News

CEE Members Received “Young Scientists Fund” from the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Congratulations to six exceptional CEE members who have been awarded the “Young Scientists Fund” from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Each awarded project will be granted funding of RMB 300,000 to support basic research work for three years. NSFC aims to support basic research and stimulate free exploration, identify and foster scientific talents. The fund supports young researchers to freely choose their research topics within the funding scope of the NSFC to conduct basic research, fosters the ability of young scientists to independently undertake research projects and do creative research, stimulates the creative thinking of young scientists, and trains upcoming talents for basic research. CEE researchers are dedicated to conducting innovative research in interdisciplinary fields. This achievement not only demonstrates their competence, but also reflected their unwavering commitment to research excellence. Once again, kudos to all talented CEE researchers. We look forward to their groundbreaking research, bringing positive impact and fostering a better future for the living environment. Awardees Supervisor Project Title (Funding Scheme) Funding Amount (RMB) Dr Mengmeng Wu (Research Assistant Professor) Prof. Zhen-Yu Yin 深度学习辅助的钙质砂剪切渗流耦合力学特性与细颗粒迁移相互作用机理研究 (Young Scientists Fund) 300,000 Dr Hongxing Jiang (Postdoctoral Fellow) Prof. Hai Guo 生物质燃烧源硝基芳香化合物的排放特征、生成机制和大气老化的研究 (Young Scientists Fund) 300,000 Dr Chunlan Fan (Postdoctoral Fellow) Dr Ling Jin 城市大气病原真菌的表型-基因型耐药特征及其主要来源探究 (Young Scientists Fund) 300,000 Dr Xiaoqing Liu (Postdoctoral Fellow) Dr Yi Jiang 单原子Bi调控的光催化强化PFAS污染物脱氟及其增效机制研究 (Young Scientists Fund) 300,000 Dr Tong Zhou (Postdoctoral Fellow) Dr You Dong 近断层强震作用下长期服役混凝土桥梁整体可靠度研究 (Young Scientists Fund) 300,000 Dr Juncai Liu (Postdoctoral Fellow) Dr You Dong 序列型地震下输电塔-线体系灾变演化机理与韧性优化策略研究 (Young Scientists Fund) 300,000  

Prof. Chi Sun Poon Being Invited to Speak on RTHK Radio Programme

Prof. Chi Sun Poon, Head of CEE, was recently invited by RTHK and featured in a radio programme “Infinite Future” on 20 July 2024 (Saturday). Waste management is an acute problem in Hong Kong for years and Prof. Poon has been leading his team in researching waste recycling solutions and green building materials for over 20 years. He pioneered the development of “Eco-Blocks” by utilizing the construction waste, demolition waste and recycled glass and transforming them into low-carbon construction materials. Evolving to the fifth generation, the eco-blocks have been applied to various development projects in Hong Kong which reduces carbon emission and maintains sustainability in the community.  Looking ahead, Prof. Poon hopes to work with the younger generation to further develop low-carbon concrete materials to be used as structural materials in construction and to create a greener future for Hong Kong and the wider community. Interview of Prof. Poon and his vision on green building materials can be found at RTHK webpage (Cantonese only):  https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio1/programme/infinitefuture

CEE Departmental Retreat 2024

With the enthusiastic participation of around 50 staff members, CEE Departmental Retreat was held successfully on 27-28 August 2024. The retreat commenced with a warm welcome by Prof. Chi Sun Poon, Head of CEE, who greeted the newly joined colleagues and provided updates on the Department's performance. This was followed by the informative presentations by Prof. Songye Zhu, Associate Head (Research), Dr Andy Leung, Associate Head (Partnership), Prof. Anthony Chen, Associate Head (Teaching) and Dr Barbara Siu (DLTC Chairperson). Prof. Ben Young (Vice President (Student and Global Affairs)) and Prof. Xiangdong Li (Faculty Dean) graced part of the retreat with their presence and shared motivating insights.  Throughout the retreat, a diverse range of topics were discussed, including DoKPI performances, updated PhD admission, new research directions, employer engagement & collaborations, strategic marketing initiatives, updates on teaching approach, and effective academic advising. These interactive dialogues produced valuable results, establishing a solid foundation for the Department's strategic direction in the upcoming year.  On the other hand, an impressive team-building session was organized on Day 2 afternoon. Every staff member committed to building the "Formula-One" together, fostering a spirit of collaboration and innovation. They were divided into groups, each tasked with designing and constructing a model car, culminated in an exciting race to test their creations. This engaging exercise highlighted our joint commitment to high standards and our teamwork in achieving common goals, as well as our focus on balancing work and personal life.

CEE PhD Students Win Best Presentation Award at ISERCI 2024

Congratulations to Miss Yi-Fei WANG and Yan-Ran MENG, under the supervision of Prof. Tao YU, on receiving the “Best Presentation Award” and “Runner-up Award for Best Presentation” at the 5th International Symposium for Emerging Researchers in Composites for Infrastructure (ISERCI 2024).  The symposium was held from 20 to 22 August 2024 at the Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China. The award-winning presentations were titled “Axial compressive behaviour of reinforced concrete columns confined with novel thermoplastic-based GFRP ties”, presented by Miss Yi-Fei WANG, and “Macro fibres derived from GFRP composites: development and Performance” presented by Miss Yan-Ran MENG.   Congratulations once again to our talented PhD students for their remarkable achievements!

Mini Concrete Canoe Competition 2024

We are proud to announce the successful conclusion of CEE Mini Concrete Canoe Competition - “New Methods and Materials in Smart Construction” conducted during 2 - 23 August 2024. 13 teams of enthusiastic secondary school students embarked on an exciting journey of civil engineering and creativity.   Co-organizing with Industrial Centre (IC) of PolyU, the competition was kicked off with insightful lectures on the science of concrete materials and hydraulics. Students then immersed themselves in hands-on workshops conducted by IC, mastering the art of 3D printing and designing their unique canoe moulds.  The Concrete Technology Laboratory provided a practical learning experience, where students experienced the fascinating process of concrete mixing, casting, and curing. The grand finale, held in the Hydraulics Laboratory, saw each team's canoe put to test for buoyancy and stability.   Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School secured the top spot in the competition, with their impressive canoe design loading a remarkable weight of 850g! Ho Fung College (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen) and Wesley College secured the 1st and 2nd Runner-up positions respectively. Beyond the winning teams, the competition fostered a spirit of collaboration, innovation, and dedication amongst all participants. CEE Mini Concrete Canoe Competition continues to be a remarkable platform for secondary students to gain invaluable experience in civil engineering, design, and teamwork while experiencing the excitement of bringing their creative visions to life.   Kudos to all the participating teams for their hard work and ingenuity, and we look forward to engaging and nurturing more young minds in future departmental competitions.

FCE Awards for Outstanding PhD Theses 2023/24

Congratulations to two CEE PhD students, Dr Gu Yu, supervised by Prof. Anthony Chen, and Dr Jiang Yi, supervised by Prof. Chi Sun Poon, for receiving the FCE Awards for Outstanding PhD Theses 2023/24. The awardees were chosen for the significance and innovation of their research, presentation skills and responses to questions from the Working Group of the Faculty Research Committee, as well as their academic performance and publication track records. This award acknowledges Dr Gu and Dr Jiang’s hard work and dedication, and serves as a testament to their high caliber of research. We look forward to their continued growth in research advancement and contribution to the society.

Dr Tony Sze Being Interviewed by Hong Kong Economic Times

Dr Tony Sze, Associate Professor of CEE, was interviewed by the Hong Kong Economic Times (HKET) 經濟日報 for his insights on the introduction of self-driving vehicles. With the promising technological progress, the Hong Kong Government is testing out eight autonomous vehicles under a HK$127 million initiative to advance driverless technologies. Dr Sze’s perception on the challenges of self-driving vehicles in Hong Kong was publicized on the Executive Page of HKET on 19 August 2024 (Monday). The electronic copy of the news can be found in below link: https://polyu.hk/xsGrd

CEE China (Nanjing & Suzhou) Study Tour 2024

The CEE China (Nanjing & Suzhou) Study Tour, took place from 24 to 30 July 2024, was an incredible expedition that offered our students a multitude of enriching experiences in civil engineering, geological engineering and Chinese culture. During the tour, our students had the privilege of visiting Nanjing University and connecting with fellow students. They engaged in mixer events, where they shared the knowledge in civil & geological engineering in both Hong Kong and China.  In addition, our students were granted a valuable opportunity to visit the research centre of Nanjing University and the Suzhou NanZee Sensing Technology Co. Ltd., which are well-known for developing and deploying new construction instrumentation techniques across many cities in China and different parts of the world. Our students were also invited to visit a deep excavation construction site in Suzhou, where advanced optical fibre sensing techniques were applied to monitor the retaining wall performance and safeguard the nearby facilities during the construction.

CEE Departmental Visit – Tongji University (7 Aug)

CEE has long been maintaining strong alliances and partnerships with different renowned institutions to foster knowledge exchange and international collaboration. CEE welcomed 15 students from 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐢 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 for a departmental visit focused on “𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧” on 7 August 2024 (Wednesday). The students, eager to explore cutting-edge research in the field, were given a comprehensive overview of the department's capabilities and ongoing projects.  𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐲𝐞 𝐙𝐡𝐮, Professor of CEE, and 𝐃𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐮𝐧, Associate Professor of CEE, presented an introduction of CEE, highlighting the achievements and groundbreaking research endeavors. 𝐃𝐫 𝐘𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢, CEE Postdoctoral Fellow supervised by Prof. Yong Xia, introduced the structural health monitoring system which is applied to the footbridge at PolyU. 𝐃𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐪𝐢 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐠 and 𝐃𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐨, Research Assistant Professors of CEE, showcased the innovative technologies in 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 (𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡) (𝐂𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐂-𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐥)where the practical applications of “Smart Construction” including MIC structures and railway systems were demonstrated. The group also visited the 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, where students gained insights on the testing of high strength steel components. The group enjoyed the visit and gained deeper understanding into the future of 'Smart Construction' and its potential to revolutionize the built environment. CEE looks forward to hosting more departmental visit in the future and creating valuable exchange opportunities.   

Dr An Wang’s Article Being Published on Nature Cities

Congratulations to 𝐃𝐫 𝐀𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐠, Assistant Professor of CEE, whose paper titled “𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐱, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤” has been published on 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 and reported by 𝘔𝘐𝘛 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘴.  𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 is a newly launched online journal in 2024 from 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘰 publishing leading research, commentary and analysis in urban research. Nature Cities aims to deepen and integrate basic and applied understanding of the character and dynamics of cities by featuring cutting-edge research that advance knowledge and address some of the greatest challenges that the society is facing today.  For original article, please refer to:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-024-00093-x?utm_source=rct_congratemailt&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nonoa_20240729&utm_content=10.1038/s44284-024-00093-x MIT News: https://news.mit.edu/2024/study-tracks-air-pollution-exposure-through-day-0729 Project Visualization: https://senseable.mit.edu/breathing-disparity/