CIVL 397/398 CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECT

CIVL 4990 CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTFor the academic year of 2014 - 2015

(A)Construction Management

1Developing a Building Information Modeling Framework for Infrastructure Facility ManagementSupervisor: Prof. Jack ChengNo. of Student(s) : 1

Building information modeling (BIM) aims to facilitate information management and collaboration among stakeholders in different domains over the building facility life cycle. In a BIM model, each building component has its properties, information, and semantics. Modifications performed in one view will be reflected in all perspectives. BIM models are increasingly used in the building industry as an object-based information hub for storing, integrating and managing building information in different aspects throughout the design, construction, and maintenance operations. However, the applications of BIM for civil infrastructures are still immature and uncommon. This project aims to develop a BIM-based framework that facilitates the facility operation and management process of civil infrastructure facilities. In this project, the information requirement and facility management process will be studied and summarized. A semantic data model and system framework for infrastructure facility management will then be developed. The developed framework will finally be illustrated and validated in case scenarios.

2Analysis and Evaluation of Green Building Features Using Building Information ModelingSupervisor: Prof. Jack ChengNo. of Student(s) : 2

There is a global trend of green buildings in recent years. As of 2011, there are over 10,000 green building projects certified by the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standard in the United States alone. In Hong Kong, the BEAM Plus green building standard developed by the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) in 2009 has certified over 200 projects in Hong Kong. Green buildings utilize various design features and operation technologies to reduce energy and water consumption, improve indoor environmental quality and increase building performance. This project aims to study the common green building features and evaluate them using building information modeling (BIM) and computer simulation techniques. In a BIM model, each building component has its properties, information and semantics, which support sophisticated simulation and analysis under different conditions. In this project, commonly adopted energy saving and indoor environmental quality improvement green building features will be modeled, evaluated, and compared.

3Carbon measurement of commonly used building materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment - Carbon measurement of commonly used aggregate in Hong Kong by life cycle assessmentSupervisor:Prof Jack Cheng and Prof Irene LoNo. of Student(s) : 1

According to WWFs Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report 2010, the second largest carbon footprint in Hong Kong is associated with the output from the Construction sector. Of the carbon footprint associated with construction activities in Hong Kong, 85 percent is embodied in imported goods and services. In addition to direct emissions from the Construction sector, this carbon footprint includes emissions from all upstream material inputs to construction activities. This project aims to develop a database of carbon footprint of commonly used building construction materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment (LCA) using SigmaPro. Such a database could help to lower the building construction industrys carbon footprint by providing a benchmarking in selection of green materials, development of carbon labeling, and estimation and prediction of carbon footprint in the built environment.Deliverables: Identify 3-4 types or brands of aggregate most commonly used in HK Calculate the carbon footprint of each by LCA Propose the selection criteria and how to source the green aggregate with a lower carbon footprint

4Carbon measurement of commonly used building materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment - Carbon measurement of commonly used concrete in Hong Kong by life cycle assessmentSupervisor:Prof Jack Cheng and Prof Irene LoNo. of Student(s) : 1

According to WWFs Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report 2010, the second largest carbon footprint in Hong Kong is associated with the output from the Construction sector. Of the carbon footprint associated with construction activities in Hong Kong, 85 percent is embodied in imported goods and services. In addition to direct emissions from the Construction sector, this carbon footprint includes emissions from all upstream material inputs to construction activities. This project aims to develop a database of carbon footprint of commonly used building construction materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment (LCA) using SigmaPro. Such a database could help to lower the building construction industrys carbon footprint by providing a benchmarking in selection of green materials, development of carbon labeling, and estimation and prediction of carbon footprint in the built environment.Deliverables: Identify 3-4 types or brands of concrete most commonly used in HK Calculate the carbon footprint of each by LCA Propose the selection criteria and how to source the green concrete with a lower carbon footprint

5Carbon measurement of commonly used building materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment - Carbon measurement of commonly used gypsum plaster board in Hong Kong by life cycle assessmentSupervisor:Prof Jack Cheng and Prof Irene LoNo. of Student(s) : 1

According to WWFs Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report 2010, the second largest carbon footprint in Hong Kong is associated with the output from the Construction sector. Of the carbon footprint associated with construction activities in Hong Kong, 85 percent is embodied in imported goods and services. In addition to direct emissions from the Construction sector, this carbon footprint includes emissions from all upstream material inputs to construction activities. This project aims to develop a database of carbon footprint of commonly used building construction materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment (LCA) using SigmaPro. Such a database could help to lower the building construction industrys carbon footprint by providing a benchmarking in selection of green materials, development of carbon labeling, and estimation and prediction of carbon footprint in the built environment.Deliverables: Identify 3-4 types or brands of gypsum plaster board most commonly used in HK Calculate the carbon footprint of each by LCA Propose the selection criteria and how to source the green gypsum plaster board with a lower carbon footprint

6Effective Risk Management in Infrastructure Project Finance Supervisor: Prof Xueqing ZhangNo. of Student(s) : 2

Different types of infrastructure projects have been developed worldwide through public-private partnerships (PPPs). One key feature of PPPs is the optimal sharing of risks whereby risks are allocated to the party who is best able to manage. This project will explore how to effectively manage the various risks in infrastructure projects developed through PPPs.

7Analysis of Various Types of Construction Contracts and Delivery Methods Supervisor: Prof Xueqing ZhangNo. of Student(s) : 2

Different types of construction contracts (e.g., lump sum, unit price, guaranteed maximum price, and cost plus) and construction delivery methods (e.g., design-bid-build, design-build, and construction management) have been in use in the construction industry. This project will study the practices and lessons in the international application of various construction contracts and delivery methods.

8Alternative Dispute Resolution Practices in the Construction Industry Supervisor: Prof Xueqing ZhangNo. of Student(s) : 1

Alternative dispute resolution refers to a method or means to settle disputes outside of the courtroom. Alternative dispute resolution methods typically include early neutral evaluation, negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration. This project will study the international practices in the use of different alternative dispute resolution methods in construction project management.

(B)Geotechnical

9Green Slope Engineering for Hong KongSupervisor: Prof Charles NgNo. of Student(s) : 3

There has been an increasing demand from the public for environmentally friendly designs and for upgrading of slopes in Hong Kong in recent years. With Hong Kongs rugged topography and frequent rainstorms, landslides have always been an alarming problem. The prime objectives of this project are to investigate and improve our fundamental understanding of root-soil-water interactions and to develop an innovative and environmentally friendly reliability-based preliminary design framework for an integrated bioengineered live slope cover for shallow soil slopes in Hong Kong. This live cover will be self-regenerative and sustainable (almost maintenance free). Five major research tasks will be carried out including field monitoring and root system characterization, centrifuge and numerical modeling of bioengineered slopes, development of an integrated quality assurance scheme and a preliminary reliability-based design methodology for bioengineered slopes. Findings from this project will provide new insights into the behavior of bioengineered slopes in Hong Kong and the newly developed innovative reliability-based preliminary design guidelines will provide the basis for future laboratory simulations and field trials.

Three students are required to participate in this meaningful project to carry out centrifuge model tests and numerical simulations of bioengineered slopes.

10Environmentally friendly unsaturated capillary barrier for green landfill coversSupervisor: Prof Charles NgNo. of Student(s) : 3

The accumulation of municipal solid wastes in cities is a major social, geotechnical and environmental problems worldwide. Traditionally, municipal solid wastes are mainly collected and dumped in an orderly manner to form so called landfills. In order to prevent rainfall from infiltrating into landfills and to minimise methane gas from emitting into the atmosphere, a composite layer made of geo-membrane/geo-synthetics and soils has been developed to cover landfills over the years. However, the long-term durability of this type of covers such as cracking has been questioned more and more frequently. A novel unsaturated capillary barrier together with vegetation appears to be an excellent alternative.

Three students are required to develop experimental set-up such as 1D soil columns, flume and centrifuge models and to conduct experiments, and also to carry out numerical simulations for verifying this new alternative environmentally friendly cover and any other novel ideas.

11Earthquake ground motion effects on nonlinear response of 4-span highway bridge Supervisor: Prof Gang WangNo. of Student(s) : 3

In this study, a nonlinear Finite Element model will be used to evaluate the response of a 4-span highway bridge under earthquake loading. To realistically simulate the earthquake ground motions, waves are applied along two horizontal directions and at multiple locations. We will study several important effects that might influence the structural response, including the orientation of input waves that can cause the maximum structural damage, attenuation of wave motions along the bridge that can cause incoherent structural response. The study will lead to a better understanding of the ground motion effects on the seismic performance of bridges. Students with background and interest in computer programming are preferred.

12Seismic Response of Pile Groups in a Nonlinear Soil Ground Supervisor: Prof Gang WangNo. of Student(s) : 2

Studying soil-foundation interaction is important for the earthquake design of structures. In this study, we investigate the dynamic response of pile groups in a nonlinear soil ground using Finite Element models. Pile group response will be systematically studied considering different soil profiles, pile-group layouts and earthquake input motions. The students will gain valuable experience in using advanced numerical models to design pile foundation against earthquakes.

13Why the 99-peak mountain formed in central Taiwan after the Chi-Chi earthquake - An experiment simulation Supervisor: Prof J P WangNo. of Student(s) : 2

Because of the Chi-Chi earthquake, a very unique landscape called the 99-peak mountain was formed in central Taiwan. This study is aimed at using shaking-table texts to simulate the genesis of such a unique landscape, explaining the interesting question in geomorphology that has yet answered.

14The uncertainty of liquid limit in soil propertiesSupervisor: Prof J P WangNo. of Student(s) : 2

Liquid limit is one of the basic soil properties. This study is aimed at discussing its uncertainty with two conventional approaches. With a series of tests, an empirical relationship will be suggested at the end of the study.

15Using AFOSM for earthquake probability assessmentsSupervisor: Prof J P WangNo. of Student(s) : 1

Advanced First-Order Second Moment (AFOSM) is one of the approaches for probabilistic calculations. Although AFOSM is commonly used in engineering, it has yet applied to geosciences problems such as earthquake probability assessments. This study is aimed at using AFOSM to estimate earthquake probabilities in Taiwan, accounting for the uncertainty in fault slip rate.

16Using the Bayesian approach for geotechnical site characterizationsSupervisor: Prof J P WangNo. of Student(s) : 1

The geotechnical condition at a site is of some uncertainty. This study is aimed at using the Bayesian approach for geotechnical site characterizations, with some prior information integrated with very limited project-specific samples.

17The application of time-lapse resistivity mapping on landfill cover (Undergraduate research opportunities program, UROP)Supervisor: Prof Yu-Hsing WangNo. of Student(s) : 1

Nature of the project: Experiment (field geophysical testing)Time-lapse resistivity mapping has been used for different engineering applications, such as studying the flow of water through the vadose zone, monitoring flow of chemical pollutants and leakage from dams, and among others. In this proposed study, the same technique will be used to monitor the advance of wetting-front in the landfill cover during rainfall and different seasons. The device, Geometrics OhmMapper, will be used for the in-situ resistivity mapping.The details regarding OhmMapper can be found inhttp://www.geometrics.com/geometrics-products/geometrics-electro-magnetic-products/ohm-mapper/

18Using the Smart Soil Particle for slope stability monitoring (Undergraduate research opportunities program, UROP; support by GEO)Supervisor: Prof Yu-Hsing WangNo. of Student(s) : 2

Nature of the project: experiment (in the laboratory and in the field)The revolution of technology enables us to use different new types of sensors in soil testing and field monitoring, such as MEMS sensors. The MEMS sensors have a miniature size (in the range of mm) and low cost (compared with the conventional sensor) so they have a great potential to change the current sensing technology used in geotechnical engineering related applications. In this study, students will use the sensor, Smart Soil Particle (a wireless MEMS assembly), to monitor the slope instability in the laboratory water flume tests and in the field slopes. The details regarding the MEMS sensors can be found in the following website.http://www.analog.com/en/mems/products/index.html

19Considering the effects of pile setup in the engineering design (Undergraduate research opportunities program, UROP)Supervisor: Prof Yu-Hsing WangNo. of Student(s) : 1

Nature of the project: laboratory experiment and numerical simulations (the student can choose to do either experiments or numerical simulations). The commercial software, PFC2D and PFC3D, will be used in this study.Displacement piles in sand often demonstrate a significant capacity increase with time after the end of pile driving, i.e., pile setup. This phenomenon has been reported in different places, including Hong Kong where all the high rise buildings are founded on piles. However, in current practice, engineers do not take into account this extra capacity from pile setup in the design. In view of this, the main objective of this project is to propose a method, based on the statistics and non-destructive measurements (wave-based technique), to incorporate such a capacity increase into the design. In addition, the associated temperature effects will also be examined in detail.The details regarding the DEM software in 2D and 3D can be found in http://www.itascacg.com/pfc2d/; http://www.itascacg.com/pfc3d/

20DEM simulations and experimental examinations on the kinematic behavior of soil contacts in response to biaxial shearing (Project of online virtual soil lab; Undergraduate research opportunities program, UROP)Supervisor: Prof Yu-Hsing WangNo. of Student(s) : 1

Nature of the project: laboratory experiment and numerical simulations (the student can choose to do either experiments or numerical simulations). The commercial software, PFC2D and PFC3D, will be used in this study.Soil particles moves in response to shearing; however, how the particles move remain unknown at present. Do particles move in sling, rotation, or sliding/rotation at contacts. In order to answer this fundamental question, we will use a tailor-made biaxial system and the PIV technique to trace the movement at particle contacts during shearing. In addition, the corresponding numerical simulations by the discrete (or distinct) element method will also help to identify the true behavior. The simulation and experimental results will be put in the online virtual soil lab.The details regarding the DEM software in 2D and 3D can be found in http://www.itascacg.com/pfc2d/; http://www.itascacg.com/pfc3d/

21Quantitative risk assessment for natural terrain landslides Supervisor: Prof Limin ZhangNo. of Student(s) : 3

Generating extreme rainfall scenarios in Hong Kong (1 student); Simulating landslide and debris flow processes triggered by rain storms (1 student); Analysis of the stability of loose fill slopes under extreme rainfall (1 student).

The objectives of this group FYP are to Map loose soil deposits on hilly terrains; Identify extreme storm scenarios for landslide risk assessment; Develop analysis tools for simulating hazardous processes during an extreme storm event; Test the current slope safety system under extreme rainfall.

22Numerical analysis of debris flows Supervisor: Prof Limin ZhangNo. of Student(s) : 2

Numerical analysis of debris flow; Long-term evolution of loose, coarse soil deposits on hilly terrains.

The objectives of this group FYP are to Investigate the potential of transformation of loose, coarse soil deposits on hilly terrains into debris flows; Simulate the scour of bedding materials during the debris flow process; Analyse the formation and movement of debris flow using FLO-2D or other computer programs; Propose measures to mitigate debris flow risks.

23Numerical Study of fiber-reinforced sand behaviorSupervisor: Prof Jidong ZhaoNo. of Student(s) : 3

The students will be trained to investigate the behavior and mechanism of soil reinforcement by fiber or polymer, base on Discrete Element Method simulations. Strength anisotropy resulted by the addition of fiber or polymer in the soil will be carefully examined.

24Numerical simulation of debris flowSupervisor: Prof Jidong ZhaoNo. of Student(s) : 3

The project aims to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of debris flow and to develop rigorous mechanics for its description. A coupled Discrete Element Method and Computational Fluid Dynamics numerical tool will be employed for the study.

(C)Material

25High Strength Concrete with Similar Failure Behavior to Normal Concrete Supervisor: Prof Christopher LeungNo. of Student(s) : 2

The use of high strength concrete in structures can lead to reduction in structural size and weight, and a potential saving in foundation cost. However, the brittle failure of high strength concrete is a practical concern. When strength increases, the energy stored before failure also becomes higher. Without a corresponding increase in fracture resistance, the sudden release of energy at failure may lead to rapid disintegration and shattering of the material, which is undesirable. To alleviate this problem, a small amount of fiber reinforcements can be added to absorb the energy when cracks start to propagate in concrete. The objective of this project is to develop high strength fiber reinforced concrete with failure behaviour (characterized by the post-peak stress vs displacement behaviour in tension and compression) similar to normal concrete. Experiments will be performed on high strength concrete compositions with different types of fibers added at different volumes. Compositions with the highest performance/cost can then be identified. Structural elements will be prepared with such compositions and tested to verify that similar ductility to normal concrete can be achieved.

26Pseudo-ductile Cementitious Composites with Recycled Fibers Supervisor: Prof Christopher LeungNo. of Student(s) : 1

Pseudo-ductile cementitious composites (PDCC) are fiber reinforced materials possessing excellent resistance to crack propagation. Under tensile loading, the material will show hardening behavior up to several percent strain, accompanied by the formation of multiple fine cracks rather than a single wide crack. In structural applications, this translates into high values of toughness, shear strength, impact resistance and energy absorption as well as excellent durability by limiting the opening of cracks. In recent years, PDCC has been applied in practice for the repair of dams/retaining walls, construction of link slab in bridges and the fabrication of coupling beams in tall buildings. Conventionally, PDCC is made with PVA fibers which are very costly. The current study aims at replacing all or part of the PVA with recycled PET fibers. Specific tasks include (i) the determination of interfacial friction between PET fiber and various cementitious matrices, which governs the effectiveness of the fiber reinforcement, and (ii) tests on small beam members made with different proportion of PVA and PET fibers to study the effect of PET replacement on ductility.

27Effect of Ram Loading on Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Tunnel Segments Supervisor: Prof Christopher LeungNo. of Student(s) : 2

When the tunnel boring machine (TBM) is used, the tunnel lining is normally made from precast reinforced concrete segments placed around the bored hole. To save labor and to enhance durability (through crack control and elimination of macrocell corrosion of steel rebars), the steel reinforcements can be fully replaced by steel fibers. During the tunneling process, to propel the TBM forward, a number of rams are pushing against the lining to generate the required force. The concentrated loading from the ram will induce local splitting failure of the segment. Due to the lack of experience with steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) segments, full scale tests often have to be carried out. The purpose of this study is to employ laboratory size specimens to investigate the load capacity of SFRC segments under concentrated loading. As splitting failure occurs under tension, the tensile behavior of SFRC will also be measured. The effect of SFRC composition and tensile properties on its splitting resistance under concentrated load will be investigated experimentally and also from numerical finite element studies.

28Non-contact impedance measurement of cement-based compositesSupervisor: Prof Zongjin LiNo. of Student(s) : 1

In this project, non-contact impedance measurement will be used to accesses the pore size with frequency sweep technique for fresh cement-based composites. The cement-based composites are prepared with different binder system and their impedance is measured with different frequencies. Meanwhile, the porosities will be measured by other technique such as mercury intrusion method. The relationship between the characteristic points of impedance measurement and the mercury intrusion measurement will be investigated and established.

29The application of extrusion technique in producing geopolymer-based thermal insulated panel - Mechanical properties of the extruded geopolymer-based thermal insulated panel Supervisor: Prof Zongjin LiNo. of Student(s) : 1

Recent studies have shown that properties of cement-based materials can be largely influenced by methods of processing. Along this direction, successful application of extrusion techniques in manufacturing cement composite products represents a good example. The advantage of introducing extrusion into processing of cement-based materials is that the materials are formed under high shear and high compressive forces. With properly designed dies and properly controlled material mixes and viscosity, various cement-based products can be manufactured. The materials can be designed to achieve a low porosity, and a higher density. On the other hand, with incorporation of porous aggregate and phase changing materials, the thin wall panel manufactured by extrusion can possess very good heat insulation properties while having sufficient strength. Thus, it can lead to a class of high performance cement-based materials. In this project, the composite aggregates made of porous solid with intrusion of phase changing material will be produced first and the thin wall be produced with extrusion by using geopolymer as the binder. Two students are teamed in producing the geopolymer-based heat insulation panels using extrusion technique. The work distribution after specimen preparation is that one student will concentrate on the test of thermal insulation properties and another will focus on the tests of mechanical properties.

30The application of extrusion technique in producing geopolymer-based thermal insulated panel - Thermal insulation properties of the extruded geopolymer-based thermal insulated panelSupervisor: Prof Zongjin LiNo. of Student(s) : 1

Recent studies have shown that properties of cement-based materials can be largely influenced by methods of processing. Along this direction, successful application of extrusion techniques in manufacturing cement composite products represents a good example. The advantage of introducing extrusion into processing of cement-based materials is that the materials are formed under high shear and high compressive forces. With properly designed dies and properly controlled material mixes and viscosity, various cement-based products can be manufactured. The materials can be designed to achieve a low porosity, and a higher density. On the other hand, with incorporation of porous aggregate and phase changing materials, the thin wall panel manufactured by extrusion can possess very good heat insulation properties while having sufficient strength. Thus, it can lead to a class of high performance cement-based materials. In this project, the composite aggregates made of porous solid with intrusion of phase changing material will be produced first and the thin wall be produced with extrusion by using geopolymer as the binder. Two students are teamed in producing the geopolymer-based heat insulation panels using extrusion technique. The work distribution after specimen preparation is that one student will concentrate on the test of thermal insulation properties and another will focus on the tests of mechanical properties.

31High stiffness concreteSupervisor: Prof Zongjin LiNo. of Student(s) : 1

High strength concrete has been applied in Hong Kong, Mainland China and other regions in the world. Its widespread application is, however, limited by two major concerns by the engineer. First, the increase in strength is often not accompanied by a proportional increase in modulus of elasticity. For a tall building, high modulus is very important in keeping structural members dimension stability, reducing the deformation caused by heavy loading and improving the working compatibility with reinforcement. In designs governed by stiffness, the advantage of high strength concrete cannot be fully exploited, especially for tall buildings sensitive to lateral behavior, i.e. height above 250m and aspect ratio 9, where high modulus concrete is particularly needed to reduce the large deflection. Second, high strength concrete usually fails in a more brittle manner than normal concrete, which can be a concern in practical applications. From the literature review, it is revealed that many researches have been devoted to the toughness improvement of contemporary concrete by incorporating various fibers. However, research on the stiffness improvement of concrete is scarce. Hence, to fill in the gap, this project will focus on the development of high modulus concrete with sufficient compressive strength as well as sufficient toughness with incorporation of the fibres.

32Development of cement-based piezoelectric and magneto-electric composite sensorSupervisor: Prof Zongjin LiNo. of Student(s) : 1

Health monitoring is very important to keep the safe operation for infrastructure. Developing reliable and durable transducer is the key issue for healthy monitoring. In this project, new cement-based piezoelectric and magneto-electric composite sensor will be developed using different mix proportions with the inclusion of functional powders. The piezoelectric and magneto-electric properties of the sensor will be measured and studied to show the influence of different raw material. The feasibility of the sensor in healthy monitoring for structural components will be investigated.

(D)Structural

33Exploration of Domestic Wind Energy Harvesting Systems in High-rise BuildingsSupervisor: Prof C M ChanNo. of Student(s) : 2

Wind energy, unlike fossil fuel power, is green renewable energy which does not release harmful carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Hong Kong is a windy city, providing plentiful free wind supply. With seven million inhabitants working and living in tall building structures, Hong Kong offers an ideal environment for developing domestic wind energy harvesting systems into high-rise buildings. This project is aimed at studying the feasibility of developing small-scale wind turbines for domestic use in densely populated urban environment. The project will involve 1) a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art vertical axis wind turbines; 2) identification of potential wind turbines suitable for domestic use; 3) evaluation of performance of small-scale domestic wind turbines; and 4) design optimization of work efficiency of a promising domestic wind turbine. Both experimental wind tunnel studies and numerical computation will be conducted for performance evaluation of wind turbines.

(Students with keen interests in research on renewable green energy and structural engineering of tall buildings are recommended. Those with strong background in fluid dynamics and structural engineering could be preselected.)

34Structural Topology Optimization of Modern Tilted and Twisted Steel BuildingsSupervisor: Prof C M ChanNo. of Student(s) : 2

Todays trend in modern architecture has produced more complex and taller towers than ever before imagined. Under wind and earthquake excitations, an irregular complex building may vibrate in a lateral-torsional manner with significant swaying and twisting. The coupled lateral-torsional motions may lead to increased lateral deflection, increased structural damage and a higher risk of building collapse. This project aims at studying the impact of structural irregularities on the design of asymmetric tall buildings. Specific attention to structural irregularities in modern tall buildings will be made to minimise the occurrence of weak stories and maximise the torsional resistance. The project will involve 1) computer modeling of building structures using finite element techniques; 2) evaluation of loading effects due to wind and earthquakes; 3) design optimization for establishing the best topological layout of structural system for achieving the optimum lateral and torsional resistance of buildings.

(Students with keen interests in structural engineering of tall buildings are recommended. Those with strong background in structural engineering could be preselected.)

35Comparative Study and Assessment of Wind-Induced Motions of Tall BuildingsSupervisor: Prof C M ChanNo. of Student(s) : 1

Modern tall buildings are wind sensitive and are prone to dynamic serviceability problems. Excessive oscillations induced by turbulent winds have been known to cause human discomfort and even shatter windows. Dynamic serviceability design criteria in terms of accelerations will be explicitly given in the new upcoming Hong Kong Wind Code of Practice. An evaluation and comparison of several of the worlds major building codes and standards will be conducted in this study, with specific discussion of their estimations of the alongwind, acrosswind, and torsional response, for a number of landmark buildings in Hong Kong. In addition, an interactive computer program will be developed for the assessment of wind-induced motion perception in tall buildings. A series of parametric studies will be carried out for identifying the critical structural parameters which influence the characteristics of wind-induced behaviour of a number of notable residential and commercial buildings in Hong Kong. (Student with keen interests in structural design of tall buildings are recommended. Those with strong background in computer programming could be preselected).

36Analysis, testing and re-design of metal brackets for truss-out scaffoldingsSupervisor: Prof C C ChangNo. of Student(s) : 3

Truss-out metal bracket bamboo scaffoldings have been widely used in Hong Kong for maintenance and retrofit of aged structures due to its low cost, efficiency and flexibility. These bamboo scaffoldings are supported by triangular metal brackets anchored to structural surface through three expansion bolts. However, it has been reported that one of the expansion bolts is quite difficult to anchor as the location is quite far to reach for the worker. In this study, it is proposed to perform a systematic study on the factors affecting the load-carrying capacity of metal brackets through analysis and testing. Based on the results obtained, a revised design of metal brackets should be proposed. Detailed steps of this study include:

(a) nonlinear finite element analysis of metal brackets;(b) laboratory test to verify the results obtained above; and(c) re-design of metal brackets and validation of new design.

37Issues governing the design of IDEERS resistant buildings under earthquakeSupervisor: Prof C C ChangNo. of Student(s) : 3

To promote earthquake engineering and seismic protection education and encourage students to participate in a creative scientific competition, an international competition entitled "Introducing and Demonstrating Earthquake Engineering Research in Schools (IDEERS)" has been held in Taiwan for over a decade. In the competition, the participates are required to design and build a building model using raw materials such as fiberboards, glue sticks, rubber bands and paper. While the design of these buildings is intuitive, the engineering problems behind are actually quite substantial and cannot be easily answered. First of all, the components of these scaled down buildings are either glued, string- or rubber-fixed, which properties are not fully understood. Secondly, these building models would exhibits large deformation under earthquake which means that nonlinear structural analysis is needed to predict their seismic behavior. In this study, we intend to address these issues via the following steps:

(a) laboratory tests on the mechanical behavior of components and connections; (b) nonlinear finite element analysis of building models; and(c) reflections on issues governing the seismic design of IDEERS buildings

38Rocking isolation of bridges Supervisor: Prof I DimitrakopoulosNo. of Student(s) : 3

We examine an alternative seismic design approach which allows rocking behavior (uplifting of the bridge piers) in order to reduce the loading on the structure, during an earthquake event, and hence limit yielding and damage. This project is a part of an on-going broader study on the dynamics of rocking bridge piers. Aim of this project is to examine, analytically and numerically, the efficiency of rocking behaviour as a seismic isolation technique for concrete bridges. This research can make significant contributions in the area of bridge dynamics and earthquake engineering.

39Analysis of the dynamic interaction between railway bridges, and high-speed-trainsSupervisor: Prof I DimitrakopoulosNo. of Student(s) : 2

This vehicle-bridge interaction is a nonlinear problem of structural dynamics, of particular interest for both the safety of the bridge and the stability of the train. Aim of this project is to capture analytically and numerically the dynamics of the vehicle (train)-bridge interaction (VBI).

40Optimal Design of Structures in the presence of uncertaintiesSupervisor: Prof L KatafygiotisNo. of Student(s) : 2

The optimal design of structures is traditionally cast as a constrained optimization problem in which an objective function, usually related to the total weight of the structure, is to be minimized, subject to a set of constraints, related to strength or serviceability requirements. In such traditional approaches one assumes the availability of a perfect mathematical model of the structure, usually a finite element model. However, in practice there are many uncertainties related to establishing the values of the parameters and the predicting accuracy of such a model. This FYP aims to develop a methodology for treating such uncertainties and yielding an optimal design in the presence of such realistic uncertainties. Also, the project will explore the use of non-classical methods such as genetic algorithms and Markov chain methods for solving structural optimization problems when the question is to not only obtain the optimal sizing of the members but also the optimal configuration, that is, the optimal geometry and connectivity of the members. The project involves computational work using MATLAB.

41Development of New Algorithms for high-dimensional Reliability or Optimization ProblemsSupervisor: Prof L KatafygiotisNo. of Student(s) : 1

This project will investigate various existing reliability algorithms and their shortcomings when applied to high-dimensional reliability or optimization problems. All known algorithms face tremendous difficulties when applied to problems involving a very large number of variables. In this project we will try to get a deeper understanding as to why these problems arise and we will attempt to propose new algorithms that hopefully can overcome some of these problems.

42Reliability corresponding to Collapse FailureSupervisor: Prof L KatafygiotisNo. of Student(s) : 1

The project will develop procedures to account for the estimation of failure probability corresponding to collapse of structures. The progressive development of plastic hinges throughout the structure in the presence of loading and materials uncertainties will be studied. Partial and Global collapse scenarios will be considered. The project involves computational work using MATLAB.

43Health monitoring of bridges using wireless sensorsSupervisor: Prof L KatafygiotisNo. of Student(s) : 1

This project will investigate the use of wireless sensors for the health monitoring of a bridge structure. A pedestrian bridge on the HKUST campus will be selected for this purpose. A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages between wireless and traditional wired sensor systems will be undertaken.

44Seismic performance of infilled frame structures: reversed cyclic load testsSupervisor: Prof J S KuangNo. of Student(s) : 3

Reversed cyclic load tests will be conducted to investigate the seismic performance and failure mechanisms of large-scale, reinforced concrete masonry-infilled frames with different infill configurations and frame-to-infill connections.

45Seismic performance of wide-beam column joints: experimental investigationsSupervisor: Prof J S KuangNo. of Student(s) : 2

Seismic performance and load transfer mechanisms in RC wide-beam column connections are one of the important research topics in the areas. In this project, experimental studies will be conducted to investigate the seismic performance and failure mechanisms of RC exterior wide-beam column connections.

46Structural and aerodynamic coupling of wind-sensitive tall buildingsSupervisor: Prof Tim TseNo. of Student(s) : 3

There is an increasing trend of structurally-linked tall buildings around the world as they provide esthetic effects and the linked parts sometimes offer special operational usages. In some cases, the linked parts may also be used to mitigate structural dynamic responses. For the design of this type of tall buildings, wind loading is one of the dominating loads. However, there are currently limited researches about wind-induced response of structurally-linked tall buildings and the effects of the linked parts on wind resistant. In addition, there are only a few researches about wind loading prediction for this type of buildings using wind tunnel tests. Only these mechanisms and wind loading have been studied and understood clearly can we design linked tall buildings reasonably and correctly. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the mechanism of linked buildings under the wind excitation, to analyze the wind loading distribution around linked tall buildings, and to evaluate the effects of links on structural performance. Upon successful completion of the project, students will be able to perform basic dynamic analysis and structural design of tall buildings using technical computing and engineering software.

47Wind-induced excitation of inclined slender structuresSupervisor: Prof Tim TseNo. of Student(s) : 2

Lock-in and galloping of slender structures has been studied extensively in the past several decades due to its large-amplitude oscillation. Most of these studies were devoted to the galloping oscillation of slender prismatic structures, whose axis is normal to the incident flow. In practice, there is an increasing trend to design structures with an inclined angle. For instance, tilted bridge pylons are designed primarily to act against the cables tension forces, such as Alamillo Bridge in Spain. Although galloping oscillations of slender vertical prismatic structures have been studied extensively in the past, the aero-elastic behavior of inclined square-sectioned cylinder has been rarely the topic of research. The primary aim of this research is to determine the effects of inclination on galloping excitation of inclined cylinder employing pressure measurement and aero-elastic test in wind tunnel. Alamillo Bridge

(E)Transportation

48Planning for a Sustainable Electric Vehicles Market and Accompanying Charging InfrastructureSupervisor: Prof Hong K LoNo. of Student(s) : 2

In light of energy crises and environmental concerns, electric vehicles (EVs) have been proposed as a possible solution to mitigate these problems. At present, however, EVs have not been widely adopted. Other than pricing, limited driving range and a scarcity of charging facilities are critical issues inhibiting their widespread adoption. Some alluded to the EV market as a chicken-and-egg phenomenon: without sufficient charging stations consumers would not switch to EVs, and without sufficient EVs private operators would not deploy sufficient charging stations. In this project, we will explore potential ways to jumpstart the market, by considering consumer vehicle choices and optimal deployment of the charging infrastructure. The project requires two students who enjoy working with mathematics and computer programming

49Transportation Network Performance under the Prevalence of Social Network Supervisor: Prof Hong K LoNo. of Student(s) : 3

Transportation network analysis relies heavily on the notion of equilibrium assignment, which at best is an idealization. As social networks, such as Facebook or Twitter, become more prevalent, people tend to share more traffic information online. This project will investigate how these new platforms for traffic information sharing would change transportation network performance. Will the resultant transportation network converge faster to equilibrium, or will it oscillate? This project will design and conduct some online experiments to investigate travelers behavioral response to online traffic information. The project requires three students who enjoy working with mathematics and computer programming.

50Speed limits, Speed Selection and Network Equilibrium - Equilibrium with speed selection and user heterogeneitySupervisor: Prof Hai YangNo. of Student(s) : 1

This project investigates the evaluation and optimal design of speed limits for the purpose of safety enhancement, energy saving and emission reduction on general networks, taking into account travelers non-obedient behaviors in speed selection. A user equilibrium model under a given link-specific speed limits is developed, where the subjective travel time cost, the perceived crash risk, and the perceived ticket risk of travelers are all taken into account as determinant factors for their actual speed and route choices. An iterative diagonalization program is proposed to solve the user equilibrium model with heterogeneous user classes. A bi-objective bi-level model with the user equilibrium constraint is proposed for optimal selection of speed limits to simultaneously minimize total travel time and total vehicular emission on the network. The models and algorithms are illustrated with numerical examples.

51Speed limits, Speed Selection and Network Equilibrium The impact of speed limits on system performanceSupervisor: Prof Hai YangNo. of Student(s) : 1

This project investigates the evaluation and optimal design of speed limits for the purpose of safety enhancement, energy saving and emission reduction on general networks, taking into account travelers non-obedient behaviors in speed selection. A user equilibrium model under a given link-specific speed limits is developed, where the subjective travel time cost, the perceived crash risk, and the perceived ticket risk of travelers are all taken into account as determinant factors for their actual speed and route choices. An iterative diagonalization program is proposed to solve the user equilibrium model with heterogeneous user classes. A bi-objective bi-level model with the user equilibrium constraint is proposed for optimal selection of speed limits to simultaneously minimize total travel time and total vehicular emission on the network. The models and algorithms are illustrated with numerical examples.

52Public Transport Scheduling and Pricing - Investigation of the Downs-Thomson ParadoxSupervisor: Prof Hai YangNo. of Student(s) : 1

It is observed both theoretically and empirically that the Downs-Thomson Paradox (D-T Paradox) may occur in the sense that highway capacity expansion produces counterproductive effect on the overall network performance (Downs, 1962; Thomson, 1977). This happens where the highway is in parallel to a public transit line on the same corridor, and the shifting of traffic volume from the transit makes the highway more congested while the transit service also reduces due to shrinking revenue. The purpose of this project is to investigate the occurrence of the D-T Paradox considering both transit scheduling and pricing schemes for different market regimes. To this end, the impact of capacity change on commuters' modal choice and travel utility is clarified under various combinations of transit operating schemes and market regimes. Based on it, the condition for the occurrence of the D-T Paradox is established for each of the scenario. It is found that the D-T Paradox never occurs under the monopoly transit regimes and it may occur under the zero-profit transit regimes. The analytical results obtained are verified with numerical examples.

53Public Transport Scheduling and Pricing - Win-win multi-modal operating strategies Supervisor: Prof Hai YangNo. of Student(s) : 1

It is observed both theoretically and empirically that the Downs-Thomson Paradox (D-T Paradox) may occur in the sense that highway capacity expansion produces counterproductive effect on the overall network performance (Downs, 1962; Thomson, 1977). This happens where the highway is in parallel to a public transit line on the same corridor, and the shifting of traffic volume from the transit makes the highway more congested while the transit service also reduces due to shrinking revenue. The purpose of this project is to investigate the occurrence of the D-T Paradox considering both transit scheduling and pricing schemes for different market regimes. To this end, the impact of capacity change on commuters' modal choice and travel utility is clarified under various combinations of transit operating schemes and market regimes. Based on it, the condition for the occurrence of the D-T Paradox is established for each of the scenario. It is found that the D-T Paradox never occurs under the monopoly transit regimes and it may occur under the zero-profit transit regimes. The analytical results obtained are verified with numerical examples.

54On the morning commute problem with bottleneck congestion and parking space constraint - Equilibrium of departure time choice Supervisor: Prof Hai YangNo. of Student(s) : 1

It is a fact that morning commuters often choose their departure times not only to trade off bottleneck congestion and schedule delays, but also in order to secure a parking spot due to limited parking spaces. It is the combination of these two forces that governs the commuters departure time choices. This project investigates the morning commute problem with both bottleneck congestion and parking space constraints; particularly when some commuters have reserved parking spots or parking permits and other commuters have to compete for public parking spots on a first-come first-served basis. Distinguished from the traditional pure bottleneck model, the rush-hour dynamic traffic pattern with binding parking capacity constraints varies with the relative portions of the two classes of commuters: those with and those without a parking permit. It is found that an appropriate combination of reserved and unreserved parking spots can temporally smooth out traffic congestion at the bottleneck and hence reduce the total system cost, because the commuters without a parking permit are compelled to depart from home earlier due to competition for a limited number of downtown parking spots. System performance is quantified in terms of the relative portions of the two classes of commuters and compared with the extreme case the extreme case when either all auto commuters are subject to binding parking space constraints or when all parking spots are permitized and distributed to commuters.

(F)Environmental

55*Sulfur cycle in the enhanced phosphorus removal systemSupervisor: Prof G H ChenNo. of Student(s) : 1

Sulfur cycle-based phosphorus removal is a new technology in wastewater treatment area. This study aims at revealing the unknowns of sulfur cycle in the enhanced bacteria phosphorus removal (EBPR) process from 3 aspects.1. How does the energy store? - The storage form of the sulfur, where and how.2. How does sulfur drive the EBPR activity? - The connection of sulfur cycle and EBPR, the benefits and advantages of EBRP process with sulfur cycle.3. How to enhance the sulfur-cycle? - The improvement of sulfur-cycle activity.

56*Granulation process in the sulfur cycle-based phosphorus removal systemSupervisor: Prof G H ChenNo. of Student(s) : 1

In order to achieve effective removal of organics, nitrogen and phosphorus from saline sewage with sludge production and oxygen demand minimization, granulation is a good option. Studies will focus on the granule formation (including granulation process, impact factors, granulation metabolism); granule characterization (including morphology, particle size etc.) and granule applications, DS-EBPR mechanism and process optimization.

57*Large-scale application of the novel saline sewage treatment process (SANI) in Hong KongSupervisor: Prof G H ChenNo. of Student(s) : 1

Sulphate Reduction, Autotrophic Denitrification and Nitrification Integrated (SANI) Process is a novel technology for saline wastewater treatment. This novel technology successfully eliminates 90% of sewage sludge production, minimizes energy consumption as well as odour and greenhouse-gas emission. This process has been fully developed in lab and pilot scale. We collaborate with Drainage Services Department (DSD) to conduct a large-scale application of SANI in Sha Tin sewage treatment works. The study will focus on the performance of the full-scale trail.

58*Urine nitrification with a pressurized bioreactorSupervisor: Prof G H ChenNo. of Student(s) : 1

Hong Kong is dominated by high-rise buildings with a high residential density. The sewage treatment technology must be cost-effective and compact so as to meet the building maintenance requirements. The pressure can enhance the activated sludge concentration by developing granular biomass with high ammonia oxidation efficiency. The biomass concentration can be several times higher than that of conventional bioreactors, thus resulting in a much smaller footprint for reactor installation. This study will mainly focus on developing a continuous-flow system operated under pressure. A lab-scale system with 3-6 bars pressure only will be adopted (due to lab safety constraints) to simulate the gravity pressure of a 60-m tall building. The main research tasks will be evaluating its performance in urine ammonia oxidation and elucidating the mechanism of urine nitrifying biomass granulation under pressure.

59*Development of innovative seawater-based urine P recovery (SUPR) technologySupervisor: Prof G H ChenNo. of Student(s) : 1

The SUPR system integrates continuous-flow urine hydrolysis and phosphorus precipitation suitable for Hong Kongs high-rise building environment. Research efforts will be devoted to the development of a low cost, compact, and easily installed SUPR. A preliminary system has been explored with 95% P recovery within 2-4 h with fresh urine. Optimization of the proposed system will be studied through bench-scale studies.

60*Air Quality and Exposure Assessment Supervisor: Prof Alexis LauNo. of Student(s) : 3

It is well-known that Hong Kong has an outdoor air quality problem. However, it is still unclear where and when people get their largest dose of outdoor air pollutant (OAP). The concentration of OAP is much higher on the roadside; is it true that most people get their largest dose when they are taking their daily trips to and from work / school? On the other hand, we spend most of the time indoor; considering that for most environment outdoor air are being mixed indoor continuously, is it true that most people get their largest dose of OAP indoor? In this project, we shall make measurements of (a) OAPs in different microenvironment and (b) activity pattern of different population subgroup. Combining these two sets of information, we shall be able to start answering the question of where and when Hong Kongs population gets the largest dose of different OAPs.

61*Air Quality Estimating air quality improvement from recent marine emission reduction legislations in Hong Kong Supervisor: Prof Alexis LauNo. of Student(s) : 1

Hong Kong is one of the busiest ports in Hong Kong. Recent studies have shown that shipping emission contributes to a substantial amount of adverse health impact in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has recently passed a number of legislations to reduce emissions from marine emissions. In this project, student shall try to use available data to estimate how much these new control measures may help reduce the adverse air quality impact from the shipping industries. (Computer programming skill is required for this project because of the need for running air quality models.)

62*Air Quality Estimating air quality improvement from recent diesel vehicle replacement legislation in Hong Kong Supervisor: Prof Alexis LauNo. of Student(s) : 1

The Hong Kong government has recently launched a HK$11.4 billion program to replace old diesel vehicles in Hong Kong. This is the by far the most expensive and comprehensive vehicle replacement program of its kind around the world. In this project, student shall try to use available data to estimate how much these new control measures may help reduce the adverse air quality impact from the diesel vehicles. (Computer programming skill is required for this project because of the need for running air quality models.)

63*Carbon measurement of commonly used construction materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment - Carbon measurement of commonly used asphalt in Hong Kong by life cycle assessmentSupervisor: Prof Irene Lo and Prof Jack ChengNo. of Student(s) : 1

According to WWFs Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report 2010, the second largest carbon footprint in Hong Kong is associated with the output from the Construction sector. Of the carbon footprint associated with construction activities in Hong Kong, 85 percent is embodied in imported goods and services. In addition to direct emissions from the Construction sector, this carbon footprint includes emissions from all upstream material inputs to construction activities. This project aims to develop a database of carbon footprint of commonly used building construction materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment (LCA) using SigmaPro. Such a database could help to lower the building construction industrys carbon footprint by providing a benchmarking in selection of green materials, development of carbon labeling, and estimation and prediction of carbon footprint in the built environment.Deliverables: Identify 2-3 types or brands of asphalt most commonly used in HK Calculate the carbon footprint of each by LCA Propose the selection criteria and how to source the green asphalt with a lower carbon footprint

64*Carbon measurement of commonly used construction materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment - Carbon measurement of commonly used aluminum in Hong Kong by life cycle assessmentSupervisor: Prof Irene Lo and Prof Jack ChengNo. of Student(s) : 1

According to WWFs Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report 2010, the second largest carbon footprint in Hong Kong is associated with the output from the Construction sector. Of the carbon footprint associated with construction activities in Hong Kong, 85 percent is embodied in imported goods and services. In addition to direct emissions from the Construction sector, this carbon footprint includes emissions from all upstream material inputs to construction activities. This project aims to develop a database of carbon footprint of commonly used building construction materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment (LCA) using SigmaPro. Such a database could help to lower the building construction industrys carbon footprint by providing a benchmarking in selection of green materials, development of carbon labeling, and estimation and prediction of carbon footprint in the built environment.Deliverables: Identify 2-3 types or brands of aluminum most commonly used in HK Calculate the carbon footprint of each by LCA Propose the selection criteria and how to source the green aluminum with a lower carbon footprint

65*Carbon measurement of commonly used construction materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment - Carbon measurement of commonly used timber and timber products in Hong Kong by life cycle assessmentSupervisor: Prof Irene Lo and Prof Jack ChengNo. of Student(s) : 1

According to WWFs Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report 2010, the second largest carbon footprint in Hong Kong is associated with the output from the Construction sector. Of the carbon footprint associated with construction activities in Hong Kong, 85 percent is embodied in imported goods and services. In addition to direct emissions from the Construction sector, this carbon footprint includes emissions from all upstream material inputs to construction activities. This project aims to develop a database of carbon footprint of commonly used building construction materials in Hong Kong by life cycle assessment (LCA) using SigmaPro. Such a database could help to lower the building construction industrys carbon footprint by providing a benchmarking in selection of green materials, development of carbon labeling, and estimation and prediction of carbon footprint in the built environment.Deliverables: Identify 2-3 types or brands of timber and timber products most commonly used in HK Calculate the carbon footprint of each by LCA Propose the selection criteria and how to source the green timber and timber products with a lower carbon footprint

66*Modeling Water Quality in Urban Water Distribution NetworksSupervisor: Prof. Tze Ling NgNo. of students: 2

Potable water is distributed from the water treatment plant to end users in pressurized pipes. However, in between, there may be occurrences of contamination. Hence, it is meaningful to model the movement of disinfection chemicals through the distribution network, as well as the movements of possible contaminants. Doing so provides answers to questions on the vulnerability of drinking water systems to contamination, whether accidental or intentional, and the measures necessary to protect them. In this project, the software EPANET will be used. EPANET is an open source software that is freely available for academic purposes. One student will model the Anytown network, and the other the New York network. Both are frequently used case studies in the literature.

67*Modeling the Shatin Water Distribution NetworkSupervisor: Prof. Tze Ling NgNo. of students: 2

In this project, the software EPANET will be used to model water velocity and pressure throughout the Shatin water distribution network. EPANET is an open source software developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) that is freely available for academic purposes. It is widely used in the academia, government and industry. The software will also be used to calculate the overall energy and hydraulic heads required to meet demands. One student will extract key data from an existing digital map of the Shatin network. To do so, specialized Geographic Information System (GIS) software will be used. The second student will apply the data from the digital map to EPANET to model the system.

68*Facility Location Models in Environmental and Water Resources Planning and ManagementSupervisor: Prof. Tze Ling NgNo. of students: 1

Facility location models are optimization models to determine the best locations to site facilities. The best locations are those that best balance transportation costs against facility establishment costs. The more facilities there are, the shorter the distances between the facilities and demand points, and hence, the lower the costs of transportation. However, the more facilities there are, the greater are costs to build and operate them. In this project, the student will conduct a review of the literature to give a comprehensive overview of the different applications of facility location models for environmental and water resources planning and management. This should include the use of such models for locating sensors within a water distribution network to detect a contamination, for locating water treatment and wastewater treatment facilities, etc.

69*Development of technical solution(s) for controlling algal growth during long-term storage of harvested rainwater Supervisor: Prof. Chii ShangNo. of students: 2

Rainwater harvesting is being seriously considered as an alternative water resource in Hong Kong. It is also used as a major source of water in many developing and low-income regions. However, it is found that long-term storage of the harvested rainwater is often suffered from algal growth. In this final year project, we will try to develop some technical solution(s) for controlling algal growth during long-term storage of harvested rainwater.

70*Impact of hydrogen sulfide on the performance of chemically-enhanced primary treatment using ferric chloride Supervisor: Prof. Chii ShangNo. of students: 2

Chemically-enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) processes are used in a number of sewage treatment plants in Hong Kong. However, the performance of the CEPT plants varies and causes of the variation is unclear. We hypothesize that the variation may be attributable to the impact of hydrogen sulfide, as it can react with and consume the coagulant. In this FYP, we will try to look into the issue by laboratory simulation and characterization of the formed solids.

71*Byproduct formation from chlorination and chloramination of drinking water with blend-in of desalinated seawaterSupervisor: Prof. Chii ShangNo. of students: 2

The foreseeable water shortage in Hong Kong leads to serious consideration of seawater desalination by reverse osmosis as one option to meet the future water demand. In practice, the desalinated water, which contains bromide, will likely mix with treated surface water in the distribution system in Hong Kong. This may increase the disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation. This FYP will compare the formation potentials of DBPs under different environmental and operational conditions.

72*Optimization of drinking water treatment to control the formation of disinfection byproducts in drinking water Supervisor: Prof Xiangru ZhangNo. of Student(s) : 3

Halogenated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) formed from the reaction of disinfectant(s) with natural organic matter and bromide/iodide in raw water have been intensively studied over the past several decades, yet only a fraction of the total organic halogen formed during disinfection has been identified or characterized. A significant portion of the unaccounted total organic halogen may be attributed to the highly polar halogenated DBPs, which have eluded identification by researchers due to the limitations of gas chromatographymass spectrometry. This study proposes to develop a method for fast selective detection of highly polar halogenated DBPs in drinking water using state-of-the-art liquid chromatographytriple quadrupole mass spectrometry techniques, and to assess the occurrence of highly polar halogenated DBPs formed from using the major disinfectants (chlorine, chloramines, ozone, chlorine dioxide) as well as their combinations. It is expected that this study will provide outright identification of some unknown highly polar halogenated DBPs, and will lead to better control of the formation of DBPs in drinking water.

73*Optimization of wastewater treatment to minimize the adverse effect of wastewater DBPs on the marine ecosystem Supervisor: Prof Xiangru ZhangNo. of Student(s) : 2

Recent attention has focused on emerging and novel disinfection byproducts (DBPs) formed after disinfection of bromide-/iodide-rich water with chlorine-based disinfectants. Hong Kong, where seawater is used for toilet flushing, has decided to use chlorination for its 1,700,000 cubic meters per day of saline sewage effluents. Besides bromide, iodide also unexpectedly enters Hong Kongs sewage with the seawater. Upon chlorination, chlorine reacts first with ammonia in the sewage effluents to form chloramine; Chloramine can oxidize iodide in the sewage effluents to form hypoiodous acid, which could then react with organic matter in the sewage effluents to form numerous iodinated DBPs. The chlorinated saline sewage effluents with the iodinated DBPs (as well as brominated DBPs) are discharged into receiving water bodies. The deficiency of fresh water may compel many coastal cities around the world to adopt the practice using seawater for toilet flushing. Because of the higher toxicities and the potential adverse implications to aquatic ecosystems and ultimately to human health, the formation and control of iodinated DBPs in chlorinated saline sewage effluents is an issue of paramount importance or at least equal importance to their brominated analogues.

(G)Hydraulics

74*Smart Water Systems: Supervisor: Prof M S GhidaouiNo. of Student(s) : 1

Projects 1: One student will survey the latest and smartest technology for detection of defects (leaks, blockages, etc.) in pressurized pipe systems. The advantages and limitations of each of the current technologies will be investigated.

75*Smart Water Systems: Supervisor: Prof M S GhidaouiNo. of Student(s) : 2

Project 2: Two students will investigate the potential of using hydraulic waves to develop new technologies for defect detection in pipes.

76*Smart Water Systems: Supervisor: Prof M S GhidaouiNo. of Student(s) : 2

Project 3: Two students will investigate the potential of using hydraulic waves to communicate in pipes. This communication, if possible, will open up unprecedented avenue for innovative engineering!

77*Quantitative analysis of solid boundary and free boundary gravity currentsSupervisor: Prof G A KikkertNo. of Student(s) : 1

A gravity current is generated when there is a horizontal density gradient. An example is hot air above land and cold air above the sea. The density difference will cause the cold air to flow underneath the hot air, which is also known as the afternoon sea-breeze at many beaches around the world. In the laboratory, gravity currents are often generated using a lock-exchange flow. A gate is positioned in the middle of a channel with saltwater on one side and freshwater on the other side of the gate. Opening the gate generates two gravity currents, the saltwater current that travels along the solid (bottom) boundary and the freshwater current that travels along the free surface which is a free boundary. In this project laboratory tests, using the Light Attenuation flow visualization technique, will be carried out to determine the quantitative behaviour of both the solid and free boundary gravity currents to investigate the effect of the boundary on the flow.

78*Behaviour of the internal gravity currentSupervisor: Prof G A KikkertNo. of Student(s) : 1

A gravity current is generated when there is a horizontal density gradient. This results in the fluid with the greater density travelling horizontally underneath the fluid with the smaller density. However, if the density of the ambient fluid is not uniform in the vertical direction (there is a density gradient throughout the fluid column or there is a step in the density), it results in the gravity current travelling through the ambient fluid at the height of equal density. If this height is neither at the free surface nor the bottom boundary of the fluid column, this generates an internal gravity current. In this project, the flow behaviour of the internal gravity current is studied using the light attenuation flow visualization technique. Particular attention is paid to the effect of the densities of the gravity current and the ambient fluid on the flow behaviour.

79*Suspension potential of flow in positive and negative inclined channelsSupervisor: Prof G A KikkertNo. of Student(s) : 1

To control the formation of H2S inside storm-drains the natural redox cycle of iron-sulfur can be used. Iron particles added to the sediments oxidize H2S to odourless substances. When their capacity is exhausted it is recovered by rapidly mixing the sediment and iron particles with sea water. To achieve this mixing inside the storm-drain, tidal energy is used by placing a gate at the entrance of the storm-drain that is closed during low-tight and opened rapidly during high-tide. This generates a dam-break flow that travels from the sea into the storm-drain disturbing the layer of sediment so that oxygen-rich sea water can come into contact with the iron particles. The shear stress due to the interaction of the moving fluid with the particles is what suspends the particles into the flow column. To determine whether sediments are suspended by the flow, the shear stress has to be greater than the critical shear stress. Values for the critical shear stress have been obtained from experiments and those results have resulted in the (modified) Shields diagram which enables the critical shear stress to be determined for a particular Reynolds number and sediment particle diameter. However, this diagram is valid for flow over a horizontal bed. Dam-break generated flow in a storm-drain is initially in a positive inclined channel and when the water is travelling back towards the sea the channel is negatively inclined. In this project laboratory tests are carried out using a sediment transport apparatus to determine the effect of the inclined slope on the critical bed shear stress.

80*Interaction of jet discharges from a multiport diffuserSupervisor: Prof G A KikkertNo. of Student(s) : 2

After treatment of wastewater in a treatment plant, the wastewater is discharged back into the environment. Coastal cities have the benefit of discharging into the ocean which has large quantities of dissolved oxygen to biodegrade the organics left in the wastewater. Special structures have been built to dispose of wastewater into the ocean. These structures, called outfalls, enhance the mixing and therefore the dilution of the wastewater as it enters the ocean. One particular design feature to enhance the dilution is to dispose of the wastewater through multiple ports rather than a single one. A multiport diffuser generates multiple jet discharges that will begin to interact at a certain distance away from the exit of the port. This project will investigate the interaction of multiple jet discharges by carrying out several different experiments in the laboratory using the Light Attenuation (LA) flow visualization technique. The focus will be on the dependence of the flow behaviour on the distance between the individual jet discharges and the number of individual jet discharges.

81*Wind Tunnel Tests on Evapotranspiration Supervisor: Prof Y K TungNo. of Student(s) : 2

Evapotranspiration is a combined process whereby water is lost from the soil surface by evaporation and from plants by transpiration. The process can change the moisture profile in the soil which affects the growth of plants and stability of soil on the slope. There are many factors affecting evapotranpiration rate (e.g., wind speed, temperature, humidity, and solar radiation, etc.) and many empirical formulas have been developed based on field experiments. The main difficulty of a field experiment is that all the factors interplay simultaneously and their effects cannot be separated. This FYP study will conduct some preliminary wind tunnel tests to examine the effect of wind speed on evapotranspiration of plants and soil moisture distribution with vegetation cover.

82*Assessment of Wind Energy Potential in Hong Kong Supervisor: Prof Y K TungNo. of Student(s) : 2

Wind energy is one of the important clean and renewable energy that has not been serious utilized in Hong Kong. The declining of fossil fuels and safety concerns of nuclear energy, not to mention their potential threats to environments and human health, have prompted need to look other clean, safe, and renewable energy sources. This study attempts to collect information of wind climate over the Territory of Hong Kong and make preliminary assessments about wind energy potential in Hong Kong.

83*Assessment of Flood Potential and Mitigation Measures in Urban AreasSupervisor: Prof Y K TungNo. of Student(s) : 2

Many urban areas in Hong Kong, like Sheung Wan and Western District on Hong Kong Island, are located at the foothill. Stores and shops on the ground floor in these urban areas are often vulnerable to flooding. This study attempts to apply a suitable stormwater drainage model to assess the flood potential of selected urban areas in Hong Kong and the vulnerability of the store/shop. Hopefully, the study can propose a few viable, practical, and cheap mitigation measure for the store/shop owners to better protect their properties.

Remarks:

Students enrolled in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Program MUST choose topics marked with asterisk (*).

Final Year Project Selection Sheet

CGA:

Student Name:

Student ID:

Date of Submission:

Choices:(1)__________(11)__________(2)__________(12)__________(3)__________(13)__________(4)__________(14)__________(5)__________(15)__________(6)__________(16)__________(7)__________(17)__________(8)__________(18)__________(9)__________(19)__________(10)__________(20)__________

* Students can choose up to 20 choices

For Official Use Only

Results:

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