As the Spring Festival draws near, the Phase II office building project at Xinghu City Plaza in the Development Zone has launched a final, all-out push to achieve complete completion and handover. Scenes of vigorous production and construction are unfolding one after another, composing an inspiring winter symphony of project development; the spirited morale and resolute drive of the workers vividly showcase the dynamism and excellence of Nantong’s construction professionals as they deliver high-quality projects and advance high-quality development.

As one of the landmark buildings in the future Nantong National-Level Economic and Technological Development Zone, the Phase II Commercial Office Building project at Xinghu City Plaza is located on the north side of Xinghu Avenue and the east side of Tongsheng Avenue. It is a multifunctional, intelligent building that integrates hotel, office, and conference facilities. The project is developed and constructed by Jiangsu Xinghu Real Estate Co., Ltd., with a land area of 23,644.30 square meters and a total floor area of 46,274 square meters. It comprises two tower buildings, one of which—the commercial tower—has 24 floors above ground. The building comprises a total of 18 floors, with the hotel tower standing 18 stories above ground and reaching a total height of 82.76 meters.

Since the official commencement of the project in September 2021, under the leadership of Li Haifeng, Deputy General Manager of the First Branch Company and Project Manager, all staff and workers of the project team have meticulously planned the construction schedule, overcome numerous technical challenges, rigorously enforced quality management, and ensured safe and civilized construction. With unwavering determination and a commitment to excellence, they have leveraged the wisdom and hard work of Nantong Construction professionals to create a model project of impeccable quality, steadily advancing toward the goal of building a national-level, high-quality, premium project.

Strictly Focus on Quality to Create Premium Products

From the very outset of the project, Project Manager Li Haifeng put forward the management philosophy of “lean construction, bold innovation, and continuous improvement in quality and efficiency,” with the overarching goal of delivering a nationally recognized high-quality project. He spearheaded the development of a comprehensive project management plan and established a robust management and oversight system to support the initiative.

During project implementation, the project management team rigorously adheres to standardized quality management practices. This includes organizing the development and dissemination of quality and safety manuals, preparing guiding documents such as the “Quality Common-Defect Prevention Plan” and the “Quality Excellence Plan” prior to construction, strictly implementing the three-tier briefing system, and innovatively employing 3D-model-based briefings and the use of structural mock-ups as benchmarks for guidance. In terms of materials management, a digital platform is leveraged to select suppliers and materials based on merit, thereby ensuring material quality at the source; before materials are delivered to the site, dedicated project quality inspectors, materials officers, and supervising engineers conduct rigorous acceptance inspections together. In construction management, the team consistently upholds weekly routine meetings, monthly and quarterly inspections, and group-level audits, while project construction personnel and quality inspectors carry out comprehensive, end-to-end quality monitoring and acceptance. A “signboard-based” acceptance procedure is adopted, with strict adherence to the “four-inspection” system for each work process, and full implementation of the “three-control” principle—pre-control, in-process control, and post-control. Finally, the project has established a quality performance appraisal system, holding weekly quality and safety meetings, during which the Quality and Safety Department evaluates the weekly construction quality of each work team and rewards excellence while penalizing underperformance.

Currently, the project has passed the acceptance inspections for its pile foundation, substructure and foundation, and main structure, and has been awarded the “Nantong City Quality Structural Engineering” title.

People-Oriented, Ensuring Safety

Safety is the bottom line and red line of engineering construction, and moreover, it is the lifeline of a company’s stable and healthy development—allowing for absolutely no slack, complacency, or carelessness. Therefore, From the very start of construction, the project team has prioritized workplace safety as the top priority in all aspects of the project, firmly embedding the principle of “safety first, prevention-oriented, and comprehensive management” in the minds of every member of the team.

At the project construction site, safety slogans on banners, safety signage, warning signs, and safety display boards are visible everywhere, subtly reminding every person entering the site to remain constantly vigilant about workplace safety. At the same time, The project department also employs a variety of methods—such as pre-entry training, daily safety briefings, case studies of safety incidents, dissemination of safety policies and procedures, and knowledge competitions—to impart safety knowledge and clearly communicate the stakes involved, thereby fostering a cultural environment in which “everyone learns about safety, respects safety, and complies with safety regulations.” In terms of policy implementation, the project department rigorously enforces systems such as real-name verification, detailed safety technical briefings, on-site patrols and inspections, maintenance and inspection of construction equipment, identification and elimination of safety hazards, and regular safety meetings. Dedicated safety officers conduct round-the-clock, end-to-end oversight of site safety hazards every day, covering everything from the proper operation and use of machinery and protective measures for work at heights to the correct wearing of hard hats. Any non-compliance with safety operating procedures is first addressed through a verbal reminder and corrective action; repeated violations result in penalties in accordance with established rules. Through the strict enforcement of these systems, the project has cultivated a safety management philosophy that “prioritizes adherence to procedures over personal relationships.”

Due to the emphasis on safe and civilized construction, the project has successively been awarded “Nantong City Standardized Construction Site—Three-Star Level” and “Jiangsu Province Standardized Star-rated Construction Site.”

Empowering with Technology, Driving Technological Innovation

“ “Technological innovation is the primary driving force behind enterprise development and project performance,” says Project Manager Li Haifeng, who steadfastly champions technological innovation and excellence by adopting new technologies, processes, materials, and methodologies to propel construction projects toward greater industry leadership. Throughout the project’s lifecycle, he frequently collaborates with the Project Technical Manager and civil engineers to explore innovative approaches to construction, establishes technical testing and QC problem-solving teams, and intensifies efforts to overcome technical challenges. Under his leadership, the project has implemented a total of 10 initiatives endorsed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development in the construction industry. These comprise 8 major categories and 23 sub-categories as outlined in the “New Construction Technologies (2017 Edition),” 6 major categories and 9 sub-categories in Jiangsu Province’s “10 New Construction Technologies (2018 Edition),” plus an additional 7 new technologies and 3 innovative technologies, for a total of 46 sub-items, which have yielded significant economic and social benefits.

The project makes extensive use of BIM technology, achieving end-to-end, cross-disciplinary application throughout the entire construction process. This includes 3D site layout, 4D schedule management, formwork and scaffolding design, MEP coordination and routing, clash detection, mechanical room detailing, detailed drawings for embedded and reserved components, reinforcement detail development, masonry detailing, quantity takeoff, and BIM… Support BIM technology applications such as drawing review and coordination to address practical project challenges, including schedule control, materials and equipment management, personnel management, and quality and safety management.

The project also centers on the intelligent monitoring of internet-connected devices, establishing unified data-exchange standards to facilitate the real-time upload of monitoring data and enable continuous surveillance and management of construction sites. Leveraging big data as its foundation and employing cloud computing and deep learning as key technologies, the system aims to achieve four “smart” objectives: intelligent project management, intelligent production, intelligent monitoring, and intelligent services throughout the construction process.

The project team has achieved remarkable results in technological innovation, having successively won three awards for Jiangsu Province’s Engineering Construction Quality Management Group achievements and obtained five utility model patents; it has also been recognized as a “2022 Jiangsu Province Demonstration Project for the Application of New Construction Technologies” and… “Green Construction and Green Construction Demonstration Project in Jiangsu Province’s Construction Industry”; the project’s BIM application plan was recognized as a Category I achievement in the 5th Nantong City Construction Industry “Jianghai Cup” BIM Technology Application Competition.

Overcome Difficulties and Ensure the Project Schedule

Given that the project is located in a fluvial–marine sedimentary plain watershed, the maximum excavation depth for the foundation pit reaches 11.80 meters, imposing stringent safety control requirements for deep-excavation shoring and posing significant challenges in dewatering operations. In addition, the project involves the construction of tall formwork systems, and the podium connecting the twin towers adopts a steel–concrete composite structural system. The unique structural characteristics and technical complexity of this system present substantial challenges to the project management team.

Faced with numerous critical and challenging aspects of construction, the project team’s technical core staff have been going to the site every day to resolve problems and remove obstacles—sweating in the sun and wading through mud in the rain. Wherever there are disruptions or difficulties, their busy figures can be found. Working closely with the construction site, they have conducted in-depth studies of the construction drawings, coordinated with the management office, the design institute, the supervision unit, and expert panels, and continuously refined both the design drawings and the construction plans. During the day, they remain on-site to coordinate production and rigorously monitor quality at every stage; at night, they devote themselves to tackling technical challenges, ensuring that the project’s many difficult issues are ultimately resolved.

During the project implementation period, continuous disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the transportation of raw materials and restricted personnel mobility. Faced with numerous challenges and adverse conditions, the project team took proactive measures, seized every favorable opportunity, and, while ensuring quality and safety, made the most of the available construction window to accelerate project progress. Project Manager Li Haifeng led the way by going directly to the front lines of construction, tackling tough problems with a strong sense of responsibility and initiative, and inspiring all project personnel to strive for excellence. With relentless determination, unwavering resilience, and a spirit of sustained effort, the team overcame one obstacle after another, thereby effectively advancing the project.

The project department has successively been awarded the “Nantong City Workers’ Pioneer Title” and the Jiangsu Province Housing and Urban–Rural Development System’s “ Honors such as “Ankang Cup” Competition Outstanding Team.

Precision Management: Reducing Costs and Increasing Efficiency

Project Manager Li Haifeng places great emphasis on comprehensive, end-to-end project cost management, vigorously promoting a management philosophy characterized by standardization, proceduralization, refinement, and uniformity. Throughout the project implementation process, he continuously strengthens cost planning and rigorously implements refined cost-control measures. Starting with the optimization of construction organization design and technical solutions, he ensures strict adherence to contract schedules, fully implements contract-based cost planning for the project, and reinforces target-cost management.

The project department holds regular cost-analysis meetings, rigorously enforces the labor-approval process, strictly controls internal settlement procedures, implements a stringent material-price-comparison system, and meticulously verifies and certifies on-site quantities of work. By reducing unnecessary ad-hoc labor and adopting other measures to cut costs, the department has intensified cost-control efforts. Thanks to these comprehensive measures, meticulous attention to detail has been translated into tangible benefits.

The project is now nearing completion, and the project management team is focused on strengthening the final account settlement process, fully tapping into secondary business opportunities, and striving to maximize project benefits.

As the saying goes, “You reap what you sow”—meticulous craftsmanship yields exceptional quality, and the enduring spirit of artisanal dedication shines forth. Moving forward, all members of the project team for Phase II of the Xinghu City Plaza Commercial Building will continue to uphold the corporate ethos of “hard work and pioneering spirit,” unite in concerted effort, forge ahead with bold initiative, and strive to deliver a nationally recognized, high-quality, premium project—thereby presenting our clients and the Group with a truly satisfying outcome!

( General Manager’s Office, Qian Yanjiao