With the completion of the 61st jacking operation of the main tower’s core tube, the Wuhan Greenland Center—Central China’s tallest building, the second tallest in China, and the third tallest worldwide constructed by China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Second Company—has surpassed 300 meters, reaching 302.65 meters in height.
This project has successfully built China’s deepest and longest underground wall, stretching 1,067 meters with a total of 165 segments. Approximately 1 million cubic meters of earth were excavated for this massive underground structure, including the pouring of a 38,000 cubic meter foundation slab. The six-story basement was completed in just five months, setting a new record for underground construction speed in Chinese super high-rise projects. Earlier this year, after breaking the 200-meter mark, the tallest steel plate shear wall in China was finished at 211.65 meters, further accelerating construction progress.
Zheng Chenghong, the Party Secretary and Executive Manager of the project, explained that Wuhan Greenland Center serves as one of the first pilot projects for general contracting management by China Construction Third Engineering Bureau. Significant advances have been made in optimizing plan management, public resource management, subcontracting coordination, and design refinement. Currently, the project achieves the construction of one structural floor every four days. According to the overall schedule, the building is expected to reach 438 meters by November this year, surpassing Wuhan Center—the current tallest building in Wuhan—and setting a new record for skyscraper height in the city.
Four Mobile Arm Tower Cranes Ensure Efficient Vertical Transportation
Constructing the 636-meter-high main tower requires a vast amount of materials, components, machinery, and equipment. The project involves numerous types, large procurement and transportation volumes, and multiple complex processes. Over ten specialized teams coordinate overlapping tasks, making organization and logistics particularly challenging. To enhance vertical transportation capacity, the main tower is equipped with four mobile arm tower cranes: one ZSL2700 and two M1280D cranes installed inside the core tube, forming a ‘three-legged’ structure mainly responsible for lifting large steel and heavy components within the core area. These are currently the largest mobile arm tower cranes used in domestic residential construction. Additionally, a ZSL380 boom-type tower crane is positioned on the top formwork steel platform and rises with the formwork system. This crane primarily lifts smaller components, steel bars, and other materials, assisting the three larger cranes. The coordinated operation of these ‘three large and one small’ cranes efficiently overcomes challenges such as limited construction surface and overlapping work areas, ensuring smooth progress.
The Tallest Steel Plate Shear Wall in China
Structurally, the core tube below the 41st floor combines steel plate shear walls and steel frames. The steel plate shear walls extend to a height of 211.65 meters across 45 sections, making it China’s tallest ‘steel skeleton’ in super high-rise buildings. Viewed from above, the 636-meter tower has a triangular footprint offering structural stability and a streamlined exterior. The building is also equipped with numerous air vents to reduce wind pressure and enhance resistance. Because of this design, traditional dampers—commonly used in super high-rises worldwide—have not been installed.
To guarantee structural stability and safety, the steel plate shear wall reaches 41 floors, exceeding 200 meters in height. This significantly increases the building’s stiffness, reduces deformation from wind loads, and minimizes earthquake damage. Thanks to this robust steel frame, Wuhan Greenland Center is designed to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 8 and typhoons up to magnitude 17, with an expected service life of 100 years.
‘Breathing’ Curtain Walls Cover an Area Equivalent to 19 Football Fields
The curtain wall area of Wuhan Greenland Center covers approximately 130,000 square meters—equivalent to 19 standard football fields. Due to the building’s unique design, the exterior facade forms a streamlined curved surface with three distinct curved lines. The shape is asymmetrical and spatially complex, requiring high precision. It primarily consists of unitized curtain walls, totaling around 21,000 units, all uniquely three-dimensional and irregular in shape. Almost every unit differs in size, posing significant challenges for design, manufacturing, and installation. The completed curtain wall has a ‘breathing’ function, allowing the building to absorb sunlight efficiently, minimize energy consumption, and qualify as a green, energy-saving building.
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