Prof. Heng Li, Chair Professor of Construction Informatics in the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), has been awarded $7,638,300 from the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) and $3,488,597 in industry sponsorship for a 2-year project entitled “Enabling Technologies based on Computer Vision and Machine Learning for Better Quality Management on Construction Sites.” His research team includes Dr Ting Huang, Dr Xiaochun Luo, and Dr Frank Tong.

Their project aims to develop a computer vision based technology with machine learning to transform the current manual quality management practice to an automatic process. The enabling technologies will analyze real-time site activities as captured by surveillance cameras and utilize machine intelligence to determine if there are any quality deviations and/or defects within these activities.

A project entitled “Integrated Approaches for Point-Line-Plane of Heritage Conservation in Hong Kong: International Experience” has been awarded $1,951,550 from the funding scheme for thematic research on built heritage conservation. Led by Prof. Edwin Chan of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), the 2-year project will review the “Point-Line-Plane” approach adopted in built heritage conservation and protection in other cities; identify the theories of "Point-Line-Plane" approach that could be applied to built heritage conservation and protection in Hong Kong; ascertain the key success criteria for delivery of the integrated “Point-Line-Plane” approach for different situations in Hong Kong and; develop an effective novel model for enhancing district-wide conservation and development utilizing the integrated “Point-Line-Plane” approach. Members of the research team include BRE colleagues Dr Esther Yung and Dr Michael Sing, Dr Hok-bun Ku of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, Dr Honggen Xiao of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Prof. Wei Hwa Chiang of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and Prof. Puay Peng Ho of the National University of Singapore.

A Project Management Achievement Award from the Hong Kong Institute of Project Management (HKIPM) was given to Dr Daniel Chan of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE) on 19 April 2018 at the HKIPM annual dinner in Mongkok. The winning research project was an investigation of the procurement strategies for guaranteed maximum price and target cost contracting in the Hong Kong construction industry. It also won a similar award from the Asia Pacific Federation of Project Management in October 2017.

To collaborate in the provision of courses on building information modelling (BIM) for students in construction-related disciplines at the university level, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and PolyU on 12 April 2018. Signing on behalf of PolyU was Ir Prof. You-Lin Xu, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE), while the CIC was represented by its Executive Director, Ir Albert Cheng. Associate Dean (Partnership) Prof. Xiaoli Ding and Director (Industry Development) of CIC Ir Henry Fung were witnesses to the signing of the MoU, which is effective for 5 years. Both sides have agreed to cooperate in the development and teaching of BIM courses.

In addition, both parties to the MoU had a chance to share their vision for BIM education afterwards. The current programme/ technology for BIM in FCE was presented by Ir Dr Andy Wong, Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE).

At the signing ceremony (from left to right): Prof. Ding, Prof. Xu, Ir Cheng, and Ir Fung

A 20-strong delegation from Singapore and Zurich visited the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) from 16 to 20 April 2018 to learn about underground utility and technologies for Smart City in PolyU and Hong Kong. The study visit was part of the digital underground initiative in Singapore. Led by the chief executive of the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Mr Tan Boon Khai, and the Future Cities Laboratory of the Singapore-ETH Centre, participants included land surveyors and engineers from government agencies as well as experts in geomatics. The visitors were greeted by Prof. You-lin Xu, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE), and Prof. John Shi, Head of LSGI, who introduced the Faculty and the department on the first day. Six case studies were subsequently introduced in the Underground Utility Survey Lab by Ir Dr Wallace Lai and Dr Janet Sham, who led a field demonstration on different aspects of utility management and survey in Hong Kong. A visit to the Laboratory for Smart City and Spatial Big Data Analytics afterwards gave the visitors a chance to learn from Prof. Shi the latest Smart City development by LSGI, including spatial data infrastructure.

For the rest of the week, the delegation was led by Ir Dr Lai to visit the China Hong Kong Society of Trenchless Technology, Black & Veatch’s office, the Hong Kong Institute of Utility Specialists, the Housing Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Survey and Mapping Office of the Lands Department of the HKSAR Government. Various experiences related to geophysical utility mapping to “see the unseen,” building information modelling, and related matters were shared amongst the participants. Potential collaboration between PolyU, SLA, and the Singapore-ETH Future Cities Lab was discussed on the last day of the delegation’s visit, which ended with a lecture by Dr Gerhard Schrotter, Director of the Department of Geomatics in Zurich, and Dr Victor Khoo, Deputy Director of SLA, on Smart City development in Zurich and Singapore, particularly with respect to the digital underground. It was a rewarding trip for all concerned.

The visitors and their hosts		A field demonstration

On the evening of 17 April 2018, the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) was promoted in a Facebook Live session that was organized and hosted by the International Affairs Office. Associate Head (Teaching) of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), Dr Daniel Chan, and his colleague Mr Wai Kei Kong introduced the Faculty and the full-time undergraduate programmes for international students offered by BRE. Other undergraduate programmes offered by the Department of Building Services Engineering, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics were also highlighted. Questions from the audience on summer placement opportunities, job prospects, laboratory facilities, admission requirements etc. were answered by them after the presentation. The live chat is available for viewing at https://www.facebook.com/polyuiao/videos/10160381747535370/UzpfSTIyNTM5Nzc3MDgzMDQ 4MToxNjg4NjM1ODY3ODM5OTkw/