Recently, over ten media outlets, including Guangming Daily, Science and Technology Daily, and China Science Daily, have reported on the latest research advancements made by Southeast University’s National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Smart Construction and Operation (referred to as the Center) in urban lifeline safety engineering. These reports have highlighted significant research achievements, particularly in the application of distributed fiber optic sensing technology for urban road subsidence monitoring and early warning. This media coverage reflects the Center's commitment to organized research under the leadership of Professor Wu Gang, who has directed the Center since its inception. Focused on national strategies and social needs, the Center continually pioneers new fields and directions in civil engineering. In recent years, it has concentrated on urban lifeline safety engineering, achieving breakthroughs through interdisciplinary exchange, integration of multiple disciplines, and collaboration between research and industry. These efforts have energized the civil engineering field and contributed to high-quality social development.
In 2022, Jiangsu Province officially launched its urban lifeline safety engineering initiative, to which Southeast University quickly responded. The university established the Southeast University Urban Lifeline Safety Research Center, utilizing the Center as a foundation and drawing on its own research strength. Working in collaboration with multiple university departments, the team leveraged the support of Jiangsu Dongyin Intelligent Engineering Technology Research Institute, a new research entity co-founded with local government. Together, they proposed an integrated “Space-Sky-Ground” ubiquitous sensing system, establishing a comprehensive R&D framework aimed at providing precise, wide-ranging data support for urban infrastructure operations and maintenance. This initiative also incorporated Southeast University’s technical expertise across multiple disciplines, resulting in distinct technology systems: the “City Eye” system, based on InSAR measurement technology; the “City Pulse” system, based on fiber optic sensing; and the “City Cell” system, grounded in high-precision sensing technology. Additionally, the team developed a multi-source data analysis-based risk prediction algorithm for urban lifeline safety, advancing Southeast University’s innovative research and application of technology in this critical field.
The Center maximizes its cross-disciplinary and multi-departmental strengths to build a high-level platform for talent development, scientific research, technology transfer, and international exchange in urban lifeline safety:
As a vital technical support unit for the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and municipal governments, the Center has helped Southeast University establish urban lifeline safety engineering cooperation agreements with numerous cities in Jiangsu. Beyond providing technical consulting services across most of the province’s municipalities, the Center also offers guidance on special implementation plans and has extended its consulting services to support projects in Hubei, Henan, and other provinces.
The Center has spearheaded the formation of the Urban Lifeline Engineering Safety Committee within the China Association for Engineering Construction Standardization, the Nanjing Urban Lifeline Safety Engineering Collaborative Innovation Alliance, and the Jiangsu Province Engineer Association’s Urban Lifeline Engineering Safety Committee.
The Center is actively engaged in the Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Demonstration Project on Key Technologies and Applications for Urban Lifeline Engineering Safety Monitoring and Early Warning. It organized and successfully hosted the first and second National Urban Lifeline Safety Academic Forums, and, in collaboration with several renowned international universities, will host the inaugural “International Conference on Urban Lifelines” in Nanjing this July. Additionally, the Center, in partnership with Springer Nature, has launched the Urban Lifeline academic journal, which was selected for China’s 2023 High-Starting-Point New Journals Excellence Action Plan.
The Center recently established its presence in the Future Science and Technology City’s Low-Carbon and Smart Campus-Enterprise Collaborative Innovation Complex, supporting the development of a large experimental base for infrastructure safety and smart technology innovation in Liyang, as well as the transformation of the National Prestressed Engineering Technology Research Center. Backed by Southeast University and the Jiangsu Provincial Government, the Center has submitted an application to the Ministry of Science and Technology for the establishment of a National Innovation Center for Urban Lifeline Safety Engineering Technology.
With a foundation in civil engineering, Southeast University’s researchers continuously integrate strengths from other disciplines. Driven by the spirit of “Civil Supports All, Architecture Reaches the Skies,” they are committed to serving China’s strategic needs and contributing to the nation’s modernization efforts through high-quality talent development and cutting-edge scientific innovation.
