Recently, the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva was successfully held in Geneva, Switzerland, showcasing over 1,000 invention projects across various fields and industries from 35 countries and regions. The Chinese delegation participated with 237 invention projects, the largest in its history. The projects led by Professor Zhang Wenming’s team, Professor Dai Guoliang’s team, and Professor Chen Yao’s team from our school were awarded Gold Medals.
The technology “Multi-scale Damage Assessment and Life Prediction Technology for Stay Cables” developed by Professor Zhang Wenming’s team won a Gold Medal. This achievement adopts an analysis framework of “single wire–multi-wire–cable strand–full bridge,” systematically revealing the service environment response, mechanical property evolution, damage mechanisms, and structural degradation patterns of semi-parallel wire stay cables. It enables accurate assessment of the service life of stay cables, providing key technical support for the design, construction, and maintenance of long-span cable-stayed bridges.
The “Combined Post-Grouting Device for Pile Tip and Pile Side of Bored Piles and Its Construction Method” invented by Professor Dai Guoliang, Professor Gong Weiming, and their team won a Gold Medal. Based on digital and intelligent grouting equipment and construction methods, this project achieved coordinated regulation of key grouting parameters during the pile tip and pile side grouting processes, effectively solving the industry challenges of uncontrollability and instability associated with traditional grouting techniques. This technology has been successfully applied to over 50 domestic and international projects, including the Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge, Sanxia Fuqing Offshore Wind Power, Zimbabwe Airport, and Shenzhen OPPO Building.
The “Origami Metamaterials: From Folding Geometry to Multifunctional Protection Systems” invented by Professor Chen Yao, Professor Feng Jian, and their team won a Gold Medal and the Best International Invention and Innovation Award at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions. This project established a digital and intelligent design platform for origami metamaterials, fully leveraging their unique geometric programmability, negative Poisson’s ratio, multi-scale mechanics, and other features. It integrates multiple functions such as impact protection, sound absorption, vibration reduction, and thermal management, achieving coordinated regulation of structural, acoustic, and thermal properties, thus breaking through the limitations of single-function conventional protection technologies.
Founded in 1973, the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva is jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Swiss Federal Government, and others. It is one of the longest-running and largest invention exhibitions in the world, renowned for its rigorous selection and professional standards, and is ranked first among the “three major invention exhibitions” globally.
