The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 369 Engineering Breakthrough: Delivery of Special Water Tanks
"The septic tank capacity will be recalculated based on the number of users to ensure a reasonable cleaning cycle. Don't be afraid of the hassle; repair what needs repairing and modify what needs modifying. It's always better to fix things now than to discover problems after the tank is in use..."

"The renovation of the communal kitchen focuses on solving the ventilation problem, so we need to find a way to remove the cooking fumes. Fire prevention is also crucial, and brick wall partitions are essential. As for fire extinguishers, forget about them, we don't have that option..."

"The number of fixed stoves in the community's public kitchen should be determined based on the population size. Hmm, the expected lifespan is ten to fifteen years. Not too long, right? What kind of century project is this? No need. I'm telling you, it's just ten to fifteen years."

"Yes, the renovation must bring running water into the kitchen. In the past, residents had to bring their own water to cook, which was inconvenient. The number of faucets will be determined based on the number of stoves, and the floors will be uniformly treated with anti-slip material..."

Qian Jin, wearing a safety helmet, was directing work on site.

The existence of communal kitchens will not last more than 15 years. Starting from the mid-1990s, every household will have its own kitchen and bathroom, and communal kitchens will become a thing of the past.

So when he discovered that the construction team had stockpiled high-quality materials and was preparing to make a big splash in the renovation of the public kitchen, he quickly called a halt.

When Qian Wei, the chubby little boy, turned one month old, the renovation of private kitchens and bathrooms in the city was almost completed.

Qian Jin specifically set aside a weekend to conduct a spot check on the renovation progress.

Structural safety and independence are the two main focuses of this renovation project.

Sheds were built in the courtyard on the first floor, and small platform houses were added to the top floor. For the residents on the middle floors, the house layout was redesigned as much as possible, the pipes and circuits were rerouted, and small but practical kitchens and bathrooms were created.

The construction team put a lot of thought into the construction of the sheds.

The expert team emphasized that the foundation must be solid, so the ground should either be the original soil layer or a simple concrete foundation, and the walls should be 120mm thick solid brick walls with 100mm structural columns.

The roof is made of lightweight materials, specifically asbestos tiles, which are commonly used in modern times.

For rooftop additions, the original structural bearing capacity must be verified, and in the case of renovation of old buildings, ring beams or structural columns may be added.

Qian Jin clearly understands the core of architecture.

Safety!

It's not just about worker safety; residents will also need to be safe in the future.

Therefore, no matter where construction begins, the technical team must conduct a structural safety assessment of the building's main structure and eliminate potential hazards.

The construction team's workload is getting bigger and bigger.

The government also provided engineering teams specializing in water, electricity, and gas to assist with this renovation project.

Some households living in a courtyard have had their electrical systems upgraded, with each household now having its own independent electricity meter, which will reduce future disputes.

Qian Jin also installed a main switch with leakage protection, requiring that the lighting and socket circuits be separated, and that the cables be BV copper core wires run through PVC flame-retardant pipes for concealed or exposed installation, so that the residents could live comfortably and safely.

The electrical circuits in public areas also need to be upgraded and rectified.

Replace old wiring with new circuits, and increase the number and wattage of lighting fixtures in hallways, toilets, communal kitchens, and old building corridors.

These days, there are no voice-activated lights in China; the main circuits control the switches of the street.

Government departments responsible for people's livelihood will arrange different times for turning lights on and off in different seasons, and the streets will be turned on and off uniformly.

It is easy to manage, but the problem of electricity waste is serious.

However, voice-activated lights have already appeared, having been available on overseas markets since the 1950s, but they have not yet become the mainstream lighting for public areas.

This thing is actually not difficult.

Qian Jin continued to buy materials and copy the principles, then sent them directly to the state-owned lighting factory in Haibin City to begin trial production of this energy-saving lamp that could be controlled by sound...

With the completion of the renovation, the convenience of life for many families has been changed.

Aunt Song, a family member of a martyr who lives on the first floor, leaned on her cane and looked at the newly cleaned kitchen at the back of the house and the bathroom inside. She asked, "Comrade, are these two rooms in my house usable now?"

After cleaning up, Wang Xiaoyi picked up a trash bag and prepared to leave: "Yes, Auntie, you can use this."

“You have difficulty walking, so this toilet is located indoors. Otherwise, if you go out to use the toilet at night on rainy or snowy days, you might fall and get into an accident.”

"Don't worry about the smell, there's an exhaust fan to ventilate it," he said, patting the two switches outside the toilet. "The lights are on inside, right? Listen to this whirring sound, that's the exhaust fan blowing air out."

"This...this is great! From now on, I won't have to go out to cook or use the toilet anymore!" Aunt Song touched the brand-new tiles in the small toilet, tears welling up in her eyes.

Wang Xiaoyi said, "Yes, you enter the kitchen through the back door to cook, and you use this to go to the toilet."

"You'll have to work a little harder to flush now, but the water tank that our First Machinery Factory researched and produced will be delivered and installed later. Then we'll connect it to the water pipes we've reserved, and you can just wait. We guarantee to flush your toilet spotless."

"Good, good, good, thank you, thank you! You are truly living bodhisattvas!" The old lady clasped her hands together and kept bowing and scraping to him.

Wang Xiaoyi waved his hand and quickly left for the next construction site to conduct an inspection.

The neighbors came running when they heard the commotion, and marveled at the renovated houses.
"Oh my, you painted the walls of your house too? That's wonderful, so white and bright..."

"Aunt Song, they even fixed your roof while they were at it. Didn't your southeast corner used to leak? Look, it's solid now..."

"This little kitchen is so convenient, Auntie, you won't have to squeeze into public places to cook anymore..."

"I'm going to use the restroom. Ah, this is great, it'll make things much more convenient for your family from now on..."

"This Labor Glory Construction Brigade truly lives up to its reputation. Their leader, Qian Jin, is really capable. He's turned this group of vagrants in the neighborhood into a regular army. They've done a fantastic job!"

The reputation of the Labor Glory Construction Brigade spread rapidly.

The renovation work for private households has been completed, but the inspection process is very strict.

If there are any problems, make targeted modifications immediately; if the problems are serious, rework the entire project.

Craftsmen still came intermittently to make repairs.

Whether they are carpenters, bricklayers, or cement workers, they each perform their duties and cooperate seamlessly.

Families whose homes have been successfully renovated have experienced a significant increase in their sense of well-being.

The craftsmen in the construction team were highly sought after.

During construction, they adopted a solution that combined traditional mortise and tenon joints with modern reinforced concrete technology, which not only ensured the structural safety of the house but also saved costs and time to the greatest extent, and it is also very beautiful.

Many families, upon learning that they would also be taking on private jobs, left their contact information with the headquarters' phone number.

It was the people living on the first floor who first got the idea.

How comfortable would life be if we could build a private kitchen or bathroom in our home?

Although it requires some labor and material costs, it's worthwhile in the long run...

Actually, it's not that simple for construction teams to take on construction jobs on their own; it's a long way off.

The city government arranged for neighborhood committees in each street to inspect the renovation project and provided feedback on the results.

The construction team really made a splash this time, and the city government wants to hire them for two more big jobs:
Revitalize idle and dilapidated houses!

Improve the living conditions of extremely poor families!

These are all requests made by the neighborhood committees of each street to their superiors.

The first major job involved vacant houses on various streets that had been uninhabited for a long time, had unclear ownership, or had become dilapidated.

If these structures can be repaired and reinforced, it would greatly alleviate the current difficulties in urban housing resettlement caused by the return of a large number of educated youth to the cities.

The second major task is to work with families living in extreme poverty to improve people's sense of well-being.

In the old city area, many families live in extremely poor conditions, with several generations crammed into a small room of just over ten square meters.

Therefore, the neighborhood committee hopes that the construction team can carry out targeted renovations, such as building partitions, constructing lofts, and re-dividing and utilizing interior spaces.

But the construction team is too busy to handle everything right now.

They have finished renovating the private residences, but the renovation of the communal kitchens and toilets is still a long way off.

These are the most difficult tasks.

However, the government has left two projects for the construction team, which is a good thing.

Han Zhaoxin had already spoken with Qian Jin, and that the two projects would be jointly funded by the government and the street government. The workers in the construction brigade would receive the same full wages as the workers in the state-owned construction teams.

The construction team finally saw their first pot of gold...

Qian Jin began planning training programs for the new workers.

The training school is now in use, and many ambitious young people from rural production teams have come to learn about scientific breeding and planting projects.

Planting vegetables, planting trees, raising chickens, ducks, pigs and fish, the training school opened more than a dozen classes at once.

These classes began to graduate one after another starting in April, after which Qian Jin stopped recruiting students.

They will be setting up a construction engineering training course in mid-to-late May. There will be many courses, with twenty classes in one session!
Starting in late April, the construction team launched a special public relations campaign targeting some difficult and complex issues in public places.

Many public kitchens and public toilets have now been renovated, but there are still a large number of such public toilets with problems, making renovation very troublesome.

Qian Jin personally led the experts to tackle the problem.

Some problems seem complicated to the technical team of the construction crew, but are simple to the experts.

For example, in some old tenement buildings, each building has a large kitchen shared by dozens of households, which is extremely crowded, filled with cooking fumes, has aging wiring, and poses a great fire hazard.

After obtaining the residents' consent, the experts carried out the partitioning and renovation.

The construction team used single-brick walls to divide the large kitchen into several relatively independent small rooms, and then expanded it to accommodate three to five households sharing one kitchen.

These kitchens were then equipped with separate electricity and gas meters, ventilation fans, and gas cylinders.

This completely transformed the residents' kitchen environment.

In addition, there is a public toilet not far from the People's Canteen, which is a big problem.

This public toilet was originally used by the Taihong Farmers Market. It was used by many people, and the people who used it were not very considerate, so the toilet became a big problem. In the summer, pedestrians had to cover their noses and walk quickly, which made the nearby residents suffer.

Qian Jin included the toilet renovation project in his key projects, aiming to create several benchmark public toilet renovations.

In addition, this toilet is close to the People's Canteen. After the renovation, customers of the People's Canteen can use the toilet here, which will also benefit the People's Canteen.

So in mid-April, accompanied by a light spring rain, the market's public toilets were temporarily closed and cordoned off.

Construction vehicles arrived on the same day, and bulldozers and excavators quickly completed the demolition and removal of the old toilets.

After the ruins were cleared, only a rectangular pit emitting a foul stench was exposed.

The construction workers here have to wear gas masks specially prepared by Qian Jin while they work.

Thankfully, the weather is still cold. If it were summer, it would be impossible to dry anything, as the smell would evaporate even more, and it would be even hotter to wear a mask.

Experts provided a solution, and workers repeatedly used lime water to remove odors and carry out disinfection.

And so, after a spring rain, the stench in the air finally faded considerably, and the earthy smell began to return.

Chen Jingdi personally supervised the work, and the electronic throat valve kept issuing commands at the throat.

After using it for more than two months, he now uses the electronic larynx with ease. Although his voice still sounds very mechanical, he can now speak in complete sentences, unlike before when he would utter only a few words at a time.

"Wang the stonemason, take your men to compact the bottom of the foundation pit and lay a layer of crushed stone!"

"Li the bricklayer, for the foundation pit expansion, you need to build a septic tank, expanding it to a top-grade level 9 three-compartment septic tank!"

"Where's the materials team? The red bricks, cement, and sand must arrive today! Use 325 cement; this is a big project!"

"Safety officer, pay attention to the slope of the foundation pit. Communicator, go and notify the second safety team to come over. This area needs reinforcement!"

The core of the renovation was to completely transform and upgrade the original semi-dry toilets, which always emitted a foul odor, into flush toilets that are easier to manage.

Thus, the first part to be constructed is the underground section, the septic tank.

This is a key facility in flush toilets, and its structural design is directly related to the sewage discharge effect and environmental hygiene.

Li, the bricklayer, and his skilled team of bricklayers carried out construction according to the blueprints finalized after repeated revisions by the market's public toilet expert group. Excavators widened the foundation pit, and laborers made repairs and modifications, expanding the pit in two days before compacting the bottom.

The new septic tank was lined with a layer of gravel about 10 centimeters thick, which can be used for water seepage and pressure distribution.

The bricklayers began to build the main structure of the septic tank using red bricks and cement mortar.

"Three-compartment septic tank, we're already familiar with this stuff. All of you, do a good job and don't let me down. Qian will be coming to check eventually." Li the bricklayer instructed his apprentices as he skillfully applied mortar.

The pool is divided into three sections by three septic tanks. The first section is a sedimentation tank, where large and heavy wastes settle to the bottom.

The second compartment is the 'anaerobic fermentation tank', where bacteria work to decompose organic matter.

The third compartment is the 'clarification pool', where relatively clean water flows out. This way, the sewage is discharged into the sewer, resulting in much less pollution.

As construction progressed, the interior of the septic tank was divided into three compartments of different sizes by brick walls.

Li, the bricklayer, personally inspected the septic tank and found that the masonry requirements were extremely high because it involved applying waterproof mortar later. If there were any problems with the masonry, the lifespan of the waterproof mortar would be shortened considerably.

The verticality and flatness of the wall are key points.

He used a plumb line to ensure verticality and a spirit level to ensure that each layer of bricks was laid perfectly horizontally and vertically.

The wall is 240mm thick and is laid using a "one stretcher, one header" method, alternating between stretcher and header bricks to maximize the structural stability of the building.

When the money came in, the septic tank started to be filled with mortar.

He glanced at it and asked, "Master Li, is the mortar fullness okay?"

Li the bricklayer laughed heartily: “Mr. Qian, don’t worry, my apprentices are perfect in this area. I only have one requirement for them: they must be able to apply plaster completely!”

Applying mortar with a full trowel is a skill among bricklayers. It requires that there be enough mortar on the trowel, and that the mortar be squeezed out when the brick is placed down to ensure that the mortar joints are full and dense, without any gaps or blind joints.

This is key to preventing leaks.

Qian Jin looked at Chen Jingdi, who understood his meaning and jumped down to check without saying a word.

He nodded after the inspection was completed.

Next, the manure pipe was installed, and waterproof mortar was applied.

There are two manure pipes, one between the first and second compartments, and the other between the second and third compartments.

They run from the bottom of the partition wall, and are pre-embedded with ceramic manure pipes with a diameter of 150mm.

This installation work needs to be handled personally by the technicians.

The installation angle and height of the sewage pipe must be precise to ensure that the sewage flows smoothly into the next compartment while preventing sediment from being washed away by the water.

With the pipes installed, the plastering and waterproofing work on the inner walls is nearing completion.

The waterproof mortar for a typical septic tank is two centimeters thick, but Qian Jin requested that it be doubled.

According to the information he found in the city chronicles of the seaside city, the Taihong Farmers Market was still in use in the 21st century.

Despite the constant demolition and construction around it, this market stands firm like a mountain.

Therefore, this toilet must be able to withstand the test of time, which is different from a public kitchen.

Qian Jin has high requirements, so the specifications in all aspects of the construction process must be higher.

The plaster was applied in two layers: the first layer was a rough base, and the second layer was a smooth finish.

After the plastering was completed, Li the bricklayer also had a layer of asphalt brushed onto the inner wall of the septic tank as an additional waterproof layer to ensure that the septic tank would not leak at all.

It took two and a half days for the main structure of the septic tank to be completed.

Its top slab is a precast reinforced concrete slab poured on the open ground before construction began. After covering the septic tank, three circular inspection ports were reserved on the slab, which are located directly opposite the three compartments.

The inspection port is covered with a cast iron cover for easy cleaning and maintenance in the future.

This design is clean, hygienic, safe, and reliable.

When Qian Jin returned, the septic tank construction was finished, and the ground floor work for the public toilet had begun.

He specifically asked Li the bricklayer to come over and inquire about some details.

The construction of septic tanks is a technical job, but also a job that requires a conscience.

Li the bricklayer was an honest and kind old craftsman. His apprentices were meticulous in their work, striving for perfection in every detail. Therefore, the union would ask him to lead the team to be responsible for the construction and plastering of the septic tank for such an important project.

In response to Qian Jin's concerns, Li the bricklayer patted his chest and assured him, "It's alright, Mr. Qian. We all know what's going on. This underground fortress is the foundation of toilet hygiene, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it."

Qian Jin patted him on the shoulder and said, "Okay, I'm relieved to hear that from you."

After the septic tank was sealed, the buildings on the ground began to rise.

The new public toilets are no longer simple square boxes, but incorporate human-centered considerations carefully designed by Qian Jin and architectural experts.

The structure adopts a brick-concrete structure with walls 240mm thick, making it more robust and durable.

The floor plan is shaped like the Chinese character "工" (gong). The middle room is the management office and tool room, and the two sides are the men's and women's toilets, respectively. There are openings at the front and back, and the entrances and exits are separate. Because this toilet is close to the market and the people's canteen, the traffic will be very high in the future.

The size of the men's and women's restrooms was reasonably allocated based on the estimated number of users.

The squat toilet design naturally abandons the traditional trough-style dry toilet and is replaced with an independent ceramic squat toilet.

The pits are covered with high-slip ceramic, which has very poor adhesion and very little friction, making it particularly suitable for special environments.

Furthermore, each squatting stall is separated into an independent small room by a single brick wall, with a height of about 1.8 meters, to ensure privacy.

This is not the scenario where someone is using the toilet and the person in the next stall suddenly leans over from above and asks, "Hey buddy, what did you have for lunch? It smells so strong!"

There won't be a situation where someone is urinating, and the person next door peeks out and chuckles, "Brother, yours isn't as big as mine."

Furthermore, each stall in this toilet has a simple wooden door with a latch.

Furthermore, the design took special consideration into account the issue of toilet odor:

Both the men's and women's restrooms have a row of louvered ventilation openings on the high back wall. This was suggested by building experts, who believe that the principle of thermal pressure ventilation can be used to exhaust the hot air in the room from the high place, thus promoting air circulation.

Then a high-power industrial exhaust fan was installed; it is an axial flow fan used in factory workshops.

This way, toilet attendants can turn on the exhaust fan during peak hours or when they feel the odor is strong, forcibly removing the foul air.

This design is considered a very "advanced" feature in today's old-fashioned public toilets.

Most public restrooms in streets and communities are semi-enclosed, or even open in the past:

There were several pits on the ground leading to the septic tank, surrounded by a wall. And that was Game Over.

The rest of the design is the same as a regular public toilet.

The ground was paved with non-slip blue bricks, and a slope was found towards the squat toilet ditch. Qian Jin arranged for Li the bricklayer to come and find the slope himself. The slope was 2%, which had been tested.

The slope is imperceptible to humans, but when cleaners flush the toilets, the water automatically flows towards the drain.

The surface of the blue bricks is rough, which makes them very slip-resistant. Unfortunately, one problem is that they absorb odors.

There's no way to lay anti-slip tiles now; we simply don't have the means.

Therefore, Qianjin could only adopt this design, such as tiling the urinals so that splashed urine would not fall onto the blue bricks and thus avoid leaving a foul smell.

In addition, the floor should be washed regularly every day to keep it clean.

The circuit is working properly, and the lights have been installed.

The remaining task is the most important one: installing the Gaoya water tank.

The First Machinery Plant really has some tricks up its sleeve.

Under the personal supervision of Pan Huzi and the leadership of Section Chief Zhou, their technical research team and supply team worked day and night and finally found a suitable ceramic valve core firing plant and started supplying ceramic valve cores.

Another rubber factory under the First Machinery Plant adjusted the rubber formula, improved the flushing power of the high-temperature water tank, and expanded the size of the water tank.

The first batch of twenty foot-operated flush tanks produced according to the new plan were delivered, and Pan Huzi and the technical supervisor personally oversaw the delivery.

Qian Jin immediately used the money to help with the public restroom in the market: "Brother Pan, could you please come with me to the restroom today?"

"We produce toilet supplies, so it's only right that we make ten trips," Pan Huzi laughed heartily. "Actually, we've spent a lot of time in the toilet these days."

He patted the technical director next to him: "Old Zhou and his team practically eat and drink in the toilet."

Supervisor Zhou smiled wryly: "Director Pan, what you said is easy to misunderstand."

"Our toilet was a lab-like facility, not a real toilet, so we ate our meals in there..."

The installation workers were brought by the First Machinery Factory, and they quickly fixed a super-large water tank, as tall as a person, to the wall.

After the test was completed without any problems, the water supply was connected to the tap water pipe and water supply began.

The sound of flowing water disappeared, and Qian Jin nodded.

The worker stomped down the foot pedal.

"Hiss—Buzz!"

A sound completely different from the previous flush tanks rang out.

This time it wasn't a simple "whoosh" sound, but rather a short, sharp airflow sound like compressed air being released, followed by a strong hissing sound.

The powerful flow of water, like a high-pressure water gun, gushed out and shot precisely into the depths of the toilet bowl with extremely high initial velocity!
“Wow——!!!”

The water flow impacted the simulated bottom of the pool, producing a dull, powerful impact sound.

A large wad of wet newspaper and filth was instantly torn to shreds, then swept away by the water flow and swept into the drain without any hindrance, disappearing without a trace.

The entire toilet bowl was flushed clean, and even the walls were smooth and shiny, with almost no water stains left.

"Great!" Chen Jingdi was the first to cheer and clapped his hands.

Qian Jin was also very pleased and couldn't help but reach out to Pan Huzi: "It's a great success, Brother Pan. Your company is amazing, full of talented people. The flushing power and the washing effect of this Gaoya water tank are even better than expected!"

Pan Huzi was also very happy: "We plan to produce this high-pressure water tank as a flagship product. In the future, many units will need to renovate their toilets and will all need to use our water tanks!"

Qian Jin said, "Yes, there is a market for this."

Several officers from the First Squadron responsible for the construction of the toilet were inside, and Wang Xiaoyi and the others were dumbfounded.

The effect is visibly powerful!
Qian Jin waved to him: "What are you standing there for? Go and call Chief Engineer Zhang and the others over, oh, and Engineer Huo and the others too. They're the ones who developed this water tank."

After a motorcycle trip, several experts who had participated in the design of the high-pressure water tank were brought to the scene.

They were equally pleasantly surprised after watching the demonstration.

Zhang Zhenhua was deeply moved and said, "President Qian, you really are..."

He was speechless for a moment, so he gave a thumbs-up.

Qian Jin clapped and laughed, "You guys are the real problem. I didn't play any role."

“You’ve played a huge role,” Zhang Zhenhua said earnestly. “The similar products you found abroad, the modification ideas you provided—our meager designs are nothing compared to that.”

Wang Xiaoyi suddenly realized and said, "No wonder other public toilets don't have water tanks installed; they're waiting for this super water tank."

“What do you mean by ‘super water tank’? This is called a high-pressure water tank. You need to be more educated,” Qian Jin laughed.

"And you're right, we've been waiting for this water tank. Now that the first batch has arrived, we'll install them all immediately!"

"With this water tank, flushing the toilet is no longer a problem!"

(End of this chapter)