On May 12， an earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, hit Wenchuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province; and several other provinces and cities felt the earthquake including Beijing. Li Zhanjun, Director of the BOCOG (Beijing Olympic Press Center), recently said that none of the Olympic venues have been affected to any degree of impact or destruction. He said that according to relevant State regulations, all civil structures have to meet a seismic resistance of more than 8 on the Richter scale and the Olympic venues are no exception.
Although parts of Beijing evidently felt the earthquake at the time it occurred in Sichuan Province; the National Stadium (the "Nest"), main stadium of the 2008 Beijing Olympics in its phase-out period, has not been affected. Li Jiulin, chief engineer of the Department of Contracts for the National Stadium project, was in the "Nest" for quality inspection with site workers. No one in the "Nest"at that time felt the earthquake or noticed anything unusual. Li Jiulin contended that since the "Nest’s"designed seismic resistance scale was 8 on the Richter scale, an earthquake of a relatively small scale would not pose a threat.
All the Olympic venues were evaluated for seismic safety prior to construction.
By People's Daily Online
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