For release 3 April 2001
HONG KONG’S FIRST GEOTECHNICAL CENTRIFUGE OPENS AT HKUST
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed an innovative geotechnical centrifuge modeling facility to enhance the design, quality and safety of engineering projects.
The first of its kind in Hong Kong, the HKUST Geotechnical Centrifuge Facility (GCF) was formally opened today (3 April) by Mr S S Lee, Secretary for Works of the HKSAR Government. He was joined by Dr Raymond Ho Chung-tai, Member of the Legislative Council; Dr John Luk, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers; Dr Vincent Lo, the University’s Council Chairman; Prof Chia-Wei Woo, the University’s President; and Prof Otto Lin, the University’s Vice-President for Research and Development.
The opening was one of the first events in the University’s 10th anniversary celebrations, which run from April to December 2001.
The Centrifuge is a unique and powerful tool for physical modeling of a wide range of engineering correlated problems. The facility is equipped with a 4-axis robotic manipulator, the world’s first biaxial (2-D) shaking table as well as a state-of-the-art distributed data acquisition and control system. The robot can simulate construction activities such as tunneling, excavation and piling; test designs; and provide technical solutions for various geotechnical problems pertinent to Hong Kong, including short and inclined piles, loose-fill slopes and retaining walls. The shaking table is capable of simulating seismic ground response for a better understanding of earthquake-induced soil interactions such as liquefaction and deformations. Such modeling is important to regions of active seismic movement, including the Chinese Mainland. Results of the testing can be analyzed and displayed in real time by the data acquisition and control system.
“While Japan, a world leader in construction, has been pioneering geotechnical centrifuge modeling for the past 15 years, Hong Kong is still a new player in the field,” said Dr Charles W W Ng, Associate Director of the GCF and Associate Professor of Civil Engineering. “Our Centrifuge can enhance the design and technology of various engineering projects cost-effectively, without sacrificing quality or safety. More importantly, it will upgrade and sharpen the competitive edge of the engineering and construction industries in Hong Kong,” he said.
To mark the opening, Prof Malcolm Bolton, Professor of Soil Mechanics and Director of the Schofield Centrifuge Centre at the University of Cambridge, presented a 10th Anniversary Distinguished Lecture on prospects for civil engineering in universities and the new role of civil engineers.
This was followed by a Symposium on Geotechnical Centrifuge Modeling in which Prof Tsutomu Kimura, Professor Emeritus and former President of Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan; Prof C G Bao of the Yangtze River Scientific Research Institute, China; and Prof C F Leung of the National University of Singapore shared their experiences of centrifuge modeling technology in Japan, the Chinese Mainland and Singapore, respectively.
For media enquiries only: Jacky Tsang
Tel: 2358-6306 email: patsang@ust.hk
