Professor LIU Huixian (Academician), a member of Division of Technological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), founded Institute of Engineering Mechanics in 1952. The institute has gone through several stages of evolution since then.

1952-1954 The preparation of establishing the Institute under the administration of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

1954-1963 The institute was formally established and named as the Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The main tasks for the Institute were doing researches on building materials, soil mechanics, engineering structures and architectural design. Major effort was directed to the study of material testing, soil testing and new building materials with great interest in some growing research fields, such as reinforced and pre-stressed concrete, earthquake engineering, structural safety, engineering properties of loess etc.

1963-1970 The institute was renamed as Institute of Engineering Mechanics (IEM), Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research fields were adjusted accordingly, which mainly included Earthquake Engineering, Mechanics of nuclear reactor structures, soil mechanics, shock and vibration and special concrete and the dynamic properties of it.

1970-1984 The institute was under dual administration of State Seismological Bureau (SSB) and Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Since April 1984, the institute has been fully run by SSB, with the name changed as Institute of Engineering Mechanics, SSB. In response to the rapid national economic development and urgent needs of earthquake prevention and disaster reduction and mitigation, IEM has reoriented its main efforts on earthquake engineering and safety engineering.

In April 1998, with the SSB renamed as China Seismological Bureau (CSB), the institute changed its name to Institute of Engineering Mechanics, CSB accordingly.

IEM was progressively adjusted to meet the demands of national construction and made important contributions to the country. Especially in the field of earthquake engineering, IEM is the pioneer in China almost in all aspects. It has attained a series of great achievements and contributed significantly to the economic development of the country. The institute is the only academic institution in China concentrating mainly on the study of Earthquake Engineering and has gained international prestigious recognition.

Since its establishment, the institute has been awarded 284 prizes for research achievements, among which 19 are national awards and 116 are ministerial/provincial awards.

Professor LIU Huixian was the first director, followed by Professor HU Yuxian, XIE Junfei, XIE Lili, FENG Qimin and QI Xiaozhai. The present director of the institute is Professor WANG Zifa.

In June 2003, according to the national reformation project for commonweal institutes, the IEM advertised for director at home and abroad under the guidance and organization of China Earthquake Administration. Professor Wang Zifa, who had achieved doctoral degree in Japan and had been working in the United States, wined the election and appointed to be the present director of IEM.

After reformation, the quondam 9 departments and offices are adjusted to 2 departments and 2 offices: Research and Development Department, Human Resources and Finance Accounting Department, Administrative Office, Party-Mass & Retired Personnel Affairs Office. The quondam 10 research divisions are reconstructed to 7:

 Engineering Seismology and Strong Earthquake Motion Observation Division.

 Infrastructure Earthquake Resistance Engineering Division.

 Disaster Prevention for Urban and Engineering Division.

 Information Technology and Engineering Material Division.

 Geotechnical Engineering Division.

 Structural Engineering Division.

 Instrument Development Division.

The scientific research auxiliary departments are Science and Technology Journal Press, Library and Finance Office. The Heilongjiang Guozhen Building Technology Department, Instruments Design and Manufacturing and Logistics Manage Center are operated as enterprises and given supporting from the policy. In order to meeting the need of exchange at home and abroad, the National Digital Strong Motion Array Network Center is being constructed in Yanjiao District of Beijing.

In order to transform the scientific research production of IEM to the science and technology productivity and introduce the scientific research production to science and technology market, the Harbin Vibration Science & Technology Co. Ltd (VBR) was founded by IEM in April 2004, which also serves the economic construction of China.

The study and work enthusiasm of all the staff are aroused by the reformation. IEM is now aimed at upgrading itself to a first-class international institute and making new strides towards the great goal.