In March, spring is evident everywhere. At this wonderful season, the development and construction of the Beijing Shougang Park are in full swing. Recently, the reporter went to the site of the No. 3 Blast Furnace Renovation Project and learned about its “artistic changes” from zero distance.

Blast furnace is a symbol of iron and steel enterprises. No. 3 Blast Furnace in the Beijing Shougang Park is the most typical production line in the Shougang old plant smelting system. Its legacy of buildings and structures is a valuable portrayal of the industrial technological value of the independent innovation of Chinese steel. No. 3 Blast Furnace will be renovated into a modern museum through transformation. This site with a history of heavy industry will soon be presented to the world in the form of a museum.

Keep Rusty Appearance

Following the footsteps of Civil Engineer Wang Zhipeng of the Project Management Department of Shougang Construction Investment Co., Ltd., we came to a place to look at the No. 3 Blast Furnace Renovation Project not far away. In addition to wearing a layer of “rust,” the 107-meter-high, 80-meter-diameter blast furnace stood clearly visible. Wang Zhipeng introduced to the reporter that the renovation project of the main body of No. 3 Blast Furnace is divided into four stages: eliminating hidden dangers, structural construction, anti-corrosion construction and fine decoration. At present, the first three phases of the project have been completed.

Shougang has nearly 100 years of history in the development of ironmaking. Once used as the star blast furnace of Shougang, No. 3 Blast Furnace has made an outstanding historical contribution. According to historical records, in 1957, with the approval of the State Council, Shougang carried out a large-scale expansion; on May 28, 1958, the construction of the Three Blast Furnaces and other projects were fully started; on May 22, 1959, the Three Blast Furnaces were completed and put into operation. This blast furnace produced until February of 1970 before it was overhauled. The overhaul cycle lasted for 11 years. It became the first blast furnace that has been overhauled for a decade in Shougang. At the time of demolition, it was discovered that less than 6 layers of the 12-layer integrated furnace bottom were eroded, and the next 6 layers were intact. Only less than 50% was eroded in 11 years. This is rare in the history of blast furnace smelting and the construction quality is first class.

On June 2, 1993, Shougang Three Blast Furnaces, which had been rebuilt and relocated, were completed and put into production. Using 29 advanced technologies at home and abroad, the smelting technology and equipment of this blast furnace reached the most advanced level in the world at that time. The blast furnace also used the most advanced computer communication network system and blast furnace smelting expert artificial intelligence system at that time, which could automatically judge, analyze and deal with the conditions of the blast furnace, and further master the initiative to control the blast furnace smelting process.

At that time, as a must-visit destination for many heads of state who paid a visit to Shougang, the Three Blast Furnaces rightfully became the star blast furnaces in the original Shougang old plant. In the development and construction of the Beijing Shougang Park, No. 3 Blast Furnace was chosen as the museum project naturally.

At present, the appearance of the blast furnace has been repaired, and the replacement of awning panels, windshields, and rain shelter panels has been completed. A total of more than 300,000 square meters of rust removal and more than 2,000 tons of replacement components and new structures have been carried out. Pointing to the rust color on the surface of the blast furnace, Wang Zhipeng said that the awning panels, windshields and rain shelter panels of the blast furnace are made of the ordinary carbon steel plate before. Due to the use of rusty for many years, there are potential safety hazards. The entire renovation uses the weather resisting steel plate with high corrosion resistance this time. In order to ensure restoring the old as the old, technicians adopt new techniques and new technologies to perform special chemical treatment on the surface of the weather resisting steel plate. Although the rust color in front of us is rather bright, it will gradually fade to dark brown after long-term oxidation, and it will be restored to a uniform color harmonizing with the surroundings.

While eliminating potential safety hazards for awning panels, windshields, and rain shelter panels of the blast furnace, how to remove and avoid rust on the surface of the main body structure of the furnace makes it one of the most difficult problems in the renovation project. Wang Zhipeng said that technicians have tried their best to remove and avoid rust by various methods such as fixed format preservation, artistic treatment and refurbishment, but they are able to retain the historical traces and vicissitudes of the blast furnace.

The method is always more than difficulty. The joint research team composed of a number of Shougang units is looking for new ways.

Lu Yanfang introduced that after nearly a year of experimental research, the technicians have overcome many technical problems and developed a new road of Shougang: wash off the rust with a high-pressure water gun, clean it, and apply rustproof paint before storage protection. This method not only keeps mottled rust, but also retains the soul, thus forming Shougang’s “unique secret tip.”

The core of “unique secret tip” is “rustproof paint.” This is a transparent, matt, high corrosion resistant, weatherproof, high-performance composite coating material independently developed by Shougang, which is the first in China. Such a coating material has solved the technical problems of anti-corrosion and maintaining the original appearance of the steel structure of the industrial legacy project in the park, and has set an example for the renovation of the old industrial area.

On the site of the blast furnace ground treatment, the first thing that caught our eyes was vertical and horizontal arrays of many prefabricated columns, supporting the blast furnace cast iron platform. Inter-column operation vehicles shuttled to dig earthwork and pour concrete at the same time which presented to be so busy.

No. 3 Blast Furnace is in the form of a steel structure and a concrete mixed structure. At present, the renovation project has entered the furnace body structure construction phase, and it is difficult to deal with foundation treatment and foundation construction.

Meng Fanchen, manager of the Department of the No. 3 Blast Furnace Renovation Project of Second Branch of Shougang Construction Investment Co., Ltd. Group, pointed out that No. 3 Blast Furnace’s foundation construction covers an area of 4,868.49 square meters and there are more than 100 concrete prefabricated columns with a spacing of about 5 meters to lift the entire blast furnace. In the foundation of this construction, more than 5,000 cubic meters of earth shall be excavated and cleaned, and the maximum depth may be more than 3 meters. Due to the small distance between columns, the radius of rotation during the excavation process of mechanical equipment is limited, resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of mechanical work. Only excavators and forklifts can be used for transportation from hand to hand, namely to dig a bucket and transport a bucket. Facing the difficulties of numerous supporting pillars, narrow working areas and numerous obstacles underground, construction workers continue fighting and work hard. The progress of the project shall be promoted in high gear according to the nodes and 70% of earth excavation and partial concrete pouring has been completed now.

The No. 3 Blast Furnace Renovation Project has a tight schedule, heavy tasks, and high requirements. Wang Zhipeng said that in order to ensure that this “unprecedented” renovation project is completely foolproof, they have fully adopted the “four-level” management system and the “quartet” linkage to decompose the tasks including safety, quality, progress and other aspects into specific tasks, as well as branches and sub-items, strict management, strict control of details, and achieved the transformation of industrial blast furnaces to civilian buildings with the spirit of “artisan workmanship,” providing models and lessons for industrial restructuring throughout the country and even the world.

Highlighting Industrial Imprint

Climbing No. 3 Blast Furnace along a walking staircase, Wang Daming, deputy general manager of Shougang Construction Investment Co., Ltd., walked along and introduced. The renovation project has retained the core industrial structures such as the main blast furnace section, hot blast stove, gravity dust collector, and dry dust collector of No. 3 Blast Furnace, and preserved the original structure and external appearance of the blast furnace to the maximum. The internal space will be re-sorted and the final functional areas such as exhibitions, viewing platforms, and glass viewing platforms will be formed. With No. 3 Blast Furnace as the carrier, the 100-year Shougang industrial imprint will be displayed and inherited.

When climbing to a blast furnace platform of about 40 meters in height, we looked around and had a panoramic view of Shijingshan, which is known as the “First Immortal Mountain of Beijing,” the preparation of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Shougang West Ten Winter Olympic Square which is the center of the Olympic Winter Games, the beautiful Qunming Lake and Beijing’s first maglev train line S1 Line and so on. Those views enhance each other’s beauty. Wang Daming said on the platform that No. 3 Blast Furnace has an effective volume of 2,500 cubic meters. Such a large-scale industrial structure is transformed into a civil building. There are neither precedents at home and abroad, nor reference from the design proposal to the construction specification. After completion, it will be a landmark and a renovation project that is the first of its kind.

Comparing the situation of similar projects in the world, some of them adopt static protection and basically aren’t equipped with new functions and some of them are completely changed into new ones from old ones for use, but the changes are beyond recognition and there is no sense of history. Wang Daming said that during the renovation of No. 3 Blast Furnace at Shougang, they tried to seal the “old” as faithfully as possible through the study of the painting process, and expressed respect for history. For some buildings that affect the spatial effects, they are carefully “disassembled” to open the corridor between industrial and natural dialogues. The modest increase in “newness” is to create a uniquely dynamic line of action that leads viewers to walk between natural scenery and industrial relics and to complete the religious interpretation of the base from the bottom of their hearts.

“Respecting the site history space is an innovative design concept for the No. 3 Blast Furnace Renovation Project,” Lu Yanfang, head of the Planning and Design Department of Shougang Construction Investment Co., Ltd. said that in order to reflect the cultural significance and historic significance of No. 3 Blast Furnace, the designers initially conducted a lot of investigations and researches and carried out a detailed analysis of the project. In the end, they reached a unanimous consensus that they must protect the buildings as well as the site space, including supporting facilities, roads, and surrounding trees. The planning and design shall sort out the space of No. 3 Blast Furnace and preserve its original charm and vein texture as much as possible to make it more aesthetic and artistic, so that the ordinary people can also figure out, understand, and fully appreciate the beauty of the industrial process, which requires art processing.

Art processing requires a finishing touch. “The traditional thing is the most beautiful, but how can we make it glow with new life and youth?” Lu Yanfang said that the No. 3 Blast Furnace Renovation Project has many ideas and always respects the history of the site, and several finishing touches are to correctly handle relationships between water and buildings, new and old, and lightness and weight.

If the building is integrated with water closely, the beauty will be everywhere. Xiuchi is closely connected to No. 3 Blast Furnace, which was previously a drying pool for the ironmaking system. During the No. 3 Blast Furnace Renovation Project, Xiuchi was transformed into a unique circular sinking structure. The surface is a pool, and the underground is an enclosed parking lot. No. 3 Blast Furnace and Xiuchi are connected by the underwater corridor and cleverly stitch the boundary between the blast furnace and Xiuchi. The perfect combination of No. 3 Blast Furnace and Xiuchi building presents the shadow of the sky in the entire space, and is exquisitely beautiful and uniquely shaped.

Speaking of the relationship between new and old, Lu Yanfang said that in the same land, new buildings in general can easily affect the appearance of old buildings. The renovation of No. 3 Blast Furnace has lowered the posture of the new building as much as possible, and brought the industrial legacy to the fore.

In the future, Blast Furnace No. 3 is a museum that showcases Shougang's production materials, technology, and spirit. It respects the history of the industry, interprets the times, and awakens past memories. It creates an excellent experience site for industrial relics and will become a model of Chinese urban industrial culture renewal and reuse. Each of the visitors will be led from the Xiuchi underwater corridor to the interior of No. 3 Blast Furnace and to a 9.7-meter cast iron platform, a 13.6-meter visiting platform, a 41.3-meter awning platform and the 76-meter burner platform one by one. With the ever-increasing elevation, sceneries vary with changing view points and the entire process of the blast furnace ironmaking process is viewed. It also allows the museum to present itself in a dynamic manner through craftsmanship, enabling people to engage in extremely industrial and extremely natural conversations. Remember the years of Shougang’s glory.