Smart construction turns old rail yard into modern logistics hub

A once-deserted railway freight yard in Pinghunan, Shenzhen, in south China's Guangdong province, has been transformed into a dense cluster of towering steel structures. The Pinghunan Integrated Logistics Hub has realized the ambitious vision of constructing a logistics park directly atop an active railway line. This innovative approach marks a significant shift in urban planning and infrastructure development, combining traditional rail transport with advanced logistics solutions. The project, which began with the idea of building a logistics park over a railway, has now become a tangible success. According to Gu Feng, project manager at the Shenzhen engineering construction command of the China Railway Guangzhou Group Co., Ltd., the concept was initially considered ambitious but has since materialized. The design preserves the existing rail yard while developing the upper space into logistics and warehousing facilities. This vertical expansion allows for efficient use of land, integrating railway resources with local industrial activities and increasing land output value. The transformation includes the construction of smart warehouses on a platform above the tracks, equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as intelligent sorting systems and unmanned warehousing. These innovations have revitalized the old railway freight station with digital capabilities, enhancing its functionality and relevance in the modern supply chain. From an aerial view, the steel frames of the project's 11 logistics warehouses span across the site, resembling the spine of a giant dragon ready for action. The scale of the project is impressive, utilizing over 140,000 tonnes of steel, involving a total investment of approximately 9.04 billion yuan ($1.33 billion), and covering a total floor area of 1.11 million square metres. On December 30, 2025, the ground-level railway component of the Pinghunan Integrated Logistics Hub was completed and put into operation, officially launching the hub's core rail transportation functions and connecting it to China's national railway network. At the construction site, rows of steel components, each more than 11 metres long and weighing nearly 3 tonnes, await installation. These massive pieces are crucial for forming the logistics warehouses. However, ensuring their precise assembly presented a major engineering challenge due to the sheer volume of components involved. Even minor deviations during on-site assembly could lead to significant construction issues and delays. To address these challenges, the engineering team adopted Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology. This approach enables virtual assembly and real-time adjustments before actual construction begins, thereby improving both the efficiency and accuracy of steel assembly. During a demonstration, an operator used digital acquisition devices to scan the steel columns on site, converting them into digital form and feeding all data into the system. On the screen, a virtual model of the steel structure warehouse occupied the center, with technical data on steel beam-column joints and stress monitoring displayed on the left. With a single click, arch ribs underwent virtual assembly, revealing numerous complex spatial connections. Within the 3D model generated by BIM technology, the status of all components could be viewed clearly. When deviations appeared in the virtual assembly results, operators could promptly adjust the dimensions of steel structural members and rerun the assembly simulation. Once the revised design was confirmed, the updated data was sent to the manufacturing plant for fine-tuning. Each processed steel column is assigned its own QR code, containing 12 parameters, including the component's dimensions, lifting weight, and installation coordinates. This meticulous attention to detail ensures that potential errors are eliminated before installation, setting a new standard for precision in large-scale construction projects.