The Key Laboratory of Coastal Civil Engineering Durability of Guangdong Province was established in 2015 after approved in 2011 by Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province. Its predecessor is Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering Durability, approved to construct by the Shenzhen Municipal Science and Technology Bureau in 2004. The Laboratory is backed by Shenzhen University, with equipment invested by the provincial and municipal government, and the scientific researchers are provided by Shenzhen University. The Laboratory has three platforms covered research, public and administrative. Currently, there are 46 permanent scientific researchers in the laboratory, including 17 professors, 15 associate professors. 43 of these researchers have PhD degree and 30 of them have more than 1 years overseas work experience. The laboratory also hired a visiting professor team consists of 10 celebrated domestic and foreign scholars. Besides, the laboratory has 5 Postdoctoral researchers, 8 joint PhD student and 10 experimental technicians and administrative staffs.

The laboratory research team paid special attention earlier to the structural durability of coastal civil engineering in China. Under the guidance of Academician Zhaoyuan Chen and Academician Fulin Zhou (the two terms director of the academic committees), with Prof. Feng Xing as the chief academic leader, and Prof. Ningxu Han as the chief academic advisor and principal, through collaboration with National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the National 973 Program, major International Scientific and Technological project, and under the strong boost of 10 major national projects (including National Fund Key Projects, and National and Provincial Joint Fund Key Projects), 70 National Natural Science Foundations, and 50 provincial, ministerial and municipal research projects, the laboratory has formed and expanded the overall research strategy and technical route based on the theoretical framework of civil engineering service life (re)design (first established in 2004, expanded in 2010), with the comprehensive utilization of resource and sustainable new materials as a driving point, as well as continuous improved reliability analysis of coastal concrete infrastructure, degradation of identification and control of the basic methods of performance, innovative research results have been achieved in the performance deterioration mechanism, control theory and engineering applications of coastal concrete structures.

In the past 5 years, the laboratory has hosted over 90 national research projects and 16 industrial projects, the total funding has exceeded 50 million RMB, more than 10 million per year. Grete than 776 academic papers have been published in well-known Journals and local and overseas conferences , 490 of these papers were included in “Three Indexes”, among which 230 were included in the SCI, and 90 were published in JCR Q1 and Q2. The laboratory has also published eight academic books, edited 3 local technical specifications, participated in the compilation of 6 national and industry technical specifications and standards, Until now, the laboratory has granted 60 invention patents (including 5 international patents). The laboratory has won the second prize of National Technology Invention Award in 2017, the second prize of National Technology Invention Award in 2014, the first prize of Ministry of Education Technology Invention Award in 2013, the first prize in progress of Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology in 2014, it was also won 2 items of second prize in progress of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Science and Technology, and more than 1 item of other scientific research awards. The main research results of the laboratory are widely used in the significant projects of Guangdong Province and Shenzhen City (including Yantian Port, Western Corridor, Shenzhen Airport, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, Shugang Road of Shenzhen Port, Eastern Passage, etc.), providing a strong support for the sustainability and life-span economy of concrete infrastructure construction in Guangdong Province

Recently, the laboratory has signed agreement in joint research and graduate students joint training with Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), University of Missouri (USA), University of Plymouth (United Kingdom), Hokkaido University (Japan), University of Tokyo (Japan), Missouri University of Science and Technology (USA), Tohoku University (Japan), Nagoya Institute of Technology (Japan). In the past 5 years, the laboratory has held more than 120 academic lectures and forums and more than 90 famous scholars from the entire world were invited to attend these forums. Meanwhile, the laboratory also select more than 20 researchers to Sweden, Britain, Italy, Japan, Australia, the United States and Hong Kong for short-term (2 months to one year) study visits. Due to the enhanced of influence in the field of civil engineering durability, the laboratory has successfully hosted five high-level international academic forums in the recent 5 years, this helps to build a firm foundation for promoting technological progress in the field of coastal civil engineering, and continuously improve the research and development strength of the laboratory.