Earthquake Relics at the Former Tangshan No. 10 Middle School

Earthquake Relics at the Former Tangshan No. 10 Middle School

The earthquake relics at the former Tangshan No. 10 Middle School are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The earthquake relics at the former Tangshan No. 10 Middle School are located within the campus of the former school in Lunan District, Tangshan City.

After the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Tangshan in 1966, numerous tectonic cracks formed on the surface of the epicentral area. A series of en echelon small cracks formed an 8-kilometer-long, 30-meter-wide seismogenic structural belt oriented at 30 degrees northeast, with a maximum horizontal displacement of 2.3 meters. The ground displacement within the campus of Tangshan No. 10 Middle School is one of these cracks. Within the campus, the house foundations and pathways were respectively offset by two parallel cracks oriented at 50 degrees northeast, with a horizontal displacement of 1 meter and a vertical displacement of 0.5 meters. An underground drainage pipe and a toilet were offset by another crack oriented at 40 degrees northeast, with a horizontal displacement of 1 meter and a vertical displacement of 0.3 meters.

These relics represent the seismic damage suffered by surface and underground public facilities, and their destruction patterns provide research basis for the seismic fortification of surface conditions and underground utilities. In April 2006, they were designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units