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New Joiner - Dr Yancheng CAI

Dr Yancheng CAI Research Assistant Professor Ir Dr Yancheng CAI obtained his PhD degree in structural engineering from The University of Hong Kong. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the ICE, HKIE and ASCE. His main research areas include steel structures and composite structures, structural stability, connections and joints, and fire resistance.

Young CEE Alumni Award

To recognize young alumni for their accomplishments and service to the engineering profession and the community, the Young CEE Alumni Award is jointly established by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association (CEEAA). The Young CEE Alumni Awardees 2020 are:   Dr. Lalit Borana Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology- Indore, India   Lalit received his PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from CEE of PolyU in 2014, and M.Tech in Geotechnical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) in 2008. He has dedicated over 13 years to consultancy, academic teaching and research. He is presently serving the IIT Indore Administration as a Senate Board Member, Chief Warden and Sports Committee Convenor. Lalit has authored and coauthored more than 31 quality publications in esteemed international journals and peer reviewed conferences. His current research interests include Unsaturated soil mechanics, Structural Health monitoring, Soil-Structure Interaction, Geoenvironmental Engineering and Ground Improvement Techniques. Lalit serves as a reviewer for more than 30 International Journals. He has received “Outstanding Reviewer Award-2018” from the journal of “Computers and Goetechnics” by ELSEVIER, Netherlands. In 2018, he served as a Guest Editor for "International Journal of Distributed network sensors" by Sage Publishers, the United Kingdom.     Mr Kenny Lok Director of EnviPro Technology Company Limited   Kenny received his bachelor’s degree in Environment & Sustainable Development and master’s degree in Environmental Management and Engineering from CEE of PolyU in 2012 and 2014 respectively. He is currently the Director of EnviPro Technology Company Limited, contributing to consultancy projects related to air, acoustic, odour and health impact assessment in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Kenny participates in various professional bodies actively. He was elected as an Executive Committee Member of Hong Kong Waste Management Association (HKWMA) in 2019. Besides, he is a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Acoustics (MHKIOA), the Hong Kong Institute of Environmental Impact Assessment (MHKIEIA), and associate member of Institution of Mechanical Engineers (AMIMechE) and BEAM Professional (BEAM Pro).     Mr Wong Ka Chun, Tiger Manager-Construction Safety in Construction Industry Council Tiger is one of the earliest graduates of BSc (Hons) in Environmental and Occupational Safety & Health (Full-time). Upon graduation in 2008, he joined Gammon Construction Limited, where he played a key role in fostering positive safety culture. His contribution to construction safety was well recognized by the industry. He was the winner of Site Safety Professionals Award presented by Construction Industry Council and Lighthouse Club in 2011. Apart from striving excellence in his work, he also actively serves the Hong Kong community by taking part in various public duties. He joined the Jardine Ambassador Programme from 2013 to 2015 which brought together young and enthusiastic executives from all parts of Jardine Group in Hong Kong to drive the group’s charitable activities voluntarily. He also joined the Society of Registered Safety officers (SRSO) in 2011 and has been serving as an Executive Council Member since 2014. With his experience, he aims to enhance the professional status of safety practitioners, and to promote safety and health across the industries.    

New Joiner - Dr Bo-Tong Zheng

Dr Bo-Tong Zheng Research Assistant Professor Dr Bo-Tong Zheng received his PhD from the University of Houston, and ME and BE from Tongji University. Dr Zheng’s current research areas are digital construction technologies as well as the advanced constitutive modelling of cementitious materials, with the ultimate goal of upgrading the construction industry for a sustainable built environment.

New Joiner - Dr Wei Ma

Dr Wei Ma Assistant Professor Dr Ma obtained his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Mathematics from Tsinghua University and PhD degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.   His research interests include the intersection of machine learning, data mining, and transportation network modelling, with applications for smart and sustainable mobility systems.

【香港家書@2020627】理大土木及環境工程學系講座教授 潘智生

【香港家書@2020627】理大土木及環境工程學系講座教授 潘智生 垃圾徵費倘重推應先行工商業廢物收費 Voice recordings: https://podcast.rthk.hk/podcast/item.php?pid=42 Source: RTHK, 27 June 2020 http://app3.rthk.hk/special/pau//article.php?aid=4025 https://www.facebook.com/276944215743627/posts/2670782746359750/

留家煮食燒香增室內污染 嚴重可致癌

疫情期間市民逗留家居時間較長，或隨之增加煮食、燒香等活動，有機會令室內空氣污染濃度飈升，輕則致侷促頭暈，重則或有致癌風險，不容忽視。有專家指，室內任何燃燒活動都可產生懸浮顆粒、二氧化氮，甚至甲醛等揮發性致癌物，籲市民時刻保持空氣流通。 家居室內空氣污染常見源頭，包括清潔劑或燃燒活動，如明火煮食、燒香等。理大土木及環境工程學系教授李順誠指，疫情下市民留家時間增，較多在家煮食，亦有人因廟宇暫停開放，在家燒香次數較頻密，令空氣污染物激增，尤其香港較狹迫的居住環境，污染物濃度更嚴重。 倡市民減少煎炸食物 李解釋，香枝燃燒時產生大量懸浮顆粒、二氧化硫、二氧化氮及甲醛等揮發性有機化合物，持續吸入可致頭暈、食欲不振，部分物質更屬致癌物，長期吸入或增患鼻咽癌、肺癌等風險，並可能影響嬰兒幼童神經發展。 煮食方面，李過往研究發現燒肉、打邊爐產生的一氧化碳比蒸煮高4至6倍，建議市民減少煎炸食物，烹調後應開啟抽油煙機半小時，抽走殘餘污染物，並提醒夏天宜避免在室內點蚊香，可改用其他驅蚊方法。 室內空氣污染有改善 李教授研究室內空氣污染20多年，認為每人每日至少8成時間逗留室內，健康風險值得關注，過往他曾在偏遠農村研究發現室內空氣污染竟比城市更嚴重，「農民普遍以牛糞作燃料煮食，釋出有害物質比城市人用的燃料高出數倍，致即使無吸煙習慣，30多歲便患肺癌。」 李指，近年本港室內空氣污染已大大改善，傢俱釋出甲醛較少，不少商場等都安裝監察空氣質素微晶片，甚至有手機App估算室內空氣質素。李笑言，曾在不同場所研究空氣污染，其實不少只需輕微改善，便可有明顯效果，「好似學生上堂眼瞓原來不是因老師上堂悶，而是課室二氧化碳濃度高，改善通風即可增加學生專注度。」 Source:  晴報, 19 June 2020 https://skypost.ulifestyle.com.hk/article/2674351/留家煮食燒香增室內污染%20嚴重可致癌

港專家破澳門離奇命案　印傭抹地中毒亡　元兇竟是樓上住戶一舉動

化學劑殺人，並非只出現在電視情節，更不是紙上談兵。2012年3月6日澳門黑沙環建華新村發生密室殺人案，一個低層單位內突然受惡臭氣味侵襲，男戶主、1歲兒子、戶主的60餘歲外母及印尼女傭同告不適，女傭送院時昏迷，留醫一周後不治，調查後相信是吸入過量硫化氫致死，澳門政府其後組成專責小組調查毒氣來源，理大土木及環境工程學系臭味污染實驗室主任李順誠獲邀參與調查，教授化身「化學偵探」抽絲剝繭下揭發元兇竟是10樓住客一個家居習慣，變成隔空殺人武器。   根據報道，當日早上9時多，事主一家4口包括男戶主、男戶主的外母、印傭和1歲兒子在客廳時突聞到一股濃烈臭味，各人隨即開啟大門、窗戶，並一度走出露台呼吸新鮮空氣。其後臭味漸散後，3人返回客廳，印傭則到廚房工作。未幾，印傭被發現倒卧廚房，男戶主及外母上前相救，亦先後失去知覺，男戶主恢復意識即向鄰居求助及報警。4人被送院搶救時，印傭一度沒有呼吸心跳，經搶救後入深切治療部治療，需使用呼吸機維持生命，留院一周後不治。外母送院時昏迷後好轉，男戶主及兒子則無大礙   據澳門消防局提供的資料顯示，現場硫化氫濃度超標，懷疑與渠道釋放的氣體有關。理工大學李順誠教授當年受澳門政府邀請，協助調查這宗轟動一時的氣體中毒死亡案。   李教授表示，事發當日消防員在現場量度硫化氫濃度超標，調查人員一度懷疑與大廈地舖地產公司地下沙井堵塞，導致氣體倒湧入住宅有關。他回憶調查經過，從戶主提供的閉路電視可見，死者在廚房抹地期間暈倒，原本從煮食暈倒方向調查，但事發時間為上午9時12分，上午沒有煮食，排除一氧化碳超標的可能。後來發現死者抹地時，意外打開地面渠蓋，教授於是判斷：「一定條渠出事！」   李教授手持儀器，逐層量度測硫化氫濃度，到達10樓發現濃度甚高，於是拍門查詢。屋內婆婆應門，指大廈管理好差、渠道淤塞，當日上午9時在單位內倒通渠水，溶解渠內廚餘，又稱：「仲有半樽（通渠水），畀你啦！」教授取走通渠水，連同死者衣物、大廈渠道內的廚餘帶回香港，做實驗證明印傭死因與通渠水及硫化氫有關。   他先用風筒熱空氣吹出衣物沾染的氣體，確定含有高濃度硫化氫，再用婆婆通渠水溶解大廈廚餘，亦發現釋出硫化氫，從而判斷樓上倒通渠水，間接殺人。經過4個月調查，專責小組認為大廈排污渠堆積大量廚餘，涉事單位貯水彎管沒有貯水，以及有人不當使用大量濃度高漂白劑或通渠水，以上情況互相影響而造成意外，印傭是死於工傷，最後獲得勞工賠償。

提防家居陷阱　5月白紋伊蚊指數倍增　專家籲通風地方點蚊香

新冠肺炎全球肆虐，造成超過41萬人死亡，本港疫情反覆，市民在家防疫，隨時誤墮殺人於無形的空氣污染家居陷阱。端午將至，踏入炎夏很多人為了防蚊會選擇點燃蚊香，專門研究有害氣體的理工大學李順誠教授提醒使用蚊香要小心「殺蚊同時殺你」，吸入化學物質得不償失。而防疫為先，也要注意清潔劑用量，避免吸入過量化學物質。

New Joiner - Dr Zhao Qi, Dr Guoyang Lu

Dr Zhao Qi Assistant Professor Dr Zhao obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Toronto in 2017, and then he worked as a Postdoctoral at the University of Toronto and UC Berkeley respectively. He develops innovative laboratory experiments to investigate rock mechanics problems.     Dr Guoyang Lu Research Assistant Professor Dr Lu was a Senior Research Scientist at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. He received his PhD degree from RWTH Aachen University under the supervision of Prof. Markus Oeser. He was awarded BSc and MSc degrees from Southeast University, China and the University of Sheffield, UK respectively. His research focuses on sustainable and innovative road infrastructures and materials.

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