GPS Technology Applied in Qinghai-Tibet Railway Survey

As learnt from the First Survey and Design Institute of the Ministry of Railways, following the success achieved in applying the global positioning system (GPS) technology for the survey of the 18-kms at the middle section of the railway from Yeniugou to Datan, the Lanzhou Branch of the Institute will further apply the new technology in the location survey of another section of 483-kms along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

"GPS", satellite global positioning system, mainly has two functions in practical survey: static and dynamic functions. The static function is to fix the three-D coordinates of a spot on the ground through analysis of the data transferred by the satellite; dynamic position means to mark out the location by casting samples on the spot through the satellite system according to the fixed three-D coordinates. Survey of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway belongs to the latter, which uses dynamic positioning function of the GPS to lay down samples of the locations and directions of routes, bridges, culverts and tunnels already blueprinted in the design. It is the first time for China to use GPS dynamic positioning in project survey.

As introduced by Jin Lixin, person in charge of the project and senior engineer of the Institute, numerous times of tests have proved that the precision of the location survey by using GPS technology can fully meet the precise requirement for the railway construction. The application of the new technology can greatly save physical workforces while ensure a completion of the survey work in time on the premise of guaranteeing the quality of the survey.

This Picture shows two Chinese technicians read the information received through global positioning system in Yeniugou area on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau April 17 2001.

Date:Apr.16.2001
By PD Online staff member Du Minghua
Peopledaily