Comrade Chang Shipiao, an outstanding member of the Communist Party of China, a renowned expert in China's engineering investigation and geotechnical engineering fields, a research-level senior engineer, recipient of the State Council Special Allowance, and a National Survey and Design Master, passed away in Beijing at 13:09 on April 5, 2014, at the age of 89 after unsuccessful medical treatment.

　　Chang Shipiao, male, was born in June 1925 in Yuci County, Shanxi Province. He graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 1949. Before 1954, he was engaged in civil engineering structural design; after 1954, in response to the needs of the 156 projects aided by the former Soviet Union, he engaged in hydrogeology, engineering geology, and geotechnical engineering design work.

　　Master Chang Shipiao was engaged in geotechnical engineering practice and engineering application research for decades, with profound expertise and outstanding contributions. He received numerous national awards: in 1978, two individual awards from the National Science Conference; in 1985, one National Science and Technology Progress Third Prize; in 1988, one Gold Award and one Silver Award for National Excellent Survey Engineering; in 1992, one Silver Award for National Excellent Survey Engineering; and the third and fourth editions of the "Engineering Geology Handbook," which he edited, respectively won the Second Prize for Science and Technology Progress from the Ordnance Industry. Master Chang Shipiao was the first in China to apply three-dimensional flow theory to hydrogeological work. In the application of three-dimensional flow theory to groundwater movement and in the theory of surrounding rock stability evaluation for underground caverns, he proposed viewpoints and theories different from his predecessors, which played a very important role in the rational evaluation of groundwater resources and the stability evaluation of cavern surrounding rock, and filled a domestic gap in the research on stability evaluation of natural cave surrounding rock. He also proposed the viewpoint of treating mountain bodies as structures and theoretical formulas for calculating mountain pressure, which have broad guiding significance for the survey and design of underground engineering. He wrote papers such as "Research on Several Problems in Pumping Test Work," "On Mountain Pressure," "Further Discussion on Mountain Pressure," and "Third Discussion on Mountain Pressure," and presided over the compilation of China's first "Handbook of Water Supply Hydrogeology" and "Handbook of Engineering Geology," making tremendous contributions to promoting the development of China's hydrogeology and engineering geology undertakings and the improvement of technical levels.

　　As a well-known expert in China's engineering investigation and geotechnical engineering fields, Master Chang Shipiao held leadership positions in several major industry societies, including vice chairman of the Engineering Geology Professional Committee and the Hydrogeology Professional Committee of the Geological Society of China from the first to the fourth sessions; vice chairman of the Engineering Investigation Professional Committee of the Architectural Society of China from the first to the fourth sessions; director of the Hydrogeology Consulting Department of the Geological Society of China; vice chairman of the Academic Committee of the Open Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, from the first to the third sessions; member of the Academic Committee of the Open Research Laboratory of Environmental Geology, Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources; member of the Expert Group for the Lianziya Geological Disaster Prevention and Control Project of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, Ministry of Land and Resources; and one of the first batch of members of the Expert Group for Test Question Design and Scoring for the National Registered Engineer Geotechnical Engineering Professional Examination, etc.

　　Master Chang Shipiao devoted his entire life to the survey cause he loved. He was loyal to the Party, rigorous in scholarship, and exceptionally talented. With indomitable perseverance, he made outstanding achievements in hydrogeology, engineering geology, and other fields. He was a well-known expert renowned in the engineering investigation and geotechnical engineering fields, making outstanding contributions not only to the development of the China Ordnance Industry Survey and Design Institute but also to the development of China's survey industry.

　　The passing of Master Chang Shipiao is a great loss to China's engineering investigation and geotechnical engineering fields, a great loss to China Ordnance Industry Group, and a great loss to the China Ordnance Industry Survey and Design Institute. We have lost a good teacher and helpful friend, and a model in the academic community.

　　Master Chang's memorial service was held on the morning of April 7, 2014, in Beijing. Friends, colleagues, and representatives of societies and associations from his lifetime attended the memorial service.

　　Main Positions

　　Leader of the Third Design Group, Engineering Design Division, former Second Ministry of Machine Building                1952—1954

　　Chief Engineer of the Special Structures Section, former Second Design Institute                  1954—1955

　　Deputy Director of the Taiyuan Lancun Water Source Survey Engineering Office                      1954—1955

　　Chief Engineer of the Survey Division, former Second Design Institute                      1956—1958

　　Section Chief of the Technical Section, Survey Company, former First Ministry of Machine Building                1958—1960

　　Deputy Chief Engineer of the Survey Company, former Third Ministry of Machine Building                1960—1963

　　Chief Engineer of the Survey Company, former Fifth Ministry of Machine Building                  1963—1980

　　Chief Engineer and Deputy Manager of the Survey Company, former Ordnance Industry Ministry              1980—1983

　　Director of the Science and Technology Committee, China Ordnance Industry Survey and Research Institute                  1983—1995

　　Consultant Chief Engineer, China Ordnance Industry Survey and Design Institute                    1995—2014.4.5

　　Social Appointments

　　Vice Chairman of the Engineering Geology Professional Academic Committee, Geological Society of China      1979—1996

　　Vice Chairman of the Hydrogeology Professional Academic Committee, Geological Society of China      1979—1996

　　Vice Chairman of the Engineering Investigation Professional Committee, Architectural Society of China          1979—1996

　　Vice Chairman of the Capital Construction Professional Committee, China Ordnance Society          1979—1993

　　Vice Chairman of the Academic Committee, Open Research Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences  1985—1995

　　Director of the Hydrogeology Consulting Department, Geological Society of China                    1986—1989