(left to right) Zhang Dazhao (Tongji graduate student) , Kim Seeber, Professor Xiong Xue Yu (Symposium Host)

On November 23, 2007, Kim Seeber, PE, F.PCI gave two presentations at the 3rd annual Shanghai Prestressing Symposium in Shanghai, China. The symposium, hosted by Prof. Xiong Xue Yu and the Tongji University Civil Engineering Department, was attended by over two hundred professional engineers, academia and precast producers. Kim’s presentations focused on the present use of precast/prestressed concrete products in the United States in commercial projects and, in particular, the use of solid and insulated wall panels in commercial structures. While in Shanghai he was given a tour of the Tongji University Civil Engineering laboratory, including their shake table capable of testing fairly large structures for seismic response. Kim then traveled to several cities in China visiting developers, academia and precast/prestressed concrete producers. One of the manufacturers was a PCI Producer member, Redland Precast Concrete Products in Hong Kong. He met with Ken Richardson, Redland’s general manager and Lik Lam, Redland’s design manager. The next day he was taken to Redlands Dongguan plant for a tour by Alan Tai, product manager. In general, Kim found that very little pretensioned concrete is used in China for commercial applications. Virtually all of the pretensioned concrete is used for bridge beams, monorails and other infrastructure applications. The only exception was the Olympic stadium seat risers for the main 2008 Beijing Olympics - “the Birdnest structure.” Kim was able to visit the “Birdnest” construction site. He reports that the quality of the precast products he saw in China is excellent. For commercial projects cast-in-place concrete (reinforced and/or post-tensioned) is the major type of construction currently being used in China. Structural steel is starting to be used as the steel industry develops in China.