This paper presents a seismic response evaluation of self-centering prestressed concrete frames with infill walls (SCPC-IW frames). Three types of infill walls with different load capacity were selected to be installed in a bare self-centering prestressed concrete frame (SCPC-Bare frame). Beam web friction devices are included in the beam-column connections to provide energy dissipation capacity. Numerical models of the SCPC frame, and the three SCPC-IW frames were established and analyzed in a finite element software, OpenSees. Firstly, the nonlinear static analyses and nonlinear dynamic analyses under 44 ground motions were performed. Secondly, the incremental dynamic analyses (IDAs), seismic fragility analyses, and collapse resistance capacity evaluation were conducted. The results showed that the initial stiffness, energy dissipating capacity of SCPC-IW frames are increased in comparison to SCPC frames. After adding infill walls, the lateral displacement of the SCPC-IW frames decreases. However, the residual deformation and axial compression ratio of the SCPC-IW frame increases. As the infill walls strength increases, the increased amplitude of residual displacement becomes much larger than the decreased amplitude of the drift. It is concluded that when the load capacity of infill walls ranges from 37% to 79% of the web friction force, the SCPC-IW frames can achieve a good balance in terms of stiffness, energy dissipation, and self-centering capability as well as collapse resistance capability.

The booming of three-dimensional (3D) land use brings a change of the connotation of land rights, which will expand “flat” 2D land legislation with 3D land legislation. The legal issues of urban underground space for 3D objects in large cities around the world have been attracting more and more attention. A supportive legal framework is crucial for underground space utilization in a country. This paper analyzes the present 173 representative laws and regulations of urban underground space utilization and management of China from 1998 to 2018, and attempts to interpret the current laws and regulations of underground space from four aspects; by quantity, spatial distribution, legislative force and content. The result shows that poor legal framework of urban underground space in China, including low-level of legislative force, disunity of local legislation standard and absence of special statutes and regulations, are the main reasons causing ownership disputation, registration chaos, as well as no unanimous judicial practice. To address these issues, the paper refers to a case study for underground space legal framework in Japan and aims to form a set of top-down unified legal framework, including basic law, special statutes and regulations, as well as supplementary policies and documents of urban underground space, and proposes that the underground space planning should be incorporated as one essential portion of the master planning in China. By studying the legal system of underground space in Japan and China, this study may offer better insight for those conducting UUS legal framework research as well as serve as reference for countries with similar legal issues.

International students’ mobility is increasing day by day around the world. As a result, many international postgraduate students enroll in Chinese universities for higher studies and exchange programs every year. The more international postgraduate students enrolled, the more challenges and problems encountered by local universities. This paper uses the questionnaire survey and interview method to explore the problems in cultivating and managing international postgraduates at Chinese universities in Wuhan, China. The study aims to identify the cultivation and management problems and present the corresponding countermeasures through the questionnaire analysis of 553 international postgraduates from the five universities. The study finds the four main problems in the cultivation and management of international postgraduates at local universities are (1) limited English resources and fewer faculty who deliver a lecture in English, (2) insufficient student-supervisor interaction, (3) lack of academic guidance on campus, and (4) inadequate campus facilities. In order to overcome these challenges, universities have to build a sound curriculum system and enhance the internationalization of teachers, increase the academic and social interaction among students and supervisors, arrange seminars and workshops and strengthen the development of language environment products, including four information platforms. The study has implications for the policymakers, professors, and university administrators to cultivate and manage international postgraduates. This research can also be regarded as a reference for the cultivation and education of international postgraduates in other countries.

China regards shale gas as a key energy source for ensuring energy security, promoting the transformation of the energy structure, and addressing climate change. However, at this stage, the scarcity of land resources, coupled with various institutional restrictions, has brought numerous practical obstacles to the large-scale commercial development of shale gas. By analyzing the restrictive provisions concerning shale gas development in China’s current laws, this paper points out three major institutional constraints faced by the use of agricultural land for shale gas development: first, stringent land use control policies; second, the legal acquisition system for surface land remains unstable; third, institutional gaps in the supervision of subsurface space on collectively owned land. To overcome these institutional barriers, this study proposes fundamental reform measures for the current land legal framework. If comprehensive reform cannot be achieved immediately, partial breakthroughs may be sought within the existing institutional framework. The sequence has three phases. Near-term one to three years: negative-list quotas, refined land classification, land linkage, benefit balance, and community guidance. No law changes needed; provinces can act. Medium-term three to seven years: regulations and the mining land chapter in the revised Mineral Resources Law. Long-term beyond seven years: constitutional amendment for collective land transfer and dual-track supply reform. This study provides a theoretical reference for solving the land use issues in China’s shale gas development, and its conclusions also provide a reference for resolving the conflicts between shale gas development and agricultural land use in other jurisdictions.