Mr. Ziwang Wu passed way in Xiamen, China at 17:11 on 28 February 2009, at age 75.
Ziwang Wu was born in 15 Dec. 1935. He graduated from Beijing Geology University in 1961, with a BS in Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology. He engaged in the research of permafrost science and frozen-soil mechanics ever since.
He was a hardened professor and engineer of frozen ground engineering in China for more than 50 years, the founder and the executive director (during 1989-1996) and academic director (during 1996-2006) of the State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soils Engineering.
Mr. Wu was one of the founders of geocryology and frozen ground engineering in China. As principal investigator, Mr. Wu was in charge of more than 20 key research projects in frozen ground engineering in China, including the highways and railways on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and well building for coal mining in the Huai’nan and Huai’bei in Eastern China using the artificial ground freezing techniques. Under his directorship, many complicated technological problems in engineering construction in permafrost regions were innovatively successfully resolved. His major contributions to the permafrost communities include the properties of frozen and thawed soils, strengths and creep of frozen ground, and mitigation of frost hazards.
Mr. Wu will be long remembered for his devotion to the research and education of permafrost science and frozen ground engineering. His departure is a great loss to the permafrost community.
Letters of condolence can be sent to:
Fax: 0931-8273894;
Mail: niufujun@lzb.ac.cn; chenyunfeng@lzb.ac.cn
Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute.