News

CEE Christmas Lunch for Research Personnel

It was a fantastic festive gathering filled with joy, laughter, and the spirit of togetherness with over 300 research personnel during lunchtime on 21 December 2023. The ice-breaking game was a hit, with 30 lucky participants winning the table prizes. It was amazing to witness the excitement and friendly atmosphere among everyone. The festive energy was truly spreadable. At the same time, as part of our CEE/CSE 50th Anniversary celebrations, 10 exclusive CEE/CSE 50th Anniversary Souvenir Bags were distributed. These special mementos symbolized our gratitude for the remarkable journey we have undertaken together.  The lucky draw added an extra element of excitement during the buffet lunch, with 10 lucky winners walking away with fantastic prizes. Their joy and surprise were spreadable, spreading smiles throughout the room. It was a wonderful way to add an element of surprise to the festivities. The event concluded on a harmonious note as we joined hands with Prof. Poon and sang heartwarming Christmas songs together. The voices resonated with joy and unity, creating a magical atmosphere that filled our hearts with warmth and holiday spirit. Wishing you a Happy New Year and a joyful holiday season filled with love, happiness, and success!  

WASCON2023 – Hong Kong

It was our great honour and pleasure to organize the 11th International Conference on the Environmental and Technical Implications of Construction with Alternative Materials, co-organized by the International Society for the Environmental and Technical Implications of Construction with Alternative Materials (ISCOWA), the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) of PolyU.  The theme of this conference was “Innovative Valorization of Alternative Materials and Waste towards Circular Construction”, which aimed to address the key challenges and explore emerging technologies and innovative methods in utilization of alternative materials and wastes in construction. The WASCON2023 conference included thought-provoking keynote sessions, paralleled oral presentations and poster sessions, bringing over 300 participants together, including keynote speakers, scholars, researchers, and practitioners around the world to exchange knowledge and insights in the field. We were honoured to have Prof. Christopher Cheeseman from Imperial College London, Mr Simo Hakkarainen from Peikko Group Corporation, Prof. Baoshan Huang from University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Dr Harn-wei Kua from National University of Singapore, Prof. Zhichao Liu from Wuhan University of Technology, Prof. Chi Sun Poon from PolyU, Dr Hirofumi Sakanakura from National Institute for Environmental Studies, Prof. Julia Stegemann from University College London, and Prof. Dongmin Wang from China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing) to be keynote speakers and share their valuable insights. Their contributions have enriched our knowledge in turning wastes into recycled materials in construction. To enhance the overall experience, three technical visits were organized. We visited Y·PARK, WEEE·PARK, T·PARK and CICiHub. The Y·PARK, WEEE·PARK and T·PARK are located in Tuen Mun whereas CICiHub is located in Kowloon Bay. The participants have learnt about the process of recycling of yard waste into useful materials at Y·PARK, recovering useful materials from the electrical and electronic appliances through various physical processes at WEEE·PARK, burning sludge and using the excess heat energy to generate electricity for the entire plant’s operation and the public power grid at T·PARK, the knowledge of construction innovation at CICiHub. They have also learnt how to reduce the wastes and environmental pollution. The participants found the tours were an eye-opening and fruitful exploration. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all speakers, Organizing Committee members and participants who made this conference a resounding success. Your passion and dedication are very much appreciated. Our sincere gratitude also goes to our financial sponsors, Sanfield (Management) Limited, Beijing Limecho Technology Co., Ltd., Fortum, Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI) and Score Tech Mortars Co., Ltd. for their generous supports. Together, we can shape the future of our field! Stay connected with us for updates on future events.

PolyU CEE Webinar Series: Conserving Biodiversity through Eco-friendly Infrastructure Design and Operation

Prof. Yuhong Wang delivered a seminar with the topic of “Conserving Biodiversity through Eco-friendly Infrastructure Design and Operation” on 13 December 2023. It was co-organized with HKIE Civil Division. Click the link below to view the full version of the webinar: https://youtu.be/sarYZbnmq74  

PolyU CEE Webinar Series: A research, teaching and education-integrated bridge health monitoring platform

Prof. Yong Xia delivered a seminar with the topic of “A research, teaching and education-integrated bridge health monitoring platform” on 29 November 2023. It was co-organized with HKIE Civil Division. Click the link below to view the full version of the webinar: https://youtu.be/hSD21W01UVs  

CEE/CSE 50th Anniversary – The International Symposium on Innovations in Geotechnical Engineering towards Sustainability

The International Symposium on Innovations in Geotechnical Engineering towards Sustainability (IGES 2023) was successfully held on 1 – 2 December 2023. This symposium is a commemorative event for the 50th Anniversary of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), and had been honorarily chaired by Prof. Jian-Hua Yin, Chair Professor of CEE and co-chaired by Prof. Zhen-Yu Yin, Dr Andy Y.F. Leung, Dr Chao Zhou, and Dr Qi Zhao from CEE. Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, Prof. Xiangdong Li, Dean of FCE, and Prof. Chi Sun Poon, Head of CEE, expressed warm welcome to all participants during the opening ceremony at the Jockey Club Auditorium, PolyU. The symposium attracted around 400 participants, with 15 keynote speakers, 51 invited speakers and 198 young researchers from around the world. This symposium served as a bridge to connect various research communities and provided excellent opportunity for global professionals to share knowledge and exchange ideas. The Organizing Committee would like to thank the participants from all over the world, who made the event a resounding success. The support by FCE, CEE, and the volunteer groups are also gratefully acknowledged.  

CEE Departmental Visit - Buddhist Sin Tak College (6 Dec)

A group of 17 students from Buddhist Sin Tak College visited CEE on 6 December 2023 (Wednesday). Dr Jacqueline Lo, Assistant Professor of CEE, introduced the admission information of BEng (Hons) Scheme in Civil Engineering and Sustainable Development and the recent developments of the civil engineering industry to the group.  The students also had the opportunity to visit our Structural Engineering Research Laboratory and Geology Laboratory, the latest technology and laboratory equipment were demonstrated to them. The students found the visit fruitful and interesting.

CEE Departmental Visit - Yu Chun Keung Memorial College (5 Dec)

15 students from Yu Chun Keung Memorial College visited CEE department on 5 December 2023 (Tue). The admission information of BEng (Hons) Scheme in Civil Engineering and Sustainable Development together with the latest development and opportunity of civil engineering industry were delivered to students. The students also had the chance to visit our Noise and Safety Laboratory and Water and Waste Laboratory. The laboratory equipment and the cutting-edge research were demonstrated to them. All the students enjoy the experience and found the visit fruitful and interesting.

Prof. Yong Xia Secures HK$14.9 Million from Smart Traffic Fund 2023

Congratulations to Prof. Yong Xia, whose project titled “Digital Twin-based Long-span Bridge Health Monitoring” has been awarded $14.9 million funding by Smart Traffic Fund 2023.  The project aims to develop a digital twin-based long-span bridge health monitoring platform by using the Tsing Ma Bridge as the testbed. Automatic traffic monitoring system, realistic bridge fatigue damage assessment and prediction system, vehicle-barrier collision monitoring system and vehicle safety assessment system in high winds will be developed in the project. Sensors on the bridges, cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, finite element analysis, and Bridge Information Modelling (BIM) will be also integrated into the monitoring platform. The Transport Department announced the funding results of the Smart Traffic Fund 2023 on 22 November 2023 with five projects being approved with a total grant of around $49.7 million. The Fund aims to provide funding support to local organizations and enterprises for conducting research and application of innovation and technology with the objectives of enhancing commuting convenience, enhancing efficiency of the road network or road space, and improving driving safety.  

Visit to Sichuan University for the Ten Thousand People’s Scheme

Collaborating with the State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering of Sichuan University, CEE arranged a 7-day academic research exchange program for students under Ten Thousand People’s Scheme on 17 – 20 November 2023. Dr Huan-Feng Duan, Dr Alessandro Stocchino and Dr Jing-Hua Wang led a group of twenty-three students to participate in the cross-cultural academic activities and to connect with the experts in Hydraulic Engineering for knowledge exchange. The scheme allows staff and students from both universities to explore the latest research on prevention of flash flood disasters, river sediment transport and riverbed evolution in Hong Kong and Sichuan. The current status, existing problems and future development of rainstorm meteorological disaster were also discussed. Apart from academic exchange programmes, the team also had a chance to visit Dujiangyan Irrigation System in Dujiangyan City, Chengdu, which consists of the headwork and the dense irrigation canals. The Ten Thousand People's Scheme provides experiential learning opportunities for students. Through joining seminars, research projects and visits, students had a variety of exposures in the latest technologies and developments. CEE will explore more collaboration opportunities with different institutions to promote academic exchanges and to offer students with more experiential learning chances.

Prof. Kwok-Fai Chung Received Medal of Honour (2023) from Hong Kong SAR Government

Prof. Kwok-Fai Chung, Director of CNERC, received a Medal of Honour as presented by Mr John Lee, Chief Executive of the Government of Hong Kong SAR on 25 November 2023 at the Government House for his exemplary contribution to engineering in Hong Kong.   Since its establishment in 2015, CNERC achieved the following through a successful completion of an extensive programme on research and technology transfer under the leadership of Prof. Chung : An innovative construction technology using high-strength S690 steel with proven structural adequacy and improved structural economy for construction; Development of effective welding on sections of high-strength S690 steel through the use of a robotic welding system which ensures little or virtually no reduction in mechanical properties of 10 to 70 mm thick steel plates after welding; Rationalized methods for structural design of welded sections, connections and joints of high-strength S690 steel which are in line with current engineering practice in Hong Kong; and Innovative applications of the high-strength S690 steel in building and civil engineering projects.   The innovation enables a modern construction technology using the high-strength S690 steel to achieve significant savings in construction materials and time, manpower demand, and carbon footprints. Typical applications include long-span foot bridges and roof structures, highways noise closure, steel piles supporting heavily loaded structures, and supporting members in road bridges.   We extend our warmest congratulations to Prof. Chung on receiving the Medal of Honour and we look forward to seeing more groundbreaking achievements from him in the future.