Li Guohao (engineer)

Li Guohao (Chinese: 李国豪; Pinyin: Lǐ Guóháo; 1913--2005), Chinese structural engineer, China's celebrated bridge engineering expert, earned his nickname of "Suspension Bridge Li" from his German counterparts. His method of calculation, with a high degree of precision although of extreme complexity, can cut down the cost of engineering and promote bridge stability.

Biography

Li, born in Mei County, Guangdong, once studied in Germany. In 1946, he assumed the position of president of Tongji University after he returned to the China.

In view of the structure of reinforced concrete bridge in common use, Li broke with convention to tackle a key problem related to calculation. This became known as Li's Theory, and has been widely adopted in the design of international bridges.

Li Guohao participated in several famous bridge designs and constructions such as Chengdu-Kunming Railway Bridge and Nanjing-Yangtze Bridge. In 1973, he wrote a major book entitled the Torsion Theory of Spar--Truss Bridge Torsion, Stability and Vibration. This book of several hundred thousand words provided a reliable basis for truss bridge design and construction.

Due to his outstanding achievements, Li was rated as one of top 10 world famous bridge experts by the International Bridge and Structural Engineering Association in 1981.