Samuel Yin receives Russian engineering medal

TAIPEI -- Ruentex Group CEO Samuel Yin was awarded an outstanding engineering medal by the Russian Academy of Engineering on Wednesday for sharing his invention of a multi-spiral construction cage with Russian industries. 

Boris Vladimirovich Gusev, president of the academy, said Yin's invention is a great contribution to the world because it can be applied to square or rectangular columns on most buildings, on bridge piers, and in automated production in the construction industry. The invention improves strength, safety and cost effectiveness, Gusev said.

The multi-spiral cage, also called "5-spirals" or "Yin's spirals," is a design of five interconnected spirals with a large circular spiral at the center and four small ones at the corners of rectangular steel reinforced concrete (SRC) columns.

Besides allowing significant cost savings, the SRC columns with the multi-spirals have demonstrated excellent performance in terms of both strength and ductility.

Chang Ta-peng, former chairman of the Taiwan Concrete Institute, said one of the reasons why the magnitude-7.3 quake in central Taiwan on September 21, 1999 and the magnitude-6.4 earthquake in southern Taiwan in February caused so many casualties was that the SRC columns on the collapsed buildings were not strong enough. The two disasters highlighted the importance of Yin's invention, Chang said.

Yin's invention, which was launched in 2003, has been adopted in the construction of several structures in Taiwan, Singapore, some parts of China, and in other countries, according to Chern Jenn chuan, former head of the Cabinet's Public Construction Commission and CEO of the Tang Prize Foundation.

Yin is founder of the Tang Prize Foundation, which awards prizes to top researchers and leaders in the fields of sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, Sinology, and the rule of law, every two years.

The winners of this year's Tang Prize will be announced June 18-21 and the award ceremony will be held September 25.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/business/2016/05/05/465215/Samuel-Yin.htm