Chapter 945 Let's cast the bridge piers.
Everyone in the engineering command center was shocked by the efficiency of the air hammer, because the combination of one person and one air hammer was really faster than ten people. If they were equipped with more such things, the progress of digging the pre-placed wells for the bridge piers would catch up with the speed of building the dam, and the progress of the project would be greatly improved.
"Master Jiao, hurry up, let me try it too, and you teach me how to use it." Elder Zhuping Zhu looked at this iron thing that made a thumping sound and immediately became interested.
"Okay, you have to hold it steady, this thing is very powerful, come and grab this handle, aim at the construction target, and then pull this trigger, lightly pull it, pull it and let it go, don't keep it pulled." Jiao Ce immediately made way and let Zhuping take over.
The old man held the handle of the air hammer according to Jiao Ce's instructions, pulled the trigger and let it go immediately, and the air hammer in front of him immediately jumped a few times, hitting the rock under his feet and making a few small pits.
After seeing it, Jiao Ce corrected him again.
"Oh, yes, that's it, one by one, but you have to hold it down, press it to the ground and don't let it jump up, so that it can penetrate the rock."
Elder Zhu did it again as he was told. This time he held down the air hammer before pulling the trigger. Immediately, a huge recoil force came from both arms, which made his arms numb. However, after a few thumps, a large piece of the reef under his feet was broken, and Elder Zhu immediately gained confidence.
"This thing doesn't seem to be difficult, I think it's quite simple, but it makes my hands a little numb!" Zhu Ping said his experience while operating it again. After operating it a few times, he had completely mastered the key points of using this thing.
"If it's just the numbness of the hand, then I think it can be ignored, because when using manpower to excavate, you need someone to hold the chisel and someone to swing the hammer. Otherwise, the power of swinging the hammer with one hand is too small and the excavation speed is even slower.
"And the palm of the hand of the person holding the chisel will also be numb from the vibration. There is also a great danger. If the person swinging the hammer doesn't hit the target and hits his companion's arm, that person is basically dead.
"Four of us have died because of this accident. Now people are in a panic. The person holding the chisel dares not to help no matter what. If the carpentry team hadn't made them a wooden clamp, I'm afraid we would have to stop working now. The person swinging the hammer is also very careful now, for fear of killing another person.
"No one dares to work, so the progress is delayed again and again, and the speed is getting slower and slower.
"But this thing called an air hammer is very good. Although Elder Zhu said his arm was numb, it is better than being hit by someone else, and you don't need to use much force. I think you just want to suppress it and prevent it from running around, right?" said another craftsman in the engineering command team who was responsible for digging the pre-placed wells for bridge piers.
"Yes, this thing is indeed much safer. Who of you wants to try it? Oh, I'm old and can't do it anymore
. I just tried it a few times and my waist and hands started to ache!" Elder Zhu also nodded in agreement. Compared with manual excavation, air hammers are indeed much safer and more efficient.
"Let me try it, let me try it. This thing is really magical. Can gas penetrate rocks? Let me try it."
Another craftsman in the command team took over the air hammer from Elder Zhu.
Under the guidance of Jiao Ce, everyone tried it one by one and soon mastered the essentials.
Zhuping listened to everyone's chattering about their experience and feelings, and sighed again, "This thing is easy to learn, and it's very easy to get started. We only used it a few times and we can quickly get familiar with the essentials. It's really good. Why don't we find a prisoner of war to try it out?" Zhuping suggested to everyone.
Of course, everyone had no objection. Even if they were really equipped with this thing called an air hammer, they couldn't all do the work themselves. Sooner or later, they would give it to the prisoners of war.
"Yes, yes, yes, let them try it too."
"Hey, you, yes, you, try this air hammer too!" A craftsman from the command center casually pointed to a slave who was swinging a sledgehammer around and said.
In fact, they had already noticed the movement here. After all, the unique sound of the air hammer was too annoying. However, the efficiency and safety of the air hammer made them shocked and envious. They took the risk of killing people and swung the hammer hard, but they didn't do as much as others with just a few slams. It was so sad, okay?
The slave who was called out immediately ran over cautiously, and then, under Jiao Ce's instruction, he also used the air hammer, the same process as before.
Although the first time he pulled the trigger, the sound and the recoil of the air hammer scared the slave, but later he knew that he had to suppress the vibration of the air hammer and not pull the trigger continuously, so he quickly mastered the essentials of using the air hammer. In less than two minutes, the slave learned it immediately.
Then he fell in love with this tool called the air hammer.
While he was using the air hammer to chisel the reef rock under his feet, he was secretly shocked at the strength of the Han tribe. They could actually make such a magical tool with steel. It was simply a magical tool. No wonder the commander-in-chief of his own tribe coveted all kinds of good things from the Han tribe.
The things of the Han tribe are indeed good. Who wouldn't be jealous?
Unfortunately, the past is gone, their great leader is dead, and it is useless to say these things now. Now I have become a prisoner of the Han tribe. I only hope that the Han tribe can fulfill its promise and release them from slavery after the bridge is completed, so that they can become ordinary people of the Han tribe. In this way, I will no longer have regrets in this life.
After the slave also learned how to use the air hammer, a group of big men in the command center gathered together again and started to discuss how to equip this thing.
"Master Xiao Jiao, how many of these air hammers did you bring this time? Tell us quickly. We need this thing now. This tool is really great. It works quickly and safely, and there is no need to teach. You can learn it by playing with it a few times."
"Yes, Master Xiao Jiao, what else do you think we need to pay attention to when using this air hammer?"
Under the questioning of a group of master craftsmen, Jiao Ce was not panicked. He waved his hand and led everyone to the side of the air compressor and steam engine, and then said to everyone.
"Everyone, come with me to look at this thing first, and then I will tell you.
"Do you see this? The high-pressure air in this cylinder provides power for the air hammer. There are a total of six air outlets on this cylinder. In other words, this air compressor can supply work to six air hammers at the same time. However, the use range of the air hammer is still limited by the length of the rubber air guide tube. The longer the tube is, the farther the air hammer can be pulled.
"I brought a total of sixty such air hammers and ten air compressors this time. I looked at your construction environment. One set of pre-placed wells for a pier should be enough. One air compressor and six air hammers, so that you can carry out construction on ten pre-placed wells for piers at the same time. If it is not enough, we can apply to the leader later.
"However, each construction site must be equipped with two more people to serve the steam engine and air compressor. One is a stoker who is responsible for burning the furnace. In addition, when there is not enough gas, he will start to inflate the air compressor. Then another person will be sent to be responsible for transporting and replenishing fuel and fresh water.
"Let me make it clear first. This thing needs fresh water. Don't add seawater to it, otherwise it will be very troublesome to clean up if it breaks down. As for fuel, this Iron Horse Type 1 is easier to take care of. If there is coal, give priority to coal. If there is no coal, you can use charcoal. If it doesn't work, you can just burn firewood directly. It's just that the heating efficiency of burning firewood is relatively low, and it may take longer to burn.
"If you want to equip this thing quickly, then pick ten younger and smarter ones from your apprentices, and let them learn how to burn boilers from the intern I brought with me. When they have learned how to burn boilers, as well as how to operate steam engines and air compressors, you can quickly equip this air hammer." Jiao Ce introduced the situation to everyone.
"No problem, there are only ten little apprentices. It's easy to find them. The apprentices I picked are all smart and will definitely learn it quickly. If they can't learn it, I will beat them to death. Humph. "In the command team, a master craftsman immediately patted his chest and agreed.
The others also said that it was no problem. It was not difficult to find ten clever apprentices. With so many people, couldn't they get ten apprentices together?
"Master Jiao, are you going to leave after delivering the things this time? If not, we will arrange for you to live or something?" Zhuping also hurriedly said with concern.
'I won't leave. I came here this time, not only to escort the materials assigned by the leader, but also as a technical consultant, responsible for teaching you how to use these equipment. In addition, I am also responsible for the maintenance of the equipment. If there is a problem with the equipment, I will find a way to repair it.
"I remember the leader also said that a job position like mine should be called a mechanic!" Jiao Ce also said self-deprecatingly.
"Oh? Mechanic Jiao is good. The name of mechanic sounds very powerful. In this case, since you are going to stay here for a long time, I will arrange a better house for you to live in and try to make you more comfortable. "Zhu Ping said directly.
When everyone had seen the air hammer and air compressor and took the sampan back to the big ship, Zhu Ping looked at the other things on the ship and asked again, "Master Jiao, what other good things did you bring this time? Is it as powerful as the air hammer? Tell us quickly, I see you have a lot of equipment that you haven't taken out yet."
Hearing Elder Zhu's request, Jiao Ce naturally agreed one by one, and he continued to introduce.
"This time I also brought steam pumping equipment, which is not a rare thing. Now farmlands everywhere have begun to use this kind of pumping wells, but it should be more practical to use in engineering.
"In addition to the water pumping equipment, there are also two high-horsepower sand pumps. They work on the same principle as water pumps, but with stronger suction power. They can be used specifically to extract sand from the water to prepare sand materials for the future pouring of bridge piers.
"There are also some large equipment, such as this stone crusher. Because it is not easy to transport sand and gravel from other places, the leader's idea is to solve the sand and gravel problem nearby. It just so happens that a lot of rocks have been blasted out at the construction site on the shore, including those dug out from pre-set wells, which can all be used.
"The other ships are loaded with steel bars and cement. By the way, there are also steam-powered concrete mixers, which are used to mix sand, gravel and cement.
"In addition, there are also pneumatic handheld vibrators, all of which are prepared for pouring bridge piers.
"There is one more thing I want to tell you. This time, in addition to being responsible for the use and maintenance of these mechanical equipment, I am also responsible for the use of concrete. The leader is worried that you have never used it and don't know how to use it.
"Of course I haven't used it either, but at least I have done some experiments at the research institute, and I am relatively familiar with some of the properties of this concrete. I think as long as everyone works together, there should be nothing that cannot be accomplished ."
Everyone nodded. Working together is certain. Such a large project is simply not something that any one of them can be responsible for. Everyone has their own strengths, and no one can be missing.
"Then, Master Xiao Jiao, what you mean is that except for the air hammer which is used to chisel rocks, all other equipment is related to the construction of bridge piers? "Zhu Ping asked again.
"Almost. Some are used to prepare materials, some are used to mix materials, and there are several steam-powered cable cranes, which are specially used to lift concrete for pouring. The remaining pneumatic vibrator is inserted into the concrete after pouring to vibrate the bubbles. The vibrator can remove the bubbles inside and make the concrete more compact in the mold. "
"I see. Then Master Jiao, when do you think we should start pouring the piers? Now we have dug several pre-placed wells for the piers. I think we can start now. While we are pouring the piers, we are digging wells forward. With multiple approaches, the progress of the project may be faster. " "
No problem, that's what I planned to do. The leader was worried that your progress was too slow, so he asked me to bring these machines here. However, the materials I brought this time may not be enough. I don't know if the steel bars and cement on our ships are enough to pour a pier. I have seen the drawings of the project before, and this pier is really too big! "
Jiao Ce couldn't help but say with some worry.
Fortunately, the tribe has a faster Flying Fish Clipper. Otherwise, it would take years to transport the steel bars and cement to cast the thousands of bridge piers.
Fortunately, the amount of cement is the least. According to the concrete mixing ratio given by the leader, by volume, it is four cubic meters of gravel, two cubic meters of sand, and one cubic meter of cement. The amount of cement is the least, and sand and gravel can be solved nearby, so the pressure of transportation will be much smaller.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
