In recent years, "infrastructure powerhouse" and "super projects" have become unique calling cards of China. When talking about super projects, people immediately think of China – examples include the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Beijing Daxing International Airport, and more. These projects showcase China’s scientific and technological strength and comprehensive national power, demonstrating China’s precision, speed, altitude and scale. They have created miracles time and again, bringing pride to the nation and admiration from the world. Among these landmark projects, the China Zun in Beijing undoubtedly stands out.

China Zun

China Zun (officially CITIC Plaza) gets its name from its resemblance to the ancient ritual wine vessel "zun". Construction officially started on July 29, 2013; the basement structure was fully topped out on December 10, 2014. In September 2015, the structural height exceeded 100 meters; in March 2016, it surpassed 200 meters; on August 18 the same year, it reached 300 meters; on November 9, 400 meters; and in June 2017, 500 meters. On August 18, 2017, the steel structure of the tower crown was completed, and concrete pouring for the 106th floor of the outer frame was finished, marking the structural topping of Beijing’s tallest building. China Zun was fully completed in October 2018, handed over in phases starting December 28 the same year, and successfully passed final acceptance on November 22, 2019.

With a construction area of 437,000 square meters and a height of 528 meters, China Zun has 108 floors above ground and 7 underground floors. It integrates Grade A office space, conference facilities, commercial areas, sightseeing and supporting services, accommodating 12,000 workers. The project took eight years from land acquisition, design and construction to completion. Ranked 9th in the world and 5th in China in height, it is the most important building on the central axis of Beijing’s CBD core area, redefining the capital’s skyline. The project also set 8 world records and 15 national records.

High Technical Requirements & Extreme Construction Challenges

China Zun was constructed by a general construction consortium of CSCEC and CSCEC 3rd Bureau, with CSCEC Mechanical & Electrical as the MEP general contractor. At the early stage of construction, the project team adopted the innovative ECPO management model, focusing on minimizing building energy consumption throughout construction. Suppliers were selected under extremely strict standards for equipment and materials. In short, suppliers qualified for China Zun are widely recognized as top-tier enterprises in their respective fields. Thanks to the participation and dedication of these strong enterprises, China Zun now stands proudly on the world stage.

As we all know, super high-rise buildings feature numerous electrical devices, heavy power loads, multiple power sources, large floor areas and dense crowds – all posing severe challenges to electrical safety and economic efficiency. For China Zun, properly installing cables to ensure stable power supply became a critical hurdle to overcome.

Adding to the complexity, at 528 meters tall, China Zun required twelve cables to be safely routed continuously in electrical shafts only 450mm wide. This demanded extremely high vertical lifting standards. Technical measures including cable positioning, laying routes and lifting accessories required careful advance planning to meet installation requirements.

Dedicated R&D & Outstanding Product Performance

With 36 years of industry expertise, Far East Cable Co., Ltd. took on this daunting task, providing super high-rise lifting cables for intelligent buildings and system design support for China Zun. It exclusively designed, developed and produced the world’s longest special 10kV high-voltage suspension cable, stretching 820 meters, to deliver stable power to the tower. Following its debut at the Shanghai World Financial Center, this cable’s application in China Zun stands as a strong recognition of Far East Cable’s technical and innovative capabilities.

As early as 2008, Far East Cable became China’s first supplier to independently develop lifting cables and vertical laying technologies for super high-rises. It supplied 10kV lifting cables for the Shanghai World Financial Center, with the longest single piece measuring 708 meters and weighing 14 tons, installed across horizontal underground sections, vertical shafts and high-level horizontal segments – a pioneering achievement in domestic construction at that time.

Despite this rich experience and successful precedent at the Shanghai World Financial Center, the company spared no effort on the China Zun project. As the core power artery of the entire building, the special 10kV high-voltage suspension cable was truly its "aorta". Due to the unique service environment, the cable had to support its own weight regardless of length or weight, while excessive thickness would compromise other performance. As a landmark, China Zun also imposed higher requirements for environmental protection and intelligence, posing severe challenges to Far East Cable.

Starting in 2012, Far East Cable began following the China Zun project, holding multiple discussions with the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design. After fully understanding product and technical requirements for cable laying, it carefully prepared customized product and system design solutions. In 2016, as construction progressed steadily, the Far East team developed construction plans. To obtain first-hand data, engineers visited the site repeatedly and designed tailor-made special 10kV high-voltage suspension cables for the building’s unique shaft structure.

Features of the Special 10kV High-Voltage Suspension Cable:

Low smoke, zero halogen, flame retardant and fire resistant, meeting fire safety power supply standards and ensuring reliable power for high-rise buildings.

Capable of self-supporting under its own weight at any length, effectively solving the problem of conductor stretching in long vertical runs.

Upgraded technology meets functional design requirements while enabling time-saving, labor-saving installation with short construction periods and minimal space occupation.

Offers advantages including low overall investment, low maintenance rates, durability and high stability.

Saves non-ferrous metals, making it more environmentally friendly and intelligent.

Lifting Ceremony of the World’s Longest Special 10kV High-Voltage Suspension Cable

Solving Technical Challenges Through Innovation

In March 2018, the first batch of special 10kV high-voltage suspension cables customized for China Zun arrived in Beijing and entered the site smoothly, marking the start of core power cable installation. To ensure successful laying, Far East Cable immediately deployed R&D and technical service teams to the site right after delivery, providing professional training for contractors and lifting crews on cable protection, routing positioning, hoisting schemes and safety precautions.

Far East Team Conducting Laying Training for Suspension Cables

During installation, to achieve a more compact layout, the Far East team creatively designed a dual-cable lifting fixture tailored to the building’s shaft structure. This fixture allowed two cables to be hoisted simultaneously while preventing conductor stretching in long vertical runs – another innovative breakthrough worldwide.

From the first cable laying in March 2018 to the successful installation of the 820-meter world’s longest special 10kV high-voltage suspension cable in August, six months of lifting operations were completed. Far East Cable installed a total of 24 suspension cables for China Zun, with an aggregate length of 15,132 meters and total weight of 136.38 tons, setting multiple world firsts and records. This achievement relied on the Far East team’s full on-site tracking from delivery, using innovative technologies to overcome super high-rise power supply challenges and achieve a new breakthrough in vertical high-voltage cable laying.

Chief Expert Wang Chuanbin (2nd from left) of Far East Cable Industry On-Site Guidance

The application of Far East’s proprietary vertical suspension cables for super high-rises in projects including China Zun has greatly improved power quality at receiving ends, leading a major transformation in super high-rise power supply systems with outstanding advantages. Going forward, Far East Cable will further leverage industrial advantages, focusing on R&D and services of high-end products for green building power supply systems. Backed by strong technical and manufacturing capabilities and aligned with market and customer needs, it will strive to lead the wave of green building and smart city development with smarter products and services, achieving greater growth.