BACKGROUND

The Chinese Institute of Civil Engineering (CICE) was founded in Hangchow, China in 1936. Subsequent wartime turmoil followed by the Communist occupation of Mainland China forced the interruption of Institute's activities until 1952. On Engineers' Day, June 6 of 1952, the Institute held a General Assembly meeting in Taipei, reactivating the CICE. Under the President , there are Secretary General, Chief Editor, General Accountant who support the President to execute CICE activities, along with Committees of Finance, Publication, Thesis, Engineering Medals, Membership Soliciting, Qualification Review, Lectures & Visits, Terminology Editing, Manual Compilation and Construction Improvement. CICE has set up on various occasions Research Committees on Prestresed Concrete, Reinforced Concrete, Seismology, Steel Structure, Soil Mechanics, Foundation Engineering and Water Pollution Control. These Committees have been in vibrant research and academic activities. Other than these, they have published “Research & Test Report on Prestressed Concrete”, “Prestressed Concrete Work Specs.”, “Design and Construction Specs. On RC Works”, “Design Manual on RC Works”, “Guidelines on RC Works”, Terminology on Civil Engineering”, “Chinese Engineer HANDBOOK", "Category of Civil Engineering", along with up to fifteen volumes of “Civil Engineering Quarterly”. CICE has set as well Coordinating Committee with Native and Foreign Academic Bodies and been in close exchange with domestic and foreign counterparts in journals, publications. In close academic ties maintained, CICE has frequently participated in international conferences. In memory of Mr. Hou Chia-yuan, late CICE President, the Institute has raised funds and founded Chia Yuan Scholarship Committee. The Committee awards scholarships to senior students of National Taiwan University and National Chengkung University every year. To extend service horizons to the society, CICE has established Service Dept. to take consignment for technological services. As of September 30, 1973, CICE had 4559 individual members and 88 institution members.

The Chinese Institute of Hydraulic Engineering (CIHE) founded in Nanking in 1931. The officers including President, Vice President, Directors and Secretary General organized the Board of Directors and Executive Dept., In promotion of business, CIHE estabalished a variety of Committees and branches at Tientsin, Hsian, Shanghai, Chengchien, Kuilin, Lanchou, Chenping, Changsha, Nanjen, Chengtu, Manchuria, Kwangchou, Taiwan and Chungching, and held the annual meetings at Nanking, Hangchow, Chenkiang, Tientsin and Hsian. CIHE was resumed the activity in Taiwan in May 1951, the chapters and the activity programs were similar as CICEs’. The Institute has published “Hydraulic Engineering Terminology”, “Reservoir Engineering Manual” and “Chinese Engineers Handbook of Hydraulic Engineering”. So far, “Hydraulic Engineering Monthly”, which was published in Mainland, reorganized into quarterly in Taiwan with a total of twenty issues published before mergence. The Institute held 1768 individual members and 37 institution members in 1973.

Since the two Institutes shared common goal and similar interests, CICE & CIHE were merged into one organization on November 17, 1973, and assumed the name of Chinese Institute of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering (CICHE). The scope of its activities has then been expanded from an emphasis on academic research to the practical application of engineering. The Institute has 4135 individual members and 105 institution members as of 1998.