ARUP First 08_interactive
ARUP First 08_interactive
The dramatic effects of COVID-19 on public health and global economies will
inevitably cause a considerable drag on the progress towards the 17 United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) set for 2030. Despite this
challenge, the pandemic has reinforced the need for intensified efforts towards
04 Technical Solutions
Shaping a sustainable future: Why it matters?
26
While the list of projects that exemplify our commitment is extensive, this issue
brings to you a few specific impactful examples. The Kai Tak District Cooling
System (DCS) reflects our trusted capabilities that cover all phases of this
groundbreaking project for Hong Kong, from initial planning to design, to final Foresight and Innovation
implementation and ongoing operations.
2050 scenarios: A glimpse into four fictional futures
Extreme weather events put water infrastructure at risk while continuing Building a culture of innovation
urbanisation increases demand. In some cases, an ageing water infrastructure
32
needs a major overhaul. Read on to find out our ‘Design with Water’ framework
and City Water Resilience Approach to the planning of an integrated water
management for Shanghai as the city looks to improve the resilience of its
decades-old drainage system. Research
Every game-changing project begins with feasibility analysis and strategic Intelligent scanning of rock armour
planning. In this issue we also look at the recommendations we made for the Da
Mangkhut’s aftermath offers window of opportunity for Arup to
Nang City, Vietnam on implementing a waste-to-energy facility under the public- study facade’s resistance to severe winds
private partnership model; and on the Sustainable City pLAn envisioned by the
City of Los Angeles.
Also covered in this issue are the summary of our latest Foresight report,
intrapreneurship programme, latest research results, as well as the stories of
Vincent Cheng and Sam Chow, who shared their insights on leadership, career
development and project success.
36 Sharing and Training
Learning in a socially distant world
We hope you find this issue informative and useful. Lessons learnt from COVID-19: Shaping a resilient future
Why it matters?
costs
• Increase asset value
• Reduce operating costs
• Increase workplace productivity
Technical Solutions
Social drivers
• Improve reputation and branding
• Promote health and well-being
• Better reputation and branding
• Promote social cohesion and
inclusiveness
• More design flexibility and legacy
• Optimise flexibility and legacy
• Better security and safety
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
masterplanning
infrastructure solutions. Instead,
a visionary ‘blue, green and grey’
approach was proposed to support an
integrated water cycle plan across the
city, which would also benefit other
Client:
aspects across the Greater Shanghai,
Shanghai Municipal Water Authority including ecology, economy and public
health.
Collaborator:
Shanghai Urban Construction Design
and Research Institute
As global policymakers continue to
find ways to cope with the inevitable █ The Shanghai project team attended a workshop during a site visit to Leeds, the UK.
Arup’s scope of services: impacts from climate change,
Water engineering, flood risk innovations such as new governance
management, civil engineering,
landscape architecture, central
models, water sensitive urban design,
urban drainage system planning, integrated flood control planning
drainage capacity standard and and decentralised infrastructure are Pla
ce
pollution control standard analysis, an
culture gri-
W
ly
Health g
as
pp
well-b
and a
te
su
w
at
er
er
at
ein
and
W
Food
Integrated
water cycle
En
ge
er
Flooding
an
gy
ch
an
Ecosystem
ate
d
Water
ca
services
im
resources
rb
Cl
Buildings
on
and public
realm Energy and carbon
Demand Asset
management management
The Shanghai urban drainage catchment at the expense of green In December 2018 the city’s authorities
masterplan has officially been signed space. The city has seen a 50% increase launched an international design Planning
and urban
off by the Shanghai Water Authority, in stormwater runoff across the city, competition to look for advanced Catchment
management
design
River and
waterways
signifying a breakthrough for leading to an increase in flooding yet implementable strategies for the
Arup in the Chinese water market, events. highly populated city centre using Green
infrastructure
showcasing our capability to contribute international expertise. Urban retrofit
Resilient
infrastructure
to the building of resilient cities. A large area of Shanghai is served by Coasts
The masterplan was the result of an a ‘combined drainage system’, which In their winning design, Arup
Smart
11-month collaboration between Arup carries both rainwater and wastewater and local partner Shanghai Urban infrastructure
and a local design institute. The team in the same underground network. Construction Design & Research Catchment interventions Specialist services
first won an international competition During dry days, this combined flow Institute demonstrated a well-thought-
and subsequently was awarded the drains into wastewater treatment plants. out plan that covers an area of 640km2 █ Arup’s approach seeks to maximise the potential of current facilities and existing infrastructure before proposing anything new.
development of the masterplan. During rainstorms, when the designed with a design population of 15 million.
capacity of the wastewater treatment The comprehensive plan was a result Integrating governance, green, the water cycle at the heart of the urban
blue and grey planning process, actions taken to
plant has been exceeded, untreated of a collaboration between Arup’s
Urban drainage system protect and enhance the water cycle can
wastewater effluent from the city will global offices in mainland China, the Arup’s approach seeks to maximise deliver multiple wider benefits.
requires significant upgrade be discharged into rivers, i.e. sewage UK, the US, Spain and Hong Kong the potential of current facilities and
overflow, causing river pollution. As SAR, and extensive consultation with existing infrastructure before proposing
Over the last 30 years, Shanghai Arup undertook a typology study
such, Shanghai has a pressing need to experts from Arup’s Global Water Skill anything new, with an initial focus
has seen rapid urbanisation and using mapping and machine learning.
upgrade its existing drainage system. Network. on improving the management of the
population growth. By 2018 the city’s Four systems were identified during
This problem will be exacerbated existing network. As an example, the
urbanised area was 7 to 8 times larger the development of the masterplan —
by the imminent threat of climate ‘Design with Water’ approach looks at
than in 1985. This massive scale of green, blue and grey infrastructure, as
change which is likely to affect rainfall water systems, flood risks, wastewater
urban development has increased the well as governance.
patterns. and water quality as one. By placing
impermeable area coverage of the
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Finally, where there was no other In the next phase, Arup will work
option, the team investigated the closely with the authorities to
implementation of grey infrastructure █ An urban square for everyday recreational use can also serve to store stormwater during implement the plan for this city shaped
which included the use of strategic flooding period. by water. As commented by Zhang
drainage tunnels and localised storage. Jie, an academician of the Chinese
Academy of Engineering and leader
The integrated system brings additional of the expert panel of the competition,
above-ground urban elements into this masterplan will “lead the direction
storm water management functions, of drainage planning in China”.
including roads, green space, rivers
and other open spaces.
█ The urban flooding model integrates the river and drainage network of Shanghai.
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Cooling System
pipes
DCS plant
Northern DCS
plant room
Area 3
Kai Tak
Client:
Electrical & Mechanical Services
sports park Kowloon Bay
Department (EMSD)
HKSAR Government
Victoria Harbour
█ Geographic map of the additional DCS plant and its associated pipe works.
█ Overview
of the Northern Plant upon Progress Environmental, cost and DCS can also counter urban heat
completion. design benefits island effects. Since the plants are
Arup was engaged as the project located away from the buildings, the
manager and designer for different Implementation of a DCS in Kai Tak noise, vibration and thermal plume
phases of the project under Design- boasts significant environmental nuisance are also resolved as no heat
Following the successful Build-Operate (DBO) contracts. benefits and contributes to air quality
Feasibility study leads to The DCS is an energy-efficient air- rejection plant, normally in the form
implementation of two central cooling conditioning system, consuming 35% Construction works for Phases I, II improvement and carbon reduction. of cooling tower, is required in the
ambitious plan for and III (Package A) were completed
plants of the Kai Tak District Cooling and 20% less electricity as compared The additional DCS will bring about buildings. Also, DCS can contribute to
System (DCS), of which construction Hong Kong’s first DCS with traditional air-cooled air- in Q1 2013, Q3 2014 and Q4 2017, significant environmental benefits. air quality improvement and the vision
works were completed in 2017, Arup Ever since Hong Kong’s former Kai conditioning systems and individual respectively. The works for DCS Phase Upon full utilisation, the project is of achieving low carbon economy;
was commissioned by EMSD as one Tak Airport was relocated to the water-cooled air-conditioning systems III (Package B) and III (Package C estimated to save about 53 million and a more adaptable air-conditioning
of the key consultants to work on an Lantau in 1997 and 1998, Kai Tak was (WACS) using cooling towers remaining works) were completed kilowatt-hour of electricity a year, system to meet the varying demand
additional cooling plant designed to envisioned as part of Hong Kong’s new respectively. The technology has been in June 2020 and August 2020 corresponding to an annual reduction as compared to individual air-
cater to more demands as a result of Central Business District (CBD), which widely adopted in other parts of the respectively under the supervision of of about 37,000 tonnes of carbon conditioning systems. For each
more air-conditioned areas planned for is now taking shape. The DCS is one of world, such as Singapore, Europe and Arup. dioxide emission. individual building, its cooling
the district and the inclusion of a sports the major infrastructure facilities that the United States. capacity can be increased or reduced
stadium with a retractable roof and support the sustainable development of Completed and in operations, the Apart from energy conservation by request without carrying out
bowl cooling. Kai Tak. EMSD commissioned Arup as early Southern Plant currently serves the and efficiency, the DCS allows each extensive modification or retrofitting
as in 1998 to conduct a Preliminary Cruise Terminal Building while building owner to cut down on upfront works for the buildings concerned.
For more than two decades, Arup has To promote energy efficiency and Phase Consultancy Study on the the Northern Plant serves the new costs for installing chiller plants in
worked with EMSD, from concept conservation, the Hong Kong SAR feasibility of building a central cooling developments at the North Apron their buildings. The cost reduction
and design to implementation, to Government has been constructing system that delivers air-conditioning area of the former Kai Tak Airport. is about 5-10% of the total building
bring one of the most important a DCS in Kai Tak to serve a planned services to the commercial and public Operation of the additional DCS is cost. With more floorspace saved from
sustainable infrastructures to the city, total of about 1.73 million m2 of non- service buildings across the Kai Tak expected to commence in 2022-23. installing a chiller plant as well as the
realising the Hong Kong government’s domestic air-conditioned gross floor development area. This study was The construction is planned for associated electrical and mechanical
sustainability vision. area, requiring about 284 megawatt of completed in April 1999 and concluded completion by end 2028. equipment, the owner can design the
refrigeration cooling capacity, covering that there were economic and building in a more flexible way.
320 hectares of area. environmental benefits for adopting
such air-conditioning systems.
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Economic appraisal
Well before arriving at the decision
to implement the Kai Tak DCS, we
conducted an economic appraisal to
study potential consumer demand, the
competitive landscape and constraints
of providing cooling services to
buildings in the district, such as urban
and utility planning requirements and
operator availability.
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
facilitating interdepartmental managed by West Kowloon Cultural implementation of other DCS projects
communications and resolving District Authority. in Hong Kong’s future NDAs.
technical/operational issues.
Implications for Asia’s With the successful implementation
During implementation, we utilised sustainability development of the Kai Tak DCS, many Southeast
various tools to help the client define Asian countries such as the Philippines,
environmental, social and economic Sustainability objectives are best met Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam
sustainability objectives. To support when they are integral to a masterplan; with similar climate and urbanisation
architects and urban designers in considered from the outset rather demand are learning from us. Such
meeting these objectives, we assembled than an afterthought. As it was unique experience has strengthened
multidisciplinary teams of engineers planned for the first time ever, the both Arup’s and Hong Kong’s role as a
and researchers, as necessary, to bring development of Kai Tak DCS required regional and global leader in realising
rigorous and evidence-based analysis fundamental changes to Hong Kong’s climate resilience infrastructure.
of environmental site planning and city planning regulations and codes.
infrastructure.
The Hong Kong SAR
In addition to the Phase 3 of the Kai Government accepted our
Tak DCS, Arup was also awarded suggestion to officially include
consultancy contracts by the EMSD to the development of DCS as part
implement two other DCS projects in of the early stage of planning and
other new development areas (NDAs) development for large-scale NDAs
in Hong Kong, such as Kwu Tung and redevelopment areas, where a
North. Separately, we were awarded larger number of potential consumer
a consultancy contract to implement buildings could be identified to support
the West Kowloon Cultural District the DCS. The regulatory changes
(WKCD) DCS, which is owned and have paved the way for the planned
█ Water-cooled Air Conditioning System (WACS). The central chiller plant supplies chilled water and conveys it to the user
buildings via underground chilled water pipe network.
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
The smart building platform not It also helps facility managers and even
only helps buildings achieve energy developers revisit the building design
savings, but also creates a better indoor and fix those issues. For example,
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
Market sounding The market sounding exercise provided refurbishment costs, financing costs, PPP structuring and Value for █ Waste-to-energy
the project team with valuable depreciation and taxes; exploring (WtE) plant. Image for
A detailed market sounding exercise Money (VfM) assessment illustrative purpose only.
intelligence on how to maximise the alternatives for additional revenue
was undertaken in order to determine appeal of the project to future bidders, streams; and computing the required The analysis culminated in developing
the likely appetite of various market and to ensure proposed solutions annual gate fee payment from DNPC a PPP deal structure for the project
participants to bid for the proposed would be actionable and deliverable, that would generate reasonable investor which was aligned with DNPCs project
project and to seek industry feedback from both a technical and commercial returns over the PPP contract term. objectives and the anticipated (at the
on key technical, commercial and perspective. time) Vietnamese PPP law, whilst also
financial elements. Market sounding Comprehensive scenario analysis was providing a reasonable risk allocation
participants included developers, that would appeal to a wide range
investors, technology providers and
Financial assessment performed to explore opportunities
to optimise (minimise) gate fee by, of potential bidders to maximise
lenders with representation from the Arup’s financial advisory team for example, starting with a smaller competitive tension during subsequent
local Vietnamese market and overseas undertook a comprehensive financial capacity facility with expansion procurement. The PPP deal design was
firms, with varying track record of viability assessment for each of the assumed in later years, considering developed to incorporate feedback
successful delivery of waste treatment technical options presented. The alternative approaches to gate fee received from various stakeholders,
projects. assessment involved estimating overall including national and municipal
project costs, including capital costs,
indexation, and altering the length of Limited local precedent Results
the proposed concession term. government agencies, and the local
annual operating expenses, asset URENCO1 entity responsible for waste
required creative thinking Arup was able to leverage a uniquely
collection. The lack of local precedent of PPP integrated team, bringing together
deals in the solid waste management and coordinating expertise across
As part of the PPP structuring work, sector, combined with an evolving disparate disciplines. Importantly, the
preliminary views on the requisite regulatory environment, meant team was able to iterate technical and
capabilities that would need to be recommendations needed to be robust financial solutions to ensure an overall
demonstrated by potential bidders and in line with international norms. optimised project outcome for DNPC
were identified for subsequent This included detailed research from and the people of Da Nang.
inclusion in evaluation criteria for across other Southeast Asian markets
a prequalification stage of project to ensure defendable positions were put Our work applied international best
procurement. In addition, overlaying forward. practice and involved significant
the PPP deal structure with DNPC’s market engagement, in turn shaping
1.5-2.5 year 2.5 year 6 mths 20 years project objectives, and international However, given the detailed nature of a transaction structure that would
best practice, allowed development of operating, price and environmental maximise investor appeal. Our work
preliminary bid evaluation criteria, regulations in Vietnam’s waste sector, also highlighted the need for enhanced
which would be further built upon the international approach of using clarity of certain local regulations to
during subsequent procurement. a competitive bidding process to reflect current market practice and
finalise design and optimise price better align with the PPP principles
█ Theproject timeline of the project development Economic viability assessment Preliminary environmental and As a final step, the team carried out (gate fee), and subsequently obtain to facilitate greater private sector
and implementation.
Under the local waste charging social impact assessment (PEIA) a VfM analysis to determine whether environmental approvals, was not involvement in the waste sector.
practices in Da Nang, any gate fees The project has the potential to the risk transfer and anticipated consistent with local expectations.
would be paid directly to the facility impact the study area socially and innovation and efficiency that private To address this issue, we supported As an outcome of the study, Arup
operator by DNPC, with DNPC environmentally. The main social sector could deliver would allow DNPC ADB in a consultation exercise with is now working with the ADB and
recovering some of the cost from considerations included the need to to implement the project more cost the Ministry of Construction and the the Vietnamese Government on a
waste generators and users. It was offer viable alternative employment efficiently than under a traditional Ministry of Planning and Investment subsequent project which seeks to
imperative that robust economic and to the network of informal waste government delivery model, despite the as part of a capacity building exercise address these regulatory issues.
social benefits be demonstrated for pickers at the existing landfill facility need to allow for costs of private sector to share international practice and
the project. Arup’s City Economics and a mechanism to ensure fair financing. The analysis showed that exchange ideas with the aim of
team supported the core project team and transparent dealings with local PPP would be advantageous. proposing a bankable project that
by undertaking an economic cost communities requiring resettlement, could be replicable in future projects in
benefit assessment for each of the which were explored in the PEIA. Vietnam.
project scenarios developed. Their
analysis was able to show a significant The potential environmental impacts
benefit to the people of Da Nang, were also studied, particularly air
both in terms of economic and social impact and ground water flow, with
outcomes. Non-quantifiable benefits robust prevention and mitigation 1 URENCO: Urban Environment
Company, a municipal government-
such as potential for greater tourism measures proposed. Capacity of owned company with primarily
flows, improvements in public health, the local environmental authorities responsibility for waste collection,
reduction in visual and air pollution, treatment and disposal activities
was also identified as a concern,
and potential for enhanced recovery with recommendations to enhance
and recycling of materials such as iron the ability to assess compliance and
and aluminium from bottom ash, were to penalise non-compliance with
discussed. the relevant contract clauses on
environmental and social performance.
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
For Los Angeles, specific sustainability 1 Envision is a rating system that Zero-emission port 30,000 new green
and carbon challenges include existing
measures the sustainability of an
infrastructure project from design though by 2035 jobs in five years
buildings, transportation and solid construction and maintenance.
The Port of Los Angeles is one For perspective, there are
waste. In general, social and economic 2 SITES certification offers a of the greenest ports in the 50,000 coal jobs in total in
equity are challenges in Los Angeles comprehensive rating system designed world, with a pledge to go to the US.
and these also underpin sustainability to distinguish sustainable landscapes,
measure their performance and elevate zero emissions by 2035.
decision making. their value.
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
From Australia’s rampant bushfires and Asia’s massive derived from the nine Planetary Boundaries, Arup’s
2050 scenarios:
floods to an unprecedented pandemic, the mankind Drivers of Change cards, as well as the United Nations
is surprisingly vulnerable to disasters and tragedies. Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
If climate change and human’s encroachment on the
nature continues to take their toll, what the world will The four plausible futures are: Humans Inc., Post
look like in 30 years? Anthropocene, Extinction Express and Greentocracy.
A glimpse into four fictional futures According to Four plausible futures: 2050 scenarios,
Each scenario comes with a timeline of events, a fictional
character and key indicators helping the reader visualise
published in December 2019 by Arup’s Foresight what the world will look like in each scenario. They
Research and Innovation and Sustainable Development are intended to develop a vocabulary and framework to
teams, the future is still bright if everyone acts help us envision different futures and provide a platform
Utopian or dystopian? Hopeful or desperate? What the future holds decisively today. On the other extreme end of the to discuss the implications of the implied trajectories.
for us will depend on how committed we are today to investing in a report’s projection, we are destined for a dystopian Ultimately, they help to identify and visualise what is
future if we continue to take natural resources for worth striving for and what to avoid.
sustainable future, according to this Arup report. granted. The report presents four plausible scenarios
based on our assumptions against the parameters
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
engagement
Intrapreneurship
The intrapreneurship programme allows participants to █ HKTDC Entrepreneur Day 2020.
learn how to manage R&D activities as if running a start-
up. Through seed funding and mentorship, Arup University As part of our start-up engagement efforts, we provide
aims to create a safe space for employees to undergo trial mentorship and business advice for external entrepreneurs
and error. This fail-fast model allows our leaders to calculate and innovators. For example, Arup mentors have recently
risks before they make bolder decisions.
Incremental
In-house research drives incremental innovation We have established relationships with the region’s tech Win-win-win for all
Discovering new knowledge or ideas through applied research is crucial to driving ecosystem comprised of start-ups from the Hong Kong No matter the technology is mature or at an infant stage and
incremental innovation within an organisation. Arup University’s R&D programme Science and Technology Park, Cyberport and other whether it is developed in-house or through partnerships,
is meant to direct researchers towards understanding and formulating practical incubators/accelerators; the Hong Kong Trade Development Arup believes that there is no simple turnkey solution that
solutions that meet specific business needs or address foreseeable challenges arising Council (HKTDC), venture capitalists, tech parks, co- caters to all.
from urban planning, smart mobility, city resilience, workplace wellness, sustainable working space managers and research bodies, with an aim to
development, etc, all of which are in line with Arup’s forward-looking approach to expand our technology portfolio that gives our project teams By fostering a culture of sustainable innovation internally
city planning. a technological edge and create new value for clients. and engaging with innovative start-ups externally, not only
can Arup gain a competitive edge, Arup can also continue
to attract and retain talent and most importantly deliver
innovative solutions to clients and end-users.
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Intelligent scanning of
The images then underwent the instance
segmentation process to recognise object
boundaries and, in this case, identify rock
armours from the trained database.
rock armour The results were converted back into GIS. In our
analysis, polygons with the ground truth could
be recognised and predicted from segmented
orthophotos with an accuracy rate of about 88%.
The trained model can be used to recognise and
predict rock armours in other locations within
Arup has trained an in-house developed AI are required to be carried out in addition to the
Hong Kong.
model that automatically analyses rock armour normal profile check by survey. This process is
images captured by drones for abnormality done manually, usually once in two years. Also,
Elsewhere outside of Hong Kong, Arup engineers
detection. the work is dangerous and time consuming for
can further train this model by inputting image █ Elsewhere
outside of Hong Kong, Arup engineers can further
the engineers involved. train this model by inputting image data of other types of rock
data of other types of rock armours or seawalls in
As extreme weather becomes the norm amid armours or seawalls in order to recognise and predict rock.
order to recognise and predict rock armours not
rising sea levels, seawalls play an important role In efforts to automate this process, Arup has
seen in Hong Kong.
in safeguarding lives and properties that are developed an automated rock armour mapping
typically concentrated in coastal areas. Rock system that can monitor changes to rock armour
armours are commonly used as seawalls as they structures, particularly after severe events,
have natural appearances, and are more flexible therefore enabling repairs to be implemented in a
and easier to construct. timely manner before a major, costly failure.
In the East Asia region, typhoons can cause In our study, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle,
catastrophic damage to coastlines. Breakwaters commonly known as drone, was used to capture
and seawalls are important structures to protect high-resolution aerial photos and produce
critical coastal facilities. Rock armours are orthophotos and Digital Surface Model.
typically constructed offshore, or at the shore, to
Research help dissipate waves, prevent coastal erosion, and Image data captured by the drone were then used
reduce wave overtopping. to train the AI model built on Detectron2 – a
PyTorch-based computer vision library released
For rock armour layers and underlayers above the by Facebook in October 2019. Detectron2 reads
water level, visual inspections from the top of the images annotated with JSON files as ground-
slope and by boat from the bottom of the slope truth input. The goal is to develop an automated or semi-
automated processor (or a standalone software
ArcGIS add-ins were also developed to convert platform) that applies image segmentation
the ground truth in shapefile and orthophoto technologies to quickly and accurately determine
formats into VIA JSON format. the sizes of rock armours. This will help Arup
engineers check the hydraulic stability of
armours in seawalls and breakwaters efficiently
and cost-effectively.
© The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Arup
Ground Truth
In future, the model will provide clients with a
Prediction permanent record to detect any rock movement
over time. This learning-based anomaly
detection and monitoring model can also be
applied to other rock armour types or other
seawall structures. This research project serves
as a valuable trial for Arup’s implementation
of drones in advancing civil engineering and
surveying.
█ In
the analysis, polygons with the ground truth could be recognised
and predicted from processed and segmented orthophotos with an
accuracy rate of about 88%
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
Despite the widespread damage it caused, with 0.5km between the urban space and the observed along the first row of buildings. A
Mangkhut provided a window of opportunity coast. In the third scenario, onshore wind much smaller number of cases were reported
for Arup wind and building envelope engineers blows from open water with 1.0km between the further inland.
to study the impact resistance of glass façades urban space and the coast.
against exceptionally strong winds, possible For buildings designed with the same
damage mechanisms and design options that The findings also show that even 0.5km of city standards, the risk of glass breakage —
mitigate the risk of wind damage. terrain reduces the gust wind speed at lower whether caused by overloading or wind-borne
boundary layer heights (e.g. below 40m), due to debris impact — is smaller due to a slower
According to the typhoon damage map we its higher surface roughness. wind speed further inland. This explains why
created (Figure 1), it is evident that most glass most window breakages occurred close to
breakages occurred near seacoasts, or to be Our team also conducted a Computational coastal areas. █
Figure 4: Negative interference effects of complex urban environments cause
wind acceleration. Accelerated flow due to shear layers from significant upward
more exact, within 0.5km of the sea. To explain Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis on a selected buildings (left) and channelling effects (right).
the reasons behind such damage patterns, our coastal area where there were glass breakages. The typhoon damage map further reveals that
team conducted a detailed terrain analysis, As shown in Figure 2, densely packed building severely damaged windows are often found
constructing an ensemble of three wind speed blocks (along the purple line) prevent wind in building clusters rather than in isolation
scenarios based on different distances from flow from permeating further inland. (Figure 3). Geographically, the clusters of
open water. damaged buildings are located: (a) close
The building cluster helps shelter the buildings to coastlines; (b) surrounded by complex
In the first scenario, onshore wind blows behind from strong coastal winds. This is in infrastructures and landscaping; and (c)
directly from open water. In the second perfect agreement with the observed damage sometimes near significant buildings.
scenario, onshore wind blows from open water distribution with most glass breakages
For buildings located close to coastlines (a), █
Figure 5: External conditions show evidence of impact damages caused by
they need to withstand the strongest gusts wind-borne debris.
of wind, while (b) and (c) entail different
R=300m airflow patterns, wind speeds and directions
R=500m caused by a complex urban landscape. In In fact, relevant safety provisions, such as The
order to visualise these effects, transient Code of Practice on Wind Effects in Hong
R=1000m
CFD simulations were conducted on selected Kong (2019) and The Code of Practice for
damaged building clusters. Structural Use of Glass (2018), in Hong Kong’s
█ Figure 1: Location map
building code were updated in the past two
of surveyed damage Figure 4 shows that once the wind flow years to include different or higher standards
spots after the 2018 from open water reaches the urban area, its needed to mitigate the risk of wind damage as
Mangkhut.
momentum is transformed into pressure on revealed by this study.
( Note: The information the windward surfaces of buildings, resulting
shown on this map is not in acceleration. This is either due to the shear Having said that, in view of the complex nature
exhaustive and may not
cover all locations with
layers of upwind building blocks or other of the issue and the potential threat to the glass
façade damages.) channelling effects. The negative effects building envelope, it is worth the efforts for the
of interference between buildings on wind industry and research bodies to conduct more
pressure increase the risk of glass breakage in studies in order to develop effective measures
coastal building clusters. that can be taken to reduce the impact of a
typhoon, and in particular, minimise property
The investigation yields constructive insights damage and risks of casualties.
that help design best practices in protecting
windows and façades from typhoon damage in
the future.
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
BIM and IoTs in building design and overall environment for health and
ensures that they have what they need these training sessions were conducted
city planning. well-being of the occupants/users.
for ongoing remote learning. That in a virtual classroom or as self- They also gave details on how Meanwhile, our thought leadership
is why providing remote training learning modules on the Moodle operational strategies, such as mobility- articles have been published in various
and learning has become one of our platform. Externally, Arup experts are constantly
invited by professional bodies as-a-service, can be implemented and social media channels, media outlets,
strategic imperatives. their impacts on a city’s transportation and the website of Resilience Shift,
Apart from our in-house courses, we and industry journals as speakers Click to watch
to provide thought leadership on policy, adaptiveness and design such as 5 must-do’s on urban resilience
Through Moodle, the companywide also partner with LinkedIn Learning processes. Other key takeaways in a time of COVID, the COVID-
learning platform, Arup University in order to give our employees access disruptive trends. For example, Dr
Goman Ho, Arup Fellow and East Asia included discussions on how an SDG connection and the future of
provides continuous technical and soft to a database of selected courses, from efficient transportation system can transport resilience. Other articles
skills trainings to employees, who are essential digital and software skills Structural Engineering Skill Leader,
shared his perspective on earthquake be incorporated into city planning cover themes relevant to infrastructure
advised to keep socially distant amid a in Python programming and BIM and how well-being can be addressed planning, particularly water and
lingering pandemic. modelling, to soft skills like giving resilience in a webinar hosted by
China’s Building Structure magazine through holistic mobility planning and public healthcare, as well as business
presentations, professional writing, public transportation redesign in the continuity, healthy buildings and
Since March, Arup University has time management and business in May, which was attended virtually
by over 30,000 building professionals post-pandemic era. supply chain management.
organised a range of technical training etiquette.
courses designed to upskill our from across the country.
employees in their functional fields. From time to time Arup University
invites external guests to give updates
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
Profiles
Engaging stakeholders Realising impactful projects Inspiring young Arupians Vincent’s mentorship with the firm’s
established learning culture has
Apart from advancing green building Throughout his career, Vincent has As an Arup Skill Leader, Vincent inspired young Arupians to come up
policies, it is equally important that delivered more than 100 BEAM devotes selfless efforts to developing with innovative solutions. His group
the needs and concerns of stakeholders Plus and LEED projects in East Asia our people. “Part of Arup’s success has delivered the highest number of
are properly addressed. For instance, contributing to a long-lasting positive lies in our commitment to creating a patented projects across Arup.
commercial property owners are more impact on building energy efficiency learning culture. We have many very
concerned about cost effectiveness and and carbon reduction. Recent exemplar talented leaders. We work together to
return on investment, thus they must projects include Construction Industry contribute to our learning culture. It
be convinced that the benefits of green Council Zero Carbon Park (CIC-ZCP), has not been always smooth, but we
buildings outweigh the costs, such as Hysan Place, Victoria Dockside, Wah work like partners to make it happen.”
increased rental values and improved Ha Estate, Kai Tak District Cooling The learning culture is more than
employee productivity. System (DCS) , West Kowloon Cultural developing technical skills. It is also
District (WKCD) DCS in Hong Kong; about creativity and collaboration
“For homeowners or occupants, if they and Hualien Bay in Taiwan. — to identify problems and develop
can personally experience, they will solutions and to have control over
value and appreciate the benefits of Not only do CIC-ZCP and Hysan Place █ District Cooling System (DCS) is installed across
A
outcomes. Equally important are
living in a green building — physical showcase successful zero-carbon the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD). the soft skills and mentality like
comfort, indoor air quality, and that emissions strategy and implementation, on residents’ well-being. The process perseverance, communication, and
their home was designed and built to be they also provide practical functions is challenging, yet the results are especially empathy, he said.
as environmentally friendly as possible. for the office and public spaces, he said. With more than two decades of rewarding and meaningful to us.”
Therefore, residential projects are better “CIC-ZCP sets a living example of experience in designing public housing, “Empathy means we understand each
to be designed to foster a ‘dialogue’ sustainable low-impact lifestyle not just Vincent said a more densely built For the Wah Ha Estate project, other and are aware of and are being
between users and the environment, for East Asia but also for the world.” environment does not have to come at converted from a 50-year old factory sensitive to the feelings of others. We
reinforcing positive experience.” Another green icon, Hysan Place, is the expense of living standards. “For building, Vincent’s team conducted identify others’ problems, creatively
Hong Kong’s first LEED Platinum less well-off families living in public microclimate and Computational developing solutions, designing
and BEAM Plus Platinum certified housing, they also deserve a good Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses and the environment and creating the
building, infusing green building quality of life. Our public housing tailored a number of green features, experience are the skills that enable us
elements into the business community. design involves a careful consideration including eco-walls, to enhance natural to see, understand and feel the world
ventilation and introduce daylight into from others’ perspectives.”
domestic flats. Each residential unit
is also carefully oriented to overlook He reminded young engineers to keep
the internal courtyards to optimise a curious, problem-solving mindset.
ventilation and minimise street noise. ‘Being able to explore outside the
realms of business practice heightens
For the Hualien Bay project in your ability to formulate innovative
Taiwan, the holistic design improves solutions,’ he said. ‘It’s important to
the whole microclimate and boasts stay curious and find out how things
plenty of communal green spaces, work.’
making it more comfortable for tenants
and having a positive effect on the
community.
© Cheung Tsun
buildings in Japan and smart city in
Korea.
█ hroughout his career, Vincent has delivered more than 100 BEAM Plus and LEED projects in Asia, including Construction Industry Council Zero
T █ s an Arup Skill Leader, Vincent supports young engineers’ creativity and innovation
A
Carbon Park (CIC-ZCP) (above) and West Kowloon Cultural District District Cooling System (WKCD DCS) (top right) in Hong Kong. through training and mentorship.
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
Sam Chow, an Arup Fellow, Global Hong Kong’s ‘golden age’ ‘The experiences I gained from these
Skill Leader of Transport Planning projects are so valuable for my later
Hong Kong experienced strong career at Arup that paved the way for
and a Director in charge of East Asia’s
economic and population growth in us to capture tremendous opportunities
transport consulting business, has
the 1980s and 1990s. The then Hong arising from China’s growth story that
contributed to the successful planning
Kong government invested heavily began in the 1990s.’
of many regional urban transport
in infrastructure facilities including
projects in East Asia over the course of
ports, railways, highways, new towns
his career.
and other strategic works to keep Hong
A ride on China’s rise
Kong a competitive world-class city. Since the 1990s, the initial stage
Sam is now an internationally
of China’s growth has been its
recognised expert in transport
Among the first few projects he worked infrastructure development,
planning, engineering, forecasts,
on in Hong Kong were planning particularly transport. All modes of
research and development studies.
studies on the extension of the metro transport saw their networks expanded
He has led a multidisciplinary team
and railway networks. He then rapidly, aiming to provide the
of planners and engineers from
conducted a lot of traffic forecasting infrastructure needed to support the
Arup in contributing to the regional
for major highway projects, such as broader development goals. ‘I was very
infrastructure development in the past
West Kowloon Highway, West Harbour lucky that I could ride on the wave of
ten years.
Crossing, North Lantau Highway and China’s economic development.’
Tsing Ma Bridge. Sam spent nine years with the US-
Transport planning chosen as based consultancy in Hong Kong. He
life-long career Amidst the city’s trade boom, Sam was already a managing director in
Sam Chow
After completing high school in Hong was also involved in the planning and charge of the company’s East Asia
Kong in the early 1980s, he went on to design of multiple port development operations by 1999.
study civil engineering in Australia. projects and a comprehensive study
on the expansion of the then Kai Tak His track record included numerous
Road to success
He pursued his childhood interest in
transport planning by selecting traffic Airport. infrastructure projects, such as toll
infrastructure engineering, modelling roads, bridges, subway systems and
and management elective courses on With rapidly increasing disposable tunnels. Many of these projects were
top of discipline core courses. income and growing tourists and public-private partnerships with
business travellers flocking into the various sorts of funding, guarantees
Upon graduation, Sam returned to city, numerous upmarket hotels and and other items from the government.
Hong Kong in 1986. He was landed shopping facilities were built, expanded
a job as transport modeller with a and renovated including Pacific Place Building Arup’s transport
US-based international transport in Admiralty and Harbour City on the team
consultancy. During his six-year stint, harbourfront of Tsim Sha Tsui. Sam
was engaged in these iconic mixed-use He joined Arup as Director in 2011 on
he had many opportunities to work
projects as transport planner. the invitation of Wilfred Lau, an Arup
on transport infrastructure projects in
Fellow, who set up the firm’s transport
Hong Kong.
consulting practice in East Asia.
Sam left Hong Kong for Australia
again in late 1991. He joined an
Australia-based transport consultancy,
By leveraging where he gained plenty of experience
in international projects.
connectivity, big data While working in Australia, an old
and analytics, smart colleague in Hong Kong introduced
him to a job at the Hong Kong
transportation will seek company as a senior transport planner,
a role required to be willing to travel
to reduce congestion, to mainland China frequently and be
able to communicate with Chinese
improve safety, lower clients. Apparently, Sam was the right
candidate.
emissions and promote He was officially back to Hong
walkability. Kong in the mid-1990s to pursue his
career journey as transport planner.
Hong Kong’s and later China’s rapid
economic development opened him █ ontract signing ceremony for an urban transport planning strategic partnership with the
C
doors to exciting opportunities. Zhuhai Municipality in 2012.
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
HOME 45
FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles
At a glance…
Future of offices in a post-pandemic world Click to download the report
COVID-19 is reshaping the office landscape and accelerating growth in the deployment of
smart buildings, according to Future of offices in a post-pandemic world published by
Arup. Sustainability, smart buildings and the digitally oriented workplace are an integral
part of this transformation, reshaping what will be the office space of the future.
For investors and developers alike, the huge uncertainty caused by the pandemic is a
critical factor in determining building design and floorspace. Smaller satellite offices
in multiple locations allow tenants greater flexibility and choice, allowing them to build
organisational resilience through diversification. The pandemic has also significantly
raised the awareness of the importance of hygiene and wellness in office settings, driving
innovation in smart buildings for improved indoor quality and ventilation.
So, how do we improve our response? Bruce Chong, Arup’s Director of Urban
Sustainability, explores what the current crisis is teaching us – from understanding the
connections between multiple hazards and taking a proactive response, to using ‘big data’
Click to read the full article and identifying the inter-connectedness of cities’ many systems.
According to Peter Thompson, Arup’s East Asia Energy Business Leader, Asia is becoming Instagram | @ArupGroup
the focus of growth in global offshore wind and has the opportunity to fast-track its
Facebook | @ArupGroup
development by exporting long-established expertise from the established European market.
LinkedIn | Arup
Click to read the full article
YouTube | ArupGroup
WeChat | ArupinChina
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