LYU Xilin , a professor at the College of Civil Engineering of Tongji University and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was conferred with the Science and Technology Meritorious Worker Award at the Shanghai Science and Technology Awards Ceremony on August 26th for his outstanding contributions to earthquake engineering.

For over 40 years, Prof. LYU has dedicated himself to research and education in earthquake engineering, developing innovative seismic mitigation technologies that ensure safety of high-rise buildings against wind and earthquake loads. One significant application of his research was demonstrated a year ago when Typhoon Yagi swept through Shanghai. A thousand-ton eddy current damper successfully reduced the 632-meter Shanghai Tower’s sway, helping China’s tallest building withstand the severe weather. The optimization of this engineering marvel owes much to the critical contributions of the renowned expert in seismic resistance of building structures.

Prof. LYU’s career was sparked by Tangshan earthquake in 1976, which occurred during his university studies. “The collapse of so many buildings and the loss of so many lives deeply affected me,” LYU recalled. “From that moment, I decided to pursue graduate studies in seismic research.” After earning a master’s degree focused on seismic appraisal and reinforcement of structures, he went on to become Tongji University’s first Ph.D. graduate in structural engineering in 1984. His doctoral research addressed seismic issues in masonry structures, which are widespread across China.

In May 2008, as the leader of the first Tongji University expert team dispatched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, he rushed to the Wenchuan earthquake zone to conduct emergency building assessments. Beyond the immediate response, Prof.  LYU Xilin’s team also developed advanced dampers that absorb and dissipate seismic energy. These devices Installed within structural bracings have been widely used in post-Wenchuan earthquake reconstruction significantly to enhance building safety. Unlike traditional reinforcement methods that are costly and time-consuming, their combined bracing-and-damper technology improves seismic resistance while reducing construction time and cost.

His team are good at integrating various technologies—such as rubber bearings, sliding bearings, and viscous dampers—into customized systems that mitigate earthquake impact through flexible deformation and energy absorption. Their innovations have been applied in major projects like the Shanghai Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center.

Shifting from the traditional goal of “safety during strong earthquakes” to the future-oriented vision of “post-earthquake recoverability”, he began focusing on and introduced the concept of “functional recoverable seismic structures” to China at a very early stage. His work provides innovative solutions for improving buildings’ rapid post-disaster restoration capacity and enhancing structural resilience, with related achievements garnering significant attention from international peers.

LYU has a long-standing commitment to promoting global academic exchange. Following the Wenchuan earthquake, he established the Kwang-Hua Forum on earthquake engineering, which has convened experts worldwide for a decade. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the International Joint Research Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering at Tongji University, fostering collaboration among leading global institutions.

In 2011, he became the first Chinese editor-in-chief of the journal The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings. In 2017, he received the Nathan M. Newmark Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers, becoming the first Chinese scholar to win the award.

Looking ahead, Prof. LYU envisions the next leap in earthquake engineering coming from AI. “AI will empower us to conduct better seismic analysis and design for building clusters,” Prof. LYU said. For him and his team, this technological advancement ultimately serves a fundamental purpose: “I will continue working with my team in the direction we believe in—making people feel safe and secure.”