Source: CCTV.com
05-04-2009 07:21
When plans were being drawn up to rebuild the schools, it was decided that they must reach the highest earthquake-resistance standards. In most cases, a steel reinforced concrete structure has been adopted, using only the highest-quality steel.
The reinforced concrete is another key element in the structure. The workers have been told that the reconstruction of all the schools must be completed by the start of the autumn semester.
In city and countryside, the building work continues without a single day’s break. Many school buildings that survived the earthquake, were still judged to be unsafe. If the damage was severe enough for the buildings to be declared dangerous, they were demolished.
New schools are now being built on the same site. The frame structure incorporates a number of special anti-earthquake features. These include the shear walls. A shear wall is a wall composed of braced panels designed to counter the effects of lateral loads acting on a structure. They resist "in-plane" loads that are applied along its height.
Shear walls are commonly ued in structures designed to resist earthquakes. . The foundations of the school building are also much deeper than before. In building an earthquake-resistant building, it is important first of all to find a good location. Almost a year has almost. But memories of the earthquake remain fresh in the minds of teachers and students alike. Classes have resumed, and it’s as if everything is back to normal.
The school has introduced several special courses designed to help the students recover from their trauma. They include a psychology course. With the permanent school building going up next door, the students are feeling more optimistic. Everyone has high hopes for the new school. Many of the new schools are being built by engineers and construction workers from outside the region.
Among them, a team form Fujian has made a particular impression with the quality and efficiency of its work. In a quality assessment, the Chengdu municipal quality assessment bureau awarded this school a grade of excellence. The walls were another focus of special concern. The construction company from the city of Xiamen has specific concerns about the project’s quality.
The workers come from a warm coastal region, and have to adapt to a very different climate in Sichuan. Lin Qinghu volunteered to come to Sichuan, even though his father was seriously ill at home. Sadly, Lin Qinghu’s father passed away while he was in Sichuan. All he asked for was a week off, and then he returned to work.
The reconstruction of the schools has attracted nationwide attention. Premier Wen Jiabao visited the temporary site of Xinjian School. The new buildings there are now almost finished. One new school building, for more than 900 students, has – remarkably – already been in use for several months.
Editor:Liu Yan
