"Your Highness,"
Dong Haibao wiped the sweat from his brow and replied, "Right now, the cement kilns are still able to keep up..."
"Then why is the production so low?"
Li Xin was somewhat displeased.
"Your Highness,"
Dong Haibao explained, "Made from limestone powder and clay powder, it's not easy to make."
Limestone, in particular, is quite complex to mine and grind into powder.
Many workers toil day and night, yet they can't produce much powder each day.
During this period, I devoted almost all the manpower His Highness assigned to grinding limestone into powder, but it still didn't alleviate the problem much.
well……"
As he spoke, Dong Haibao sighed, a trace of sorrow on his face.
Li Xin understood Dong Haibao's predicament, since in this era, all work was done by hand.
Grinding limestone into powder is naturally a very slow process.
Even with the invention of wood grinders by some clever workers, it was still very slow.
The days without motors were truly inconvenient!
Upon arriving at the limestone grinding site, dust filled the air, creating a smoky and pungent atmosphere.
Working in such an environment for long periods of time will inevitably lead to pneumoconiosis.
Meanwhile, the busy workers around them were completely unaware and continued working enthusiastically.
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