Green Construction with Minimal Disturbance: "Smart Dome" Shows Its Might in Yuexiu, Guangzhou

Dust and noise pollution caused by construction are prominent environmental governance challenges in the process of urban renewal in central urban areas.

Recently, a construction site in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, successfully put into operation the first full-closure air membrane system for building foundation pits in Guangzhou, marking an innovative breakthrough in the source control of construction dust and noise pollution in Yuexiu. The Yuexiu Branch of the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the Yuexiu Branch) has fulfilled its regulatory duties, provided service support, actively supported and promoted the application of this environmental protection technology, and provided a new approach to solving the environmental protection dilemma of construction in central urban areas.

The construction site covers an area of about 48,000 square meters. It is adjacent to a school, a zoo, and densely populated residential areas, with some construction sites separated from residential buildings by only a wall. In the early stages of the project's launch in July 2025, the demolition of old buildings caused serious dust and noise pollution, which triggered strong complaints from the public. In response, the Yuexiu Branch focused on public concerns, quickly organized on-site inspections to timely grasp the construction and pollution conditions, legally put forward rectification requirements, and actively communicated and negotiated with the construction party and surrounding residents to reduce the impact of noise on the public.

After learning that the construction party planned to adopt a closed operation plan for air-supported foundation pit air membrane, the Yuexiu Branch actively followed up and provided full support, urged to speed up the construction progress of the air membrane, guided to optimize the operation schedule, avoided sensitive periods such as noon and night, and minimized the impact on the public as much as possible. In February 2026, the air membrane system was completed and put into operation, achieving full-closure operation, effectively controlling dust and noise at the source. There have been no public complaints since then.

The air membrane system, with PVDF membrane material and steel cables as its core, can build a full-closure working space with a width of 80.5 meters, a length of 148 meters, and a height of 35.9 meters, creating a "noise reduction and dust prevention barrier" for construction. It can intercept 99% of dust and isolate 96% of construction noise. As the first foundation pit air membrane project in the country integrating refrigeration temperature control technology, the system realizes effective cooling and dust reduction in the construction area through refrigeration air conditioners, air circulation, and dust reduction equipment. Combined with light-transmitting membrane material, modular recyclable structure, and mobile energy storage power supply and other green configurations, it not only ensures safe and comfortable construction but also significantly reduces energy consumption and construction waste emissions. To scientifically evaluate the governance effect, the Yuexiu Branch conducted circumferential mobile monitoring on this construction site and similar sites in the surrounding area. The data showed that the PM10 concentration around this site was 70% lower than that of unenclosed sites; at the same time, the construction noise was reduced to below 60 decibels, completely changing the traditional open foundation pit's situation of "dust flying and noise disturbing the public".

According to the "Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Noise Pollution" and the "Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution", construction units shall include the costs of dust and noise pollution prevention and control in the project cost, and construction units shall formulate prevention and control plans and prioritize the use of low-pollution construction processes. This construction site took the lead in adopting the full-closure air membrane process for building foundation pits, which effectively prevented and controlled construction noise and dust pollution. It not only created a clean, quiet, and safe construction environment for itself but also became a typical example of the coordinated development of engineering construction and ecological environmental protection in central urban areas, providing a replicable and promotable solution for engineering construction in densely populated and noise-sensitive areas.