Zheng Zhemin

Zheng Zhemin (1924- ) is a native of Yin County, Zhejiang Province. He is a scientist on Explosion Mechanics, Applied Mechanics and Vibration. He graduated from Tsinghua University in 1947, and received his master's degree and doctorate from the California Institute of Science and Technology in 1949 and 1952 respectively. Zheng is an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the China Academy of Engineering. Zheng was Foreign Associate of U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 1993. Zheng was formerly, Director of Institute of Mechanics, President of the Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Editor-in-Chief of Acta Mechanica Sinica, etc. Presently, Zheng is Director of the Research Center for Offshore Engineering, CAS, and Vice-Chairman of the Technical Science Division of CAS.

Early in his career, Zheng Zhemin engaged in research on elastic mechanics, water elastic mechanics, vibration, and seismological engineering mechanics. Since the 1960s, Zheng has also made research on explosion processing, underground nuclear explosion, piercing shell, material dynamic mechanics property, underwater soft base explosion and treatment. He developed the theoretical research and testing of dynamic mechanic properties of the explosion formation model law, formation mechanism, matrix strength and explosion load while at the same time solved the problems of formation parameter and technique. Zheng created the new direction of "Technique Mechanics" by combining mechanics and technique and made significant contributions in the theory and application of explosion mechanics. His work on "Scaling Laws and Mechanism of Explosive Forming" received first--class prize at the National Exhibition of New Materials, Products, Techniques and Processes in 1964. Work on "Hydo-Elasto-Plastic Model and Applications to Underground Nuclear Explosion and Penetration of Targets by Projectiles" received State Natural Sciences Award, Second Class, 1982. Work on "Explosive Welding of Metallic Plates and Applications" received CAS Natural Science Award, First Class, 1989. Work on "Explosive Treatment of Soft Marine Soil at Lianyungang Harbor" received State Science and Technology Advancement Award, Second Class, 1990. Work on "Thermo-Plastic Shear Band" received State Natural Science Award, Second Class, 1993 (2nd author). Over 85 reports and theses were published at home and abroad. Zheng also co-authored "High Energy Rate Forming" (National Defense Industries Press) and "Similarity Theory and Modeling" (Handbook of Mechanical Engineering) (Part 3).