News

FCE project receives HK$48 million funding in RGC Theme-based Research Scheme 2023/24 for tropical-storm-resilient system

As a densely populated and highly developed coastal city, Hong Kong faces increasingly severe tropical-storm-related hazards due to constant population growth and climate change. Tropical storms like Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 caused the city enormous economic losses. To protect the safety, quality of life, and economic vitality of Hong Kong and other similar coastal cities, there is a need for real-time tropical storm risk warning and urban-resilience assessment systems. Prof. Yi-Qing NI, Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Centre (Hong Kong Branch), and Yim, Mak, Kwok & Chung Professor in Smart Structures, received HK$48.29 million funding from the Research Grants Council (RGC) Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2023/24 (Thirteenth Round) for the project “INTACT: Intelligent Tropical-storm-resilient System for Coastal Cities”. The project team is comprised of experts in urban aerodynamics, climate modelling, wind engineering, fluid mechanics, structural engineering and monitoring from CityU, CUHK, HKU, HKUST, and PolyU. Prof. Ni will lead the team of multi-disciplinary experts to establish a real-time urban typhoon risk early warning and management analysis framework and elucidate and model the underlying causes of tropical storm-generated turbulent flows and urban risks. This will result in the development of a new kind of damage mechanism involving wind pressure-windborne debris-rainwater chain effect that is specific to Hong Kong owing to densely spaced tall building clusters. Furthermore, the project will develop educational programmes and policy recommendations for urban sustainability. In this round of TRS exercise, the RGC received 66 eligible preliminary proposals, 29 proposals were shortlisted for full proposal submissions and 20 of the full proposals were selected for interview. Finally, the RGC supported nine proposals. Prof. Ni’s project is one of the two awarded PolyU-led projects this year. Since the first round of TRS exercise in 2011/12, FCE academics have secured six TRS projects for PolyU, including Prof. Tao WANG of CEE (2017/18), Prof. Jin-Guang TENG/Prof. Tao YU of CEE (2018/19)*, Prof. Asif USMANI of BEEE (2019/20), Prof. Jianlei NIU of BEEE (2021/22), Prof. Xiang-dong LI of CEE (2022/23), and Prof. Yi-Qing NI of CEE (2023/24). * The project was originally led by Prof. Teng. Prof. Yu took over the role of the Project Coordinator in March 2020 after Prof. Teng assumed his duty as the President of PolyU. Prof. Teng now serves as the Advisory Project Coordinator of the project.  

FCE Three-minute Thesis Competition 2023

In response to the University’s inaugural PolyU Three-minute Thesis Competition (3MT®) this year, FCE hosted a faculty-level 3MT® on 14 June 2023 to cultivate the academic, presentation, and research communication skills of our research postgraduate students.  The 3MT® is a competition developed by The University of Queensland, Australia and was first launched in 2008. During the live competition, the participants each had 3 minutes to present their own research to the adjudicating panel and non-specialist audience with the aid of one static PowerPoint slide. Apart from the three winners selected by the adjudicating panel, a People’s Choice Award was also voted by audience ballot. The winners received cash prizes and certificates from Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty, and Prof. Meng NI, Associate Dean of Faculty (Research). The FCE awardees would participate in the PolyU 3MT®, the final winner would have the opportunity to represent PolyU at the Asia-Pacific Competition.  

FCE joins hands with CEDD on research studies for sustainable infrastructure development and land formation

Sharing a common vision to create a safe, green and sustainable environment for the benefit of society, FCE and the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 4 May 2023. The collaboration would couple FCE’s research strengths with CEDD’s experience in construction projects by developing new technologies for application in public works projects to cope with the limitations of existing engineering technologies and reduce construction time. The MoU was signed by Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr Michael FONG, and Dean of Faculty, Prof. Xiang-dong LI, and witnessed by Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Ricky LAU, and President of PolyU, Prof. Jin-Guang TENG. FCE has partnered with CEDD to apply our research results for developing engineering solutions to enhance productivity, project quality and site safety. Examples include the use of high strength grade 690 steel in the building of the Cross Bay Link in Tseung Kwan O and the use of AI techniques to carry out automated identification of landslide trails on aerial photographs for slope safety management. With the MoU in place, the collaboration between FCE and CEDD will be deepened to further promote research in sustainable infrastructure development and land formation.

Outstanding Student Award of FCE 2022

Miss Yi Nam XU, a BSc (Hons) in Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics student of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), has been honoured with the Outstanding Student Award of FCE 2022 for her great character, academic excellence, exceptional attainments in extra-curricular activities, and passion for community service.  Being the awardee at both the department and faculty levels, Miss Xu excels in her academic and non-academic pursuits. She was selected for the Dean’s Honours List in 2019/20 & 2021/22, received a remarkable number of competitive scholarships such as the Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2022, and served summer internships at the Planning Department of the HKSAR and Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong. She is also an active volunteer in various social organisations like The Green Earth and The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.    During her study at FCE, Miss Xu has developed a great interest in geospatial science and environmental conservation. Her overseas research attachment to the University of Wisconsin-Madison also helped her see the potential in remote sensing in environmental monitoring, particularly in forestry, wildfire, and species modelling. Miss Xu plans to further her studies in remote sensing and conservation after graduation and aspires to become a researcher in the abovementioned fields. PolyU's Outstanding Students Award Scheme was established in the academic year 1998/99 to award full-time final-year students who excel in both academic and non-academic pursuits during their studies, the awards offered under this scheme are conferred at departmental, faculty and university levels.

Innovative high strength S690 steel technology wins HKIE Grand Prize

Led by Prof. K. F. CHUNG of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, also Director of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Steel Construction (Hong Kong Branch), a research and development project entitled “Innovative construction technology and application of high strength S690 steel in construction” received the Grand Prize for Innovative Application of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) Grand Award 2023.   The winning project promotes a broad application of high strength S690 steel and its welding technology, enhancing its effective use in construction. It brings significant savings in construction materials, manpower demand, and carbon footprint, promoting sustainable infrastructure development in Hong Kong.  The prize was presented to the project team on 9 March 2023 by Ms Winnie W.Y. HO, Secretary for Housing of the HKSAR, and Ir Aaron K.M. BOK, President of the HKIE.   The HKIE Grand Award is newly established in 2023, and it aims to recognise achievements and contributions of the engineering profession in Hong Kong. It comprises three major categories - Innovation, Industrial, and Infrastructure.

CLOSED Call for Nomination: Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Faculty of Construction and Environment 2023

The Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award aims to give recognition to distinguished graduates of PolyU for great distinction in their chosen fields, active support to their alma mater, as well as impactful contributions to the wider community. Since 2022, achievement categories have been established to celebrate considerable accomplishments of our alumni in specific areas, including professional achievement, entrepreneurial achievement, scholarly achievement, and community service achievement. Recognition is now also given to outstanding young alumni. The Award is organised at Department, Faculty/School and University levels.   Nomination and Selection The Award is organised at three levels, i.e. Department level, Faculty/School level, and University level.   Department Award The nomination and selection of Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Department will be organised by departments. The calls for nomination have started from the end of February 2023. Please refer to the department webpages for details: Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Department of Building and Real Estate Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics   Faculty Award Recipients of Department Awards and graduates who have completed programmes offered at Faculty level are eligible for nomination to the Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Faculty of Construction and Environment. FCE is now calling for nomination for Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Faculty of Construction and Environment 2023. Nomination period is from now to 28 April 2023 (Deadline: 28 April 2023 11:59PM HKT). Please submit the nomination with all the required supplementary documents to lok-lam-anessa.chan@polyu.edu.hk. Nominate a PolyU FCE Alumnus   University Award While Faculties and Schools would be invited to nominate recipients of their Faculty/School awards for the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award, the nomination is also open to all eligible graduates. Detail will be announced in mid-2023. Notes: The bestowal of an award is subject to the individual merits of candidates. No award shall be given out in a certain category if no suitable candidate is identified.   Eligibility The nominated candidate must be a graduate who has successfully completed full-time or part-time programme offered by PolyU (or its forerunners: Hong Kong Government Trade School, Hong Kong Technical College, Hong Kong Polytechnic) which led to academic award accredited by the respective Institution. The proposer can be PolyU graduate, Honorary Graduate, University Fellow, PolyU staff, current PolyU Council and Court member and current Advisory Committee member. There is no limit to the number of nominations to be submitted by each proposer. However, the proposer cannot be the candidate himself/herself.   Award Categories and Selection Criteria In addition to honouring distinguished graduates for their distinction in specific areas, the Award recognises the alumni's active support to their alma mater. Support and Contribution to PolyU is one of the key nomination and selection criteria at all levels. Four specific areas of achievement would be given recognition. They include Professional Achievement, Entrepreneurial Achievement, Scholarly Achievement, and Community Service Achievement. Award Category Description Professional Achievement This category recognises alumni who have attained distinguished achievements, demonstrated exemplary leadership and made a strong impact on their profession/industry/society. Entrepreneurial Achievement This category recognises alumni who have demonstrated outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as founded or advanced business or technology ventures with impact. Scholarly Achievement This category recognises alumni scholars who have made notable scholarly or research contributions in their disciplines, with proven track record and excellent reputation in the field. Community Service Achievement This category recognises alumni who have made impactful contributions to the communities, or demonstrated an extraordinary level of commitment, volunteerism and/or philanthropy for promoting the wellbeing of the communities. Special recognition to outstanding young alumni awardees is added. Candidates aged 40 or under at the award year can be considered for the Outstanding PolyU Young Alumni award.   Selection Committee Selection Committee, comprising both internal and external members, will be formed at respective levels to examine the nominations and assess candidates' qualifications and performance for the awards.   Enquiry Ms Anessa Chan Faculty of Construction and Environment Email: lok-lam-anessa.chan@polyu.edu.hk Tel: 2766 5029    

FCE receives donation from Ir Tack-kong TSUI for academic and student development

As we step into the new year, FCE is thrilled to receive a generous donation from alumnus Ir Tack-kong TSUI to support the FCE Fund and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). To express gratitude for Ir Tsui’s support, an appreciation gathering was held on 20 January 2023 to officially receive the donation cheque and to present a token of appreciation to Ir Tsui. Prof. Charles WONG, Acting Dean of Faculty, received the cheque on behalf of FCE. The ceremony was attended by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President; Dr Miranda LOU, PolyU Executive Vice President; Prof. Chi-sun POON, Head of CEE; and Dr Andy LEUNG, Associate Head (Partnership) of CEE. A laboratory tour was arranged for Ir Tsui and other guests to demonstrate the facilities and latest research undertakings of FCE’s departments. Ir Tsui pledged his donation to FCE upon Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty’s call for alumni support at the FCE Alumni Reunion Day held in August 2022. His act of generosity has hugely encouraged FCE to continue strengthening the bonds between the Faculty and the alumni community. Follow this link to give your support too!  

Chinese New Year Greetings from Dean of Faculty

Dear Colleagues, Students, and Friends of FCE I wish you a prosperous and blissful Chinese New Year! May the Year of the Rabbit bring you good health and good luck!   Hard work and dedication in the past year have yielded success, the start of 2023 has brought us quite some encouraging news about our academic members’ research endeavours. We have also launched some new initiatives to bring the FCE community closer together. I am delighted to share our good news and happiness with you at this time of reunion. Xiang-dong LI Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment  

The President's Awards and Faculty Awards 2022

The distinguished accomplishments and contributions of staff members at PolyU are recognised through two tiers of awards, namely the President’s Awards and the Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement. The accolades, categorised into individual and team awards, are presented in the areas of Teaching, Research and Scholarly Activities, Knowledge Transfer, and Services. This year, two FCE academics were bestowed the President’s Awards and four individuals/groups were awarded the FCE Faculty Awards in four categories.

28th Congregation of FCE

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2022! On 15 and 16 November 2022, FCE conducted its 28th Congregation at the Jockey Club Auditorium in hybrid mode. More than 1,600 graduates from the four departments were conferred degrees and awards in five sessions. Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty, presided over the ceremony and encouraged graduates to take on challenges and build their dreams on top of the foundation they laid at FCE. To enhance the overall ceremonial experience and graduates’ sense of involvement, graduates’ photos with virtual gowns were shown on the LED wall on stage during their conferment while graduates who could not attend the Congregation in person were presented virtually. Live broadcasting was arranged for this year’s Congregation via online platforms, such as YouTube and Tencent, to allow graduates and families to witness the ceremony online from all over the world. The four departments also each invited a guest of honour from related government departments to share with the graduating class their visions for the future of Hong Kong’s construction, environment and development fields, as well as invaluable life lessons. b2{font-family: Arial, Gotham, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "sans-serif"; font-size:12px; text-align: left; line-height: 130%; font-weight: 400; color: #5B5B5B;font-style: italic} table { border-spacing:0; border-collapse:collapse; margin:0 auto; border:0; padding:0 } table td{vertical-align: top;padding: 0;margin:0} table.info{ color: #5B5B5B; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial, Gotham, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "sans-serif"; font-size:14px; text-align:left; line-height: 130%; border-collapse:collapse; } .info td{ border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; padding:5px; } table.event{ color: #5B5B5B; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial, Gotham, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "sans-serif"; font-size:14px; line-height: 130%; font-weight: 400; color: #5B5B5B; border-collapse:collapse; } table.eventcontent{ color: #5B5B5B; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial, Gotham, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "sans-serif"; font-size:14px; line-height: 130%; font-weight: 400; color: #5B5B5B; border-collapse:collapse; } .eventcontent td{ border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; padding-bottom: 3px;padding-left: 0px;padding-right: 3px;padding-top: 3px; } Departmental session Guest of Honour Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Mr Andy YEUNG Director of Fire Services, Fire Services Department, HKSAR Government Department of Building and Real Estate Ms Clarice YU Director of Buildings, Buildings Department, HKSAR Government Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Mr Michael FONG Director of Civil Engineering & Development also Commissioner of Mines, Civil Engineering and Development Department, HKSAR Government Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Mr Kelvin LO Director of Water Supplies, Water Supplies Department, HKSAR Government