The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to excellence in research, making far-reaching contributions to the development of society and the well-being of humanity by leveraging the advancement of scientific research. Three PolyU Scholars have been elected as Fellows of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE) for recognition of their remarkable achievements in engineering sciences and applications.
The three PolyU Scholars are (in alphabetical order) Prof. TAO Xiaoming, Chair Professor of Textile Technology at the School of Fashion and Textiles and Director of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems; Ir Prof. YIN Jian Hua, Distinguished Research Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and Ir Prof. ZHAO Xiao Lin, Chair Professor of Civil Infrastructure of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Prof. TAO has gained international recognition for her leading research in intelligent fibrous materials, nanotechnology, photonic fibres and fabrics, flexible electronic and photonic devices, yarn manufacturing, and textile composites. She has spearheaded a team of innovative inventors, achieving the acquisition of over 40 international and national patents. Her invented technologies have been licensed to companies worldwide for industrial applications.
She discovered a novel yarn structure, which can achieve combined properties of low torque, low twist and high strength. Additionally, she invented a series of devices for spinning machines and testing instrument. The Nu-TorqueTM technology was commercialised by Central Textiles in Hong Kong and later licensed to thirteen companies worldwide. Her research on smart textiles and sensing technologies has been adopted for personal healthcare in commercial wearable products for ECG, respiration, and gait.
Prof. Yin is a world-leading scholar in developing an original non-linear rheology theory and one-dimensional (1D) and 3D Elastic Visco-Plastic (EVP) constitutive models for soils. His works, including the Yin and Graham’s 1D and 3D EVP models developed from his non-linear rheology theory, are applied in the consolidation analysis of soils. And this was considered as a main milestone contribution by Géotechnique, the world’s top 1 geotechnical journal, over 60 years (1948-to-2008) in the UK.
His two methods, - a numerical approach applying Yin and Graham’s 1D and 3D EVP models and a simple method for consolidation settlement analysis - have been adopted in “Canadian Foundation Engineering Manual” (5th-edition-2023). Also, his EVP models have been implemented in popular international software “Plaxis” and “ICFEP” software package developed by Imperial College London, both of which are used by the global geotechnical community. He also invented a transducer for direct measurement of effective stress in saturated soils. This invention has solved “a centennially unsolved case” and is recognised as “an unprecedented achievement in the field of soil mechanics, following Terzaghi’s seminal work.”
Prof. ZHAO’s significant research impact in structural and civil engineering has earned him numerous prestigious international awards and honours, including the Humboldt Research Award and fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. His current research focuses on high-performance sustainable materials for civil engineering applications, steel-concrete-FRP hybrid construction, and floating structure technology.
His international leadership in the development and construction of steel and hybrid tubular structures is widely recognised. His research team has also made significant contributions to understanding the behaviour of steel structures and concrete-filled tubular structures under various conditions, including static and blast loading, fire, earthquake, and fatigue. His research achievements have been incorporated into standards in Australia and America, as well as Eurocode and ISO standards. Additionally, he has chaired a technical committee of the International Institute of Welding, contributing to the development of two ISO standards and four international design guides, which are widely used by engineers worldwide.
The HKAE aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and excellence in engineering, contributing to the advancement of society and the development of Hong Kong and our Nation. It comprises a distinguished group of Fellows from various disciplines, recognised as leaders in their profession, with remarkable achievements in engineering sciences and applications.
