China's first large quake research facility goes into operation

This photo taken on Nov 5, 2024 shows the large-scale earthquake simulation engineering research facility, which has been put into operation after passing national acceptance on the same day in Tianjin University. [Photo/Xinhua]

A large-scale earthquake simulation engineering research facility, led by Tianjin University in North China, has been put into operation after passing national acceptance on Tuesday, reported China News Service.

Located in the Beiyangyuan Campus of the university, the facility covers a total area of 76,000 square meters. The construction of the project began in October 2019 and took 5 years to complete. It features the world's largest seismic simulation shake table in terms of platform size and load capacity, as well as the world's first set of movable underwater shake table arrays.

As the first national major scientific and technological infrastructure in the field of earthquake engineering, the facility can provide extreme research methods for engineering projects to withstand natural disasters and reduce disaster risks, and offer technical support to ensure the safety of major projects.

According to the report, the facility mainly consists of three systems: a seismic earthquake simulation experiment system, a high-performance computing and intelligent simulation system, and an experiment support and sharing system, involving multiple disciplines.

The project, relying on independent innovation, has made breakthroughs in a series of key technologies, with its overall testing capabilities have reached the international leading level.