Department of Disaster Mitigation for Structures (DDMS)  was renamed in November 2018 by Research Institute of Structural Engineering and Disaster Reduction. The former Research Institute of Structural Engineering and Disaster Reduction was united by Shanghai Research Institute of Engineering Structures and Research Institute of Structural Theories at Tongji University in October 1999, the former of which was the earliest established research institution in civil engineering in Shanghai founded in 1958 and the latter was established by Prof. Guohao Li ( the former president of Tongji University) founded in 1963 and was officially approved in 1964. Now, DDMS along with other departments, is affiliated to College of Civil Engineering at Tongji University. DDMS includes Division of Earthquake Resistance of Structures, Division of Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Structures, Division of Smart and Sustainable Structures, Division of Fire Resistance of Structures, Division of Ground Motion and Structural Vibration Mitigation, Division of Vibration and Control of Structures Division of Impact and Blast Resistance Structures, Structural Laboratory and Administration Office. In 2007, Research Center of Building Moving Technology of Tongji University was established. In 2010, collaborated with industry, Tongji Research Center for New Technology of Earthquake Resistance and Mitigation was founded and the administration office was set in DDMS. In 2011, approved by Shanghai Government, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Earthquake Energy Dissipation was jointly founded by DDMS and Shanghai Research Institute of Material Science. The International Joint Research Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering (ILEE) was established with seven world renowned earthquake engineering research centers, in July 2015, which was identified and approved by the Ministry of Education in December 2015 and April 2019, respectively. ILEE was also approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology as one of the National International Science and Technology cooperation Bases in December 2016.

DDMS always pays attention to the international communication and cooperation with foreign countries and overseas regions. In the research and application of new technology of building structures, DDMS has built long-term cooperative relationships with over ten prestigious universities and institutes, such as University of California at Berkeley, University of British Columbia, Tokyo University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and European Union. Since 2007, every year DDMS hosts serial professional conferences, such as International Conference on Advances in Experimental Structural Engineering (AESE) and Kwang-Hua Forum. DDMS is also actively pushing the overseas education plan for the 'Cultivation of Elites'. Cultivation of graduate students between DDMS and Department of Civil Engineering, Taiwan Fe Chia University, has been performed on Major of Structural Engineering, Major of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Engineering. Generally, DDMS has formed a characteristic, multi-dimensional, and high-level international cooperation and education system.

Although named as research institute, DDMS is also serving for the teaching. DDMS started to recruit and cultivate graduate students since 1978. The majors include Structural Engineering, Disaster Prevention and Reduction Engineering and Wind Engineering. Lots of doctoral and graduate students have graduated from DDMS and are playing important roles in the field of civil engineering at home and abroad. To meet the national and social requirements, the new major named ‘Engineering Disaster Prevention and Risk Assessment’ for undergraduate students was inaugurated by DDMS in 2006. DDMS accumulates rich experiences in teaching and fostering doctoral graduate and undergraduate students, also has scored great successes.

Structural Laboratory under DDMS is one of the important components of State Key Laboratory of Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering and is composed of Vibration Table Division, Structural Static Testing Division, Teaching Testing Division, and Jiading Structural Static Testing Division. The laboratory area of the center reaches to 4500m2, with reaction walls (8mx8m; 8mx20m: 15mx30m) and strong floors. The testing facilities with permanent assets of RMB 50 million are 6 DOF shaking table testing system, multi-functional hydro-server pseudo-dynamic testing system, performance testing facilities for dampers, and various high performance testing machine system. The Center is also equipped with many kinds of sensors, DASs, etc. Structural Experimental Center of DDMS is well equipped to undertake experimental projects in civil engineering.

DDMS has 59 faculties and staffs. There are 22 professors (including 1 foreign professor), 12 associate professors, 3 senior engineers, 8 lecturer engineers, and 14 technicians and administrative assistants. In the past years, DDMS insisted on the engineering application-oriented, experiment-based and theory-supported research route. DDMS has completed a lot of NSFC key projects and Shanghai Municipal key projects, and achieved many outstanding fruits. DDMS has published more than 1000 papers, gained 44 official awards, registered 26 computer software copyrights, patented 40 invention devices and 32 applicable devices. DDMS undertakes over 280 researches and consulting projects every year and makes great contribution to the momentous building construction of China.