The group takes up many undergraduate courses, such as Basic Principles of Concrete Structures, Inspection and Strengthening of Building Structures, Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Structures, Structural Mechanics, and graduate courses, such as Advanced Theory of Concrete Structures, Nonlinear Analysis of Concrete Structures, Durability of Concrete Structures, Inspection, Appraisal, and Strengthening of Engineering Structures, and so on.
We focus on the research of life-cycle maintenance of engineering structures, damage process analysis of materials and structures, structural performance enhancement, and innovative structural systems. In-depth and productive research work has been carried out. In total, 18 research projects have been accomplished, including the subproject of 'Applied Research on Safety and Durability of Major construction Projects' , a key project supported by 'National Climbing program B'of China State Science and Technology Commision. Ten research projects are undergoing, including the projects supported by National 863 program, National Project of Scientific and Technical Supporting Programs Funded by Ministry of Science & Technology of China during the 11th Five-year Plan, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and so on. The group has developed a computer software, REASES, for reliability assessment of existing buildings. The group has compiled an Engineering Construction Code of Shanghai-Standard of Structural Inspection and Assessment for Existing Buildings (DG/TJ08-804-2005), with other edited or co-edited eleven codes or standards . Eleven patents have been proposed and 4 of them have been granted. More than 160 technical research articles, 4 scientific books and 9 textbooks have been published.
Combing scientific research and engineering practice has always been the essential objective of the group. Supported by the Inspection Institute of Building Quality of Tongji University, the group has finished inspection, appraisal, strengthening and rebuilding projects of many historic buildings in Shanghai and other cityies and provinces of China. The most famout projects include the No.1 Zhongshan Dong Yi Rd, Shanghai (former Asiatic Petroleum Building), No.2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Rd (former Shanghai Club), No.15 Zhongshan Dong Yi Rd (former the Russo-Chinese Bank Building), No.27 Zhongshan Dong Yi Rd (former Jardine Matheson & Co.), 'Airplane Building' of Changhai Hospital, Office building of Shanghai Research Institute of Culture and History, Shanghai Post Office Building, No.261 Sichuan Zhong Rd (former building of the Four Banks Joint Savings Society), Warehouse at North Bank of Suzhou River (former Fu Xin flour factory) and TianNing Pagoda of Changzhou City, and so on.
The group emphasizes on the cooperation with the domestic and international colleagues. Many famous scholars have been invited to Tongji University to give presentations or lectures. The faculty members and graduate students have been actively involved in international and domestic scientific conferences. Some were invited by oversea universities for further research and collaboration. The group has been making progress through learning and communication all the time.