State Key Laboratory of Safety and Resilience of Civil Engineering in Mountainous Areas Co-hosts Academic Conference with Namangan State Technical University

In response to the Belt and Road Initiative and to actively promote international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation, the State Key Laboratory of Safety and Resilience of Civil Engineering in Mountainous Areas and Namangan State Technical University (NamDTU) jointly organized the International Conference on Innovative Construction and Seismic Safety of Building Structures (ICSSBS). The conference was held from November 27 to 28, 2025, at the main campus of NamDTU. At the invitation of NamDTU, a delegation from the State Key Laboratory traveled to Uzbekistan to attend the conference and deliver plenary presentations.

At the conference, Prof. Zhang Wengang, Deputy Director of the State Key Laboratory at Chongqing University, delivered a presentation titled Preliminary Investigation of Geotechnical Bionics: Innovative Pile Foundations and Root-Inspired Geotechnics, in which he systematically introduced the application of bio-inspired geotechnical engineering in the design of novel pile foundations. Prof. Li Xiao delivered a presentation titled The Impact of Extreme Wind Events on the Urban Built Environment, providing an in-depth analysis of the damage characteristics and failure mechanisms of urban buildings subjected to typhoons, downbursts, tornadoes, and other extreme wind events. Assistant Researcher Pouria Ayough delivered a presentation titled Prestressed Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Lattice Towers for Wind Turbine Supporting Structures: From Concept to Application, providing a comprehensive overview of the design concept and engineering applications of this novel wind turbine tower system.

In addition, Prof. Zhang Wengang delivered an invited academic lecture to students at NamDTU, introducing Chongqing University’s conservation efforts at significant cultural heritage sites, including the Dazu Rock Carvings.

During the visit, the delegation also toured the ancient city of Ahsikent, an important historical site along the Silk Road in Central Asia. In response to the severe rock weathering observed at the site, Prof. Zhang Wengang proposed drawing upon conservation practices developed for the Dazu Rock Carvings and applying nano-calcium hydroxide coatings for preventive conservation. Prof. Li Xiao recommended conducting wind field simulations to quantitatively assess the extent of weathering.

The ICSSBS conference, jointly organized by Chongqing University and NamDTU, has created new opportunities for academic exchange between the two institutions. Building on this momentum, both sides will further deepen collaboration in cutting-edge fields such as civil engineering, jointly advance scientific research innovation and talent cultivation, and promote people-to-people exchanges and knowledge sharing between China and Uzbekistan under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, thereby injecting new vitality and expertise into regional sustainable development.