News

RCRE Director and Sixteen Members Ranked World’s Top 2% Scientists Released by Stanford University (2023)

RCRE Director and 16 members have been listed among world’s top 2% scientists 2023 released by Stanford University, with 3 of them ranked among the top 100 of their respective fields. To highlight a remarkable achievement, Ir Prof. Chi-sun Poon, Director of RCRE, ranked 3rd in the world in the field of Building & Construction.   The report was prepared by a team of experts led by Prof. John Ioannidis of Stanford University. According to the team, the publicly available database provides standardized information on citations, h-index, co-authorship adjusted hm-index, citations to papers in different authorship positions and a composite indicator (c-score).   Congratulations to our top-notch researchers! This internationally recognized list reflects RCRE’s commitment in research excellence and the endeavour to conduct ground-breaking research.

RCRE showcased at the InnoCarnival 2023

RCRE showcased the advanced technologies, including production of low-carbon concrete materials, novel CO2-activated construction processes, sustainable 3D concrete printing technology and applications, in the InnoCarnival 2023 from 28 October to 5 November 2023 at Hong Kong Science Park. These inventions aim to effectively manage both greenhouse gas emissions and solid wastes.  Dr Shipeng Zhang, Member of RCRE, joined the InnoCarnival on 28 October 2023 and presented the novel green materials and technologies for carbon-neutral construction to the VIP delegation.   

RCRE-led Green Building Material Technologies to be showcased at InnoCarnival 2023

Two advanced technologies from RCRE including the eco-cements synthesised from recycled solid wastes, and the eco-friendly radiative cooling coating UmiCoolTM, will be showcased at the InnoCarnival 2023 to be held from 28 October to 5 November 2023 at Hong Kong Science Park. The eco-cements developed by Ir Prof. Chi-sun Poon, RCRE Director, and his team, are produced from solid wastes including waste concrete, waste incineration ash, and waste glass. These eco-cements can capture, mineralise and store the carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere, while enhancing the hydrophobic performance of concrete, hence greatly reducing the risk of flooding in extreme weather. The cooling coating UmiCoolTM  developed by Prof. Jianguo Dai, RCRE Member, and his team, uses the principle of radiative cooling to cool the surface and interior of buildings or infrastructure under direct sunlight during the day. It can reduce the surface temperature by up to 6°C as compared to the ambient temperature without consuming any electricity.   Online coverage (Chinese only): Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/3tuzdDs Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3FjcKvW

RCRE hosted a Lab Tour for Shiseido HK

Two representatives from Shiseido HK met Ir Prof. Chi-sun Poon, Director of RCRE, and visited the RCRE laboratory on 12 Oct 2023. The potential collaboration has been discussed during the visit for recycling of glass containers from Shiseido to low-carbon construction materials.

Swedish Consul General Visited RCRE Lab

Swedish Consul General visited the RCRE laboratory on 3 Oct 2023. During the lab visit, Prof. Poon introduced some low-carbon construction materials such as foam glass-based lightweight concrete, superhydrophobic lightweight foam concrete, sustainable permeable concrete for urban drainage, and the 3D concrete printing products, etc.  

PolyU RCRE Seminar: Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) of Biomass and Biowastes for Biocrude Production, Reaction Kinetics, Process Scale-up and Future Perspectives

Prof. Charles Chunbao Xu of City University of Hong Kong delivered a seminar with the topic of “Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) of Biomass and Biowastes for Biocrude Production, Reaction Kinetics, Process Scale-up and Future Perspectives” on 18 September 2023. The seminar was co-organized with CEE of PolyU.

ReThink HK: Sustainable Business Forum & Solutions Expo

RCRE participated in the ReThink HK: Sustainable Business Forum & Solutions Expo to showcase the innovative technologies on sustainable low-carbon construction materials. This event was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) on 14-15 September 2023.

RCRE Visit for Environment and Ecology Bureau

A group of 4 members including the Acting Commissioner for Climate Change, Mr. Wong Chuen Fai, JP, from Environment and Ecology Bureau visited RCRE laboratory on 11 September 2023.   During the lab tour, Prof. Poon introduced the foam glass-based lightweight concrete, the superhydrophobic lightweight foam concrete, the sustainable permeable concrete for urban drainage and the process of turning concrete waste into low carbon products by carbonation, etc.

PolyU RCRE Seminar: Spray-based 3D Concrete Printing: Material, Process, and its Potential

Dr Bing Lu of Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, Nanyang Technological University delivered a seminar with the topic of “Spray-based 3D Concrete Printing: Material, Process, and its Potential” on 7 September 2023. The seminar was co-organized with CEE of PolyU and PolyU-NAMI 3D Concrete Robotic Printing Research Centre. 

PolyU RCRE Seminar: From Clays to Cement and Charcoal … Bridging Time and Length Scales in the Modeling of Complex Porous Materials

Prof. Roland Pellenq of Institut Européen des Membranes, CNRS-Université de Montpellier delivered a seminar with the topic of “From clays to cement and charcoal … bridging time and length scales in the modeling of complex porous materials” on 7 September 2023. The seminar was co-organized with CEE of PolyU.