Shanghai residents (居民) passing through the city's eastern Huangpu district earlier this month might have discovered an unusual sight a "walking" building.
An 85-year-old primary school has been lifted off the ground in its entirety and relocated using new technology named the "walking" machine.
In the city's latest effort to protect historic structures, engineers used nearly 200 mobile supports under the five-story building, according to Lan Wuji, chief technical supervisor of the project.
The supports act like robotic legs. They're split into two groups which in turns rise up and down, like the human step. The sensors (感应器)help control how the building moves forward, said Lan.
In recent years, China's rapid modernization has seen many historic buildings destroyed to clear land for skyscrapers and office buildings. But there has been growing concern about the architectural heritage (遗产)loss as a result of destruction across the country.
It is true Shanghai has been China's most progressive city when it comes to heritage preservation. The survival of a number of 1930s buildings in the famous bund district and 19th-century "shikumen"(or "stone gate") houses in the repaired Xintiandi neighborhood has offered examples of how to give old buildings new life.
The city also has a track record of relocating old buildings. In 2018, the city relocated a 90-year-old building in Hongkou district, which was then considered to be Shanghai's most complex relocation project to date.
The Lagena Primary School, which weighs 7, 600 tons, faced a new challenge-it's T-shaped, while previously relocated structures were square or rectangular(长方形的), according to Xinhua.
Experts and technicians met to discuss possibilities and test a number of different technologies before deciding on the "walking machine", Xinhua said.