A new start for Xinhuamen Primary School

On May 12, 2008, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan Province, a mountainous region in Western China, killing about 70,000 people and leaving over 18,000 missing.


Following the Tangshan earthquake in 1976 which killed over 240,000 people, new construction codes had been implemented to ensure that China's buildings would be ‘quake-proof'. However, the collapse of schools, hospitals and factories around Sichuan following this latest natural disaster makes it unlikely that the codes meant to protect had been enforced.


One such school which suffered irreparable damage was Xinhuamen Primary School.


Shortly after the Sichuan earthquake, the ArcelorMittal Foundation supported rebuilding of the school. The project was also supported by the Gansu and Luxembourg government.


Steel for safety


The new building is made of steel and offers a high degree of earthquake resistance. In addition, to facilitate the best learning environment for students, the building design provides an efficient lay out, low height for safety, energy saving and improved comfort through proper insulation, maximized daylight and natural ventilation and efficient shading.


At the inauguration ceremony on August 20,2009 Daniel Deng, Country Manager for ArcelorMittal China said, "Xinhuamen Primary School is an excellent example of how steel contributes to sustainable construction in post-earthquake reconstruction activities. We hope the students will benefit from a good learning environment for a successful start of the new school year."


The ceremony was attended by Hao Yuan, Vice Governor of Gansu Province, Zhang Jinghui, Secretary of CPC Committee of Tianshui and Director of Standing Committee of Tianshui People's Congress, and Jean-Paul Schuler, Vice President of ArcelorMittal. Nicole Bintner-Bakshian, Minister-Counselor at the Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg represented the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs as partnering sponsor for green education.


Collaboration: Lynn Robbroeckx