Upgraded granaries with delicate structural designs are helping warehouse operators in China to better protect their stored grain from summer heat and humidity as the country embraces a rich summer harvest.
In Changsha City of central China's Hunan Province, the giant air-film granaries operated by China Grain Reserves Group (Sinograin) are composed of a framework layer of reinforced concrete and a heat insulation layer of polyurethane, which provide ideal conditions for grain storage.
"The granaries are wearing two layers of 'clothing.' One is a cotton coat that helps keep an ideal temperature inside them, and the other is like a raincoat that prevents external moisture from penetrating into grains in them," said Li Tianyu, a technician at Sinograin Changsha.
In Xunxian County of central China's Henan Province, multistory grain warehouses with thick walls are also protecting grain from high temperature.
"Even when the external temperature soars to 40 degrees Celcius, the average temperature inside the warehouse can be maintained at around 20 degrees Celsius, creating good conditions for grain storage," said Jin Zhaohui, deputy director of Henan Yugu Warehousing Company. The facilities, also installed with an intelligent transportation system and a smart control system, is capable of efficiently unloading grain from trucks and transferring it to designated locations.
"We have achieved intelligent computer-controlled transportation of grains into the warehouse. It enables grains to take the 'elevator' by itself to enter and stay in a building," said Jin.
Upgraded granaries help to protect grain from summer heat, humidity in China
A taxi fleet has been offering free rides to residents and victims in the wake of the recent catastrophic residential building fire in Hong Kong, one of the region's deadliest disasters in decades.
The fire, which broke out at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po on November 26, had claimed 160 lives by Tuesday, with six people still listed as missing, according to authorities.
In response, the "Big Bee" taxi fleet, operated by Sino Development (International) Company, joined several volunteer groups in providing free rides for affected residents.
Beyond transporting displaced survivors, the fleet also assisted in moving donated supplies and volunteers to and from the area.
"In the first few days, drivers came to the site voluntarily to offer help. There were many firefighters and rescuers on site. During the ten days from December 1 to 10, we offered about 100 free rides daily on average, serving roughly 300 residents and fire victims each day," said Sam Wong, founder and CEO of Sino Development (International) Company.
"We are very willing to take part in this effort. Every driver is," said Lui Kai-wa, a taxi driver.
As most displaced residents have now been relocated through government coordination, volunteer taxi drivers are gradually returning to their regular routes.
More than 2,500 displaced residents have moved into transitional housing units, with Hong Kong's Transport Department providing additional public transport services to meet commuting needs.
"There is a gradual decrease in usage, as much of the transportation need for people and supplies has already been completed. Demand is clearly declining," Lui said.
Wong also praised the government's role in the relief work.
"Over the past few days, we've seen the government carry out a tremendous amount of work, especially in response to such a big and serious disaster. Its role has been very significant," Wong said.
Taxi feet offers free rides to residents, victims in wake of deadly Hong Kong residential building fire
