Locomotive and Rolling Stock Factory Earthquake Ruins

Locomotive and Rolling Stock Factory Earthquake Ruins

The Locomotive and Rolling Stock Factory Earthquake Ruins are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Locomotive and Rolling Stock Factory Earthquake Ruins are located in the south courtyard of the old factory area of Tangshan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Factory, Lunan District, Tangshan City. Built in 1959, the building covers an area of 9,072 square meters. It is divided into three spans: east, middle, and west. The east span is 150 meters long, 18 meters wide, and 15.61 meters high; the middle span is 162 meters long, 18 meters wide, and 12.22 meters high; the west span is 144 meters long, 24 meters wide, and 12.45 meters high.

The foundation of the ruins is sandy clay, using reinforced concrete cup-type column foundations, totaling 118 in number. The base elevation north of the central section is uniformly 1.7 meters below ground level, while from the central section southward, the base elevations from west to east are successively 2.3 meters, 3.5 meters, 2 meters, and 2.54 meters below ground level. The building structure consists of prefabricated reinforced concrete columns, beam roof trusses, large roof panels in an assembled structure, with rubble stone wall bases and red brick walls.

The earthquake ruins are located in the south courtyard of the old factory area of Tangshan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Factory, Lunan District, Tangshan City. Built in 1959, the building covers an area of 9,072 square meters. It is divided into three spans: east, middle, and west. The east span is 150 meters long, 18 meters wide, and 15.61 meters high; the middle span is 162 meters long, 18 meters wide, and 12.22 meters high; the west span is 144 meters long, 24 meters wide, and 12.45 meters high.

The foundation of the ruins is sandy clay, using reinforced concrete cup-type column foundations, totaling 118 in number. The base elevation north of the central section is uniformly 1.7 meters below ground level, while from the central section southward, the base elevations from west to east are successively 2.3 meters, 3.5 meters, 2 meters, and 2.54 meters below ground level. The building structure consists of prefabricated reinforced concrete columns, beam roof trusses, large roof panels in an assembled structure, with rubble stone wall bases and red brick walls.

After the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in 1976, the end walls and columns of the workshop collapsed and tilted, with most of the roof trusses falling to the ground, except for the central support columns which remained standing. At the time, 21 people were working in the workshop; 11 died and 3 were seriously injured in the quake. In addition, more than 40 pieces of equipment inside the workshop, including overhead cranes and electric furnaces, were damaged. The chimney on the south side, originally 35 meters high, was reduced to 19.1 meters after the quake. This site is a representative example of workshop building damage caused by earthquakes, and its destruction characteristics provide valuable research material for the seismic fortification of public industrial workshops. In April 2006, it was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units