10-MGD Tianmenshan

HEAVEN'S GATE

Work on the new ropeway, which runs from the centre of Zhangjiajie to the nearby Tianmen Mountain, began in 2024. The mountain lies in the national park of the same name and, near its summit, is home to Tianmen Cave, also known as Heaven's Gate – a natural opening in the mountain more than 100 m in diameter.

BCI was commissioned to carry out the structural design of the tower foundations and station buildings. The aim of the project is to replace the existing ropeway with a new, higher-capacity and more comfortable Doppelmayr system. The existing ropeway, divided into three sections, is considered one of the longest in the world.

BUILDING IN CONFINED SPACES

The confined space makes the project particularly challenging. Many tower sites in section 1 are located in densely built-up areas, while some towers in sections 2 and 3 stand on dizzyingly steep slopes and rock ledges. Wherever possible, the existing tower foundations are strengthened and refurbished; where this is not possible due to higher forces or a new rope geometry, new foundations are designed and built in accordance with Chinese and European standards.

While the new tower foundations in the urban area can largely be placed on existing pile foundations, the exposed towers in the upper sections require prestressed rock anchors and elaborate support structures. BCI is developing these foundation solutions in close cooperation with the project geologist GEOGNOS ZT. This high technical effort is rewarded with a spectacular ride through the unique mountain landscape in the heart of China.