The international students of Civil Engineering141 and 142 visited the West Lake Cultural Center in Hangzhou this week. The trip was organized by Prof. Wang Jimin and Prof. Huang Zhuye.
The professors explained the complexity of the building as well as the challenges encountered during the construction of the building. The West Lake Cultural Center is comprised of two parts, a 41-storey tower and a round steel structure which is named Global Center. The tower is the highest building in this city whose shape looks like a lady with a skirt which is a difficult part in design because the columns of its waist are not straight, so the designer must think about the load-bearing of the structure. The final solution is to build the floor with giant trusses which is combined with concrete and steel, which is strong enough to support the upper structure and disperse the load-bearing to the substructure. The professors also explained the technology which used in construction for reducing the hydration heating from the cement chemical reaction.
This trip provided a chance to the students to enjoy the beauty of nature, and also it was a good experience for the students to know well about construction technology and how the theory was put into practice.
