The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) leads global innovation in structural health monitoring to strengthen infrastructure safety. Prof. XIA Yong, Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Associate Dean of Graduate School, and Director of Joint Research Centre of Marine Infrastructure, has been named the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Person of the Year, making him the third PolyU scholar to receive this esteemed award over the years.
The SHM Person of the Year Award recognises individuals worldwide who have made outstanding contributions to structural health monitoring for the benefit of society. It honours excellence in theory, analysis, applications, education, or other advancements within the field, with a focus on achievements in recent years. PolyU is the only university in Hong Kong to receive this prestigious honour and shares the global lead for the highest number of recipients since the award was established more than twenty years ago.
Prof. XIA is honoured for his transformative contributions to structural health monitoring. His pioneering research includes the development of vibration-based damage detection methods, numerical and analytical solutions for bridge responses under thermal loads, and substructuring techniques for monitoring large-scale structures. These advancements have shaped design standards and textbooks, making a global impact on education and engineering.
His research has been applied to major local and national projects, including the Tsing Ma Bridge, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Canton Tower and the Shanghai Tower, as well as internationally to the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan and the Humber Bridge in the UK. As a leader in the field, he has established several research centres, such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Marine Infrastructure, demonstrating his commitment to collaboration and innovation.
Moreover, he has developed unique educational systems, such as the Benchmark Problem for SHM of High-rise Structures and the real-time PolyU Footbridge Digital Twin System, significantly advancing global SHM practices.
For more of Prof. XIA’s achievements:
PolyU scholar awarded ASCE Greater China Distinguished Leadership Medal 2025
Machine learning methods for structural health diagnosis and operation maintenance of bridges
Digital Twin-based Long-span Bridge Health Monitoring
PolyU Joint Research Research Centre for Marine Infrastructure
Sponsored by SAGE Publishing, a leading international academic and professional publisher, the award is selected by the editorial board of the Structural Health Monitoring journal and presented annually at the International Workshop on SHM in Stanford, California, USA.
Learn more:
Professor Xia Yong named SHM Person of the Year, solidifying PolyU’s leadership in structural health monitoring (Pulse@PolyU)
