Olympic venues like the Bird's Nest and Water Cube have the strength to resist major natural disasters, a Beijing official said on Friday.
The National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest," is seen lit at night in Beijing in this April 15, 2008 file photo. [Agencies] |
These large steel structures can resist major earthquakes and lightning from thunderstorms, Yang Weiguang, deputy director of the Beijing municipal science and technology commission, said.
"During the construction of the venues, we took every possible emergency and natural disaster into account, and used the best steel the country can produce," Yang said.
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The Water Cube is seen in this picture on January 23, 2008. [Asianewsphoto]
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Almost 150,000 tons of steel have been used to build Beijing's Olympic venues, according to official figures.
The roof of the Bird's Nest includes 78 stress-and-displacement-detection meters, he said.
Also, to achieve a 'green Games', energy-saving technologies such as photoelectric, solar and wind power systems have been used at the venues.
"More than 26 percent of the energy used at Olympic venues will come from green sources," Yang said.
Solar photovoltaic systems, which can each year generate 580,000 kWh of electricity - the amount used by about 1,000 Beijing residents in one year - have been installed at seven venues, including the Bird's Nest, he said.
