HomeBenchmark Project | Building a University atop Silt, Proven Expertise Forged Over Time，Project Documentary: Soft Ground Improvement for the University of Macau Hengqin Campus
Release time：Jul 23,2026
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01. Project Overview | Flagship Campus for Zhuhai-Macao Cooperation
The University of Macau Hengqin Campus officially opened in 2014. After years of operation, its foundations remain stable without abnormal settlement. Located in Hengqin, Zhuhai, across the river from Macao, the campus stands as a landmark educational project embodying in-depth Zhuhai-Macao cooperation.
Covering a total land area of approximately 1 million square metres with a construction area of around 820,000 square metres, the campus comprises over 80 buildings and can accommodate 10,000 teachers and students for education and research. Its operating scale is 20 times that of the original Macao campus. The outstanding construction outcomes and high-quality campus environment are underpinned by high-standard, high-quality ground improvement works.
02. Construction Challenges | Complex Reclaimed Soft Soil Conditions
The campus site was formed through land reclamation with complicated geological conditions. The ground consists mainly of hydraulically filled sand and backfill, interbedded with thick soft silt layers featuring low soil strength and bearing capacity.
Without professional ground improvement, differential ground settlement would highly likely occur in later stages and impair the safe operation of campus buildings. Therefore, full-site soft ground improvement constituted a fundamental and critical construction procedure for the project.
03. Construction Technologies | Zoned Improvement with Multiple Methods
In view of geological variations across different zones of the site, a single construction method was not adopted. Instead, construction was carried out in zones tailored to local ground conditions.
Four proven techniques were deployed in combination: vacuum preloading, surcharge preloading, vacuum-surcharge combined preloading and sand pile method. Targeted ground reinforcement effectively enhanced foundation stability and fundamentally resolved settlement risks.
04. Technical Highlights | Intelligent System Boosts Quality & Efficiency
To tackle drawbacks of conventional construction including messy wiring, safety hazards, high power consumption and slow progress, the project adopted an intelligent automatic control system to comprehensively upgrade construction modes.
Standardised zoning layout was implemented on site. Each construction zone is equipped with only one cable route and one electric control box, eliminating the tangled "cobweb-style" wiring typical of traditional works.
This intelligent construction system delivers remarkable advantages: neat and standard wiring eliminates electrical safety risks for safer construction; substantial savings on materials and power consumption enable eco-friendly and energy-saving operation. Real-time monitoring of construction data supports precise whole-process control. While guaranteeing engineering quality, the system effectively shortens construction periods and improves work efficiency.
05. Project Value | Setting a Benchmark for the Industry
The soft ground improvement project successfully overcame construction difficulties on reclaimed soft ground, laying solid foundations for all buildings within the University of Macau Hengqin Campus and ensuring long-term safe and stable operation of the campus.
Furthermore, it provides mature, referable construction experience for infrastructure projects on similar coastal reclaimed sites in Hengqin New Area and establishes a benchmark high-quality engineering case for the industry.
Craftsmanship Builds Solid Foundations, Precision Drives Engineering Excellence!
With scientific construction methods and intelligent construction technologies, we overcome complex soft ground challenges and safeguard quality delivery of key projects.
Source: Guangzhou Sunzo Foundation Engineering Co., Ltd.
If you have ground improvement requirements for your project, please contact SUNZO. We will deliver customized solutions tailored to your project conditions to support safe and efficient project delivery.
