Prof. Yong Xia of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) has been awarded funding of $2 million for a project of strategic importance entitled “Advanced Construction Monitoring Technologies for Supertall Structures.” His research team includes Prof. Xiaoli Ding, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE), Prof. Yi-qing Ni and Dr Song-ye Zhu of CEE, Prof. Jian-nong Cao of the Department of Computing, and Prof. Chao Lu of the Department of Electronic and Information Engineering. The project is expected to last for 2 years.

Projects of strategic importance are approved by the university’s Areas of Excellence Committee. The success of these projects will enhance the leading role of PolyU in the region.

China’s Chang’e-4 lunar lander and rover was successfully launched on 8 December 2018, becoming the first to land on the far side of the moon. Facilitating this mission was the research of Dr Bo Wu of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), who led a 10-member team on a project titled “Chang’e-4 Landing Site - Topographic and Geomorphological Characterisation and Analysis.” Funded by the China Academy of Space Technology since March 2016, the team amassed a large amount of lunar remote sensing data from multi-sources to create high-precision and high-resolution topographic models at the northwestern South Pole-Aitken basin on the far side of the moon, a potential landing region for the Chang’e-4. They then analysed in detail the terrain slopes, terrain occlusions to sun illumination and telecommunication, crater distribution, rock abundances, and geological history of the region. These analyses helped the team to put forward a sound and evidenced-based proposal of possible landing sites.

The 2nd International Workshop on Seawater Sea-Sand Concrete (SSC) Structures Reinforced with FRP Composites and launching ceremony for a theme-based research project was held at PolyU on 1 and 2 December 2018. Jointly organized by the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), the organizing committee of the workshop was chaired by Prof. Jin-guang Teng, who is leading a theme-based research project on “Sustainable Marine Infrastructure Enabled by the Innovative Use of Seawater Sea-Sand Concrete and Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites” with more than $47 million in funding from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council and over $5 million in matching funding from the participating local universities.

Speeches were delivered by Ir Prof. Alex Wai, PolyU Vice President (Research Development), Prof. Chi-Sun Poon, Associate Head (CEE), and Prof. Teng at the launching ceremony. Ir Prof. Wai introduced PolyU, its research platforms as well as its research and knowledge transfer achievements; Prof. Poon introduced CEE and its research achievements; and Prof. Teng introduced the theme-based research project and its quest for funding. About 100 scholars, researchers and engineers from Hong Kong and mainland China attended the workshop, which gave them an opportunity to learn the latest advances from such internationally renowned scholars as Prof. Surendra Shah of Northwestern University, Prof. Dan Frangopol of Lehigh University, Prof. Koichi Maekawa of Yokohama National University and the University of Tokyo, Prof. Thomas Keller of L'Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Prof. Tao Yu of the University of Wollongong, Prof. Peng Feng of Tsinghua University, Prof. Zongjin Li of the University of Macau, and Dr Florence Sanchez of Vanderbilt University.

On the second day, more than 40 experts and scholars participated in the workshop, including Prof. Christopher Leung of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Prof. Chi-sun Poon, Prof. Jian-guo Dai and Dr Songye Zhu of CEE. The finances of the project were first introduced by Dr Guan Lin of CEE. Leaders or representatives of the five task teams of the project subsequently shared their research plans for discussions. Each of the task plans was also subsequently discussed by the task team for improvement.

Participants of the workshop

From 2 to 5 December 2018, the 6th International Symposium on Nanotechnology in Construction was held at the Hong Kong Science Park. Jointly organized by the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute Limited (NAMI), PolyU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), and the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), the triennial symposium had technology transfer in action as its theme, facilitating the exchange of innovative ideas and the transfer of research results in the field of nanotechnology for construction materials. Funded by the Innovation and Technology Commission, the symposium was attended by more than 150 scholars, researchers, and practitioners. Welcome remarks were delivered by Prof. Pak-chung Ching, Chairman of NAMI, and Prof. Timothy W. Tong, President of PolyU, which were followed by opening remarks from Mr Nicholas Yang, Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong Government. In addition to keynote speeches from 8 leading scholars, including one from a co-organizer, Prof. Chi-sun Poon of CEE, there were 18 parallel sessions for participants to keep up with the latest research and applications from around the world.

The International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA) held its 4th Asia Conference from 3 to 5 December 2018 in Hong Kong. Jointly organized by IBPSA and PolyU, the conference was chaired by Prof. Shengwei Wang, Prof. Hongxing Yang, and Dr Linda Xiao of the Department of Building Services Engineering (BSE). Providing a platform for over 200 academics, professionals, consultants, designers, and research students to exchange ideas, knowledge and information about building performance simulation, the biennial conference included keynote speeches, technical sessions, workshops, and poster presentations on various aspects of building performance simulation. Welcome speeches were delivered by Prof. You-Lin Xu, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE), Prof. Yingxin Zhu of Tsinghua University, and Prof. Shengwei Wang of BSE at the opening ceremony. Plenary keynote speakers were Prof. Tianshou Zhao of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Prof. Reinhard Radermacher of the University of Maryland, and Prof. Yuguo Li of the University of Hong Kong.

At the conference

The 9th International Conference on Advances in Steel Structures was held at PolyU from 5 to 7 December 2018. Some 200 researchers and professionals attended the conference to share the latest developments in the analysis, behavior, design and construction of steel, aluminum and composite steel-concrete structures. They were welcomed by Ir Prof. Siu Lai Chan of PolyU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) on behalf of the organizing committee. Prof. You-Lin Xu, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE), delivered an opening speech. Jointly organized by the Hong Kong Institute of Steel Construction and CEE, the conference began with a one-day seminar with 11 keynote lectures on various topics from leading researchers, including Prof. Leroy Gardner of Imperial College London, Prof. Dennis Lam of the University of Bradford, Prof. Guo-Qiang Li of Tongji University, Prof. J.Y. Richard Liew of the National University of Singapore, Prof. Jian-Guo Nie of Tsinghua University, Prof. Kim Rasmussen of the University of Sydney, Prof. Luis Simoes da Silva of the University of Coimbra in Portugal, Prof. Keh-Chyuan Tsai of National Taiwan University, Prof. Brian Uy of the University of Sydney, Prof. Eiki Yamaguchi of the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan, and Prof. Ronald Ziemian of Bucknell University in the US.

To promote education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the PolyU STEM day was held for local secondary school students and their teachers on 18 December 2018. Organized by the Secondary School Relations Section of PolyU and supported by the government’s Education Bureau (EDB), the event was officiated by Mr Kam Kwong Lee, Principal Assistant Secretary (School Development) of EDB. Prof. Daniel Shek, Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), delivered a welcome address at the opening ceremony, which was followed by a keynote speech from Prof. Kwok-yin Wong, Associate Vice President (Research Support). In attendance were Mr Richard Leung, Council member of PolyU, Prof. Xiaoli Ding, Associate Dean (Partnership) of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) and colleagues from FCE’s departments, among others.

In addition to lectures and sharing sessions of research experiences on STEM subjects, there were talks on various undergraduate programmes by some departments, including the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), as well as STEM workshops and consultation sessions on further studies from the different faculties and schools of PolyU. Dr Jiang Yi of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) gave a STEM lecture on nanotechnology for a better future, while STEM workshops on satellite image processing and a plastic stick bridge challenge were respectively led by Dr Matthew Pang of LSGI and colleagues Mr C.L. Kwan and Mr Lin Hoi Yung of CEE. The visiting students and teachers were also given tours of some departmental laboratories, namely, the Smart Construction Lab of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), the Fire Engineering Lab of BSE, the Structural Engineering Research Laboratory and the Water and Waste Teaching Laboratory of CEE, the Smart City Lab and the Underground Utility Survey Laboratory of LSGI. The event was well-received by 400 students and teachers in attendance.

Ir Prof. Ben Young, has been appointed Vice President (Student Affairs) and joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) as Professor. Prior to joining PolyU, Prof. Young was Associate Dean of the Graduate School at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning – Taught Postgraduate Programme of the Faculty of Engineering, HKU. Furthermore, he was the Master of the Graduate House at HKU and a professor of structural engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering at HKU. Prof. Young was the Deputy Department Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, HKU from 2011 to 2017. He was the founding warden of Suen Chi Sun Hall at HKU from 2005 to 2014. He was also the warden of a student hall at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from 2003 to 2004. Prof. Young received his BSc, BEng and PhD degrees from the University of Sydney, Australia in 1991, 1993 and 1998, respectively. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and research. A co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Prof. Young is also serving on the editorial boards of ten other journals. He has published over 490 international journal and conference papers, of which over 200 are SCI indexed journal papers. His research interests include cold-formed steel structures, testing and design of steel structures, high strength steel structures, stainless steel structures, aluminium structures, structural stability, fire resistance of metal structures and engineering education.

CEE added a new assistant professor in December 2018. Dr Chao Zhou received his bachelor's degree in hydraulic engineering from Tsinghua University in 2009, and his PhD degree in geotechnical engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in 2014. From 2014 to 2018, he worked in HKUST as a visiting/research assistant professor. His main research interests include constitutive modelling and experimental investigation of cyclic thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of saturated and unsaturated soils, with applications to geo-energy problems including energy pile and methane hydrate, geo-environmental problems including landfill cover, and high-speed railway embankment. Dr Zhou has published more than 30 SCI papers, mostly in leading international journals. He received the Bright Spark Lecture Award of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). This award was established for promising young geotechnical academics/engineers to deliver keynote and invited lectures at important international conferences.