 The Materials and Structural Engineering Department is one of the earliest research branches to conduct researches on fundamental theories and applied science in the fields of water resources, waterway transportation and hydropower as well as in the field of new materials for hydraulic engineering in China. The Department, with a total staff of more than 50, has 4 research divisions: Division of Development and Application of New Engineering Materials, Division of Corrosion and Prevention, Division of Engineering Safety Supervision and Quality Test, and Division of Structural Engineering. The Department is the main supporting institution of the Key Lab of Water Science and Hydraulic Engineering of MWR and the Research Center on New Materials in Hydraulic Structures of MWR. Approved by the State Academic Degrees Office, the Department can confer master degree of hydraulic structural engineering and material science, and doctorate degree of hydraulic structural engineering.
Test Halls and Equipment:
The Department has a large number of laboratories and test halls, including New Materials Basic Theory Lab, Concrete Performance Lab, Concrete Durability Lab, Mechanics Lab, Physical and Chemical Lab, Large Structural Multi-purpose Test Hall, Steel Corrosion and Protection Lab, and Field Exposure Test Station. The Department has test equipment of more than 1,000 sets/units, including electro-hydraulic servo dynamic and static test machine controlled by PC, concrete freezing and thawing test machines, environmental detection test apparatus, ultraviolet ageing apparatus, vibration test machines, multi-channel digital acoustic transmitting system, steel and reinforced concrete corrosion circulation apparatus and geologic radar.
Areas of Interest:
◆Durability of hydraulic structures;
◆Damage assessment and repair methods of hydraulic structures;
◆New hydraulic materials of high performance;
◆Comprehensive utilization of environment-friendly materials and industrial waste materials;
◆Simulation and optimization of hydraulic structure engineering;
◆Detection of hidden damage in Hydraulic Structures and IT application.
Research Missions:
The Department has undertaken more than 100 key national, ministerial and provincial researches projects of various new materials for hydraulic structures and many key research topics of hydraulic projects, such as Three Gorges Project, Xiaolangdi Project, Gezhouba Project, South to North Water Transfer Project, Ertan Project, Longtan Project, Jinping Project, Cross-sea Bridge of Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo Port, Lianyungang Port, Zhanjiang Port, Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge, and Runyang Yangtze River Bridge. The Department has obtained many innovation achievements in the field of new materials of hydraulic engineering, initiated the structural research field for ocean engineering, and developed various new materials such as polymer cement mortar, thus filling the domestic gap in this field. Other new materials developed by the Department include 3FG-2 water reducing agent, NBS acrylate copolymer emulsion cement mortar, NSF silicon powder, underwater non-dispersive concrete admixture, NAF series additives, PT admixture, AS cement, super-fine grouting material, DICEP solvent-free epoxy heavy-duty anti-corrosion coatings, T-90 water-borne inorganic zinc-rich coating, FH abrasion resistance coating, micro-biology resistance coating, and weathering resistance coating. The Department has compiled 30 national and industrial codes and standards for material tests and durability in related fields and published more than 40 books. The Department has won 6 Chinese National Scientific Progress Prizes, 59 Chinese Ministerial and Provincial Scientific Progress Prizes, 4 Chinese National Patents and 5 New and Practical Patents.
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