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ARUP First 08_interactive

Issue 8 of FIRST highlights Arup's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and showcases projects like the Kai Tak District Cooling System in Hong Kong and the Shanghai urban drainage masterplan. The publication emphasizes the importance of sustainable solutions for public health, economic benefits, and environmental resilience, while also addressing challenges posed by COVID-19. It features insights on leadership, innovation, and the integration of green infrastructure in urban planning to enhance water management and resilience against climate change.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
22 views24 pages

ARUP First 08_interactive

Issue 8 of FIRST highlights Arup's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and showcases projects like the Kai Tak District Cooling System in Hong Kong and the Shanghai urban drainage masterplan. The publication emphasizes the importance of sustainable solutions for public health, economic benefits, and environmental resilience, while also addressing challenges posed by COVID-19. It features insights on leadership, innovation, and the integration of green infrastructure in urban planning to enhance water management and resilience against climate change.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 24

Issue 8 2020

Realising Hong Kong’s


sustainability dream:
Kai Tak District
Cooling System
www.arup.com
Foreword Click the heading to go to
the relative page.

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?

these ambitious goals. A visionary breakthrough: Shanghai urban drainage masterplanning


Realising Hong Kong’s sustainability dream:
This issue of FIRST showcases some of the works and research projects we have Kai Tak District Cooling System
done in living up to our commitment to making meaningful contributions to Neuron Health: Keeping indoor air quality in check
achieving the UN SDGs. The cover article explains why it matters to all of us to Da Nang WtE facility: Let no waste go to waste
shape a sustainable future and the key drivers that will deliver business benefits.
Sustainable City pLAn: Setting out the Green New Deal

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

FIRST is a publication produced by East Asia Arup


University (AU) for our clients and partners, exploring
design, innovation and technical solutions for the built
environment. It takes its name from the unique model of AU:
Foresight, Innovation, Research, Sharing, and Training.
38 Profiles
Vincent Cheng: Leading Arup’s winning green team
Sam Chow: Road to success
If you have any thoughts, questions or comments, we’d love
to hear from you at [email protected].
FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles

Shaping a sustainable future: Economic drivers


• Reduce design and construction

Why it matters?
costs
• Increase asset value
• Reduce operating costs
• Increase workplace productivity
Technical Solutions

• Bring wider economic benefits

At Arup, we are committed to making continued, meaningful contributions


to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Not only Environmental drivers
does this commitment create shared value for our clients, it also gives back to • Enhance mitigation and resilience
against risks posed by climate
our communities and helps to protect the environment. We apply our expertise, change
diversity of thinking and independence in the quest for a safe, sustainable and • Improve indoor and outdoor air
resilient future for all. quality
• Add value through greenery and
biodiversity
The 17 SDGs to transform our world: • Reduce carbon emissions
• Effective use of scarce natural
resources

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

█ Key drivers defining how sustainable development brings business benefits.


Governance drivers
• Demonstrate political commitment
In all our activities the UN SDGs
East Asia consists of countries and combined value, without the support in clean energy; stock exchanges • Align with corporate social challenge us to expand our perspective.
regions that are widely different in and understanding of our clients imposing stricter and more demanding responsibility We see our role not just as the best
their development stages and that our mission seems impossible. So a requirements for environmental, • Benefit from regulatory incentives producer of outputs we are contracted
have diverse historical, cultural and crucial question is why sustainability social, and governance (ESG) to deliver, but also the enabler of
• Capitalise on financial incentives
political backgrounds. Each has its development matters to your business reporting for listed companies; positive and meaningful broader
own set of challenges confronting or organisation? and institutions and corporations • Increase access to green capital
outcomes and impacts we and our
policymakers, project owners and increasingly issuing green bonds to clients are striving to achieve.
community stakeholders. Ensuring the In this challenging and rapidly fund projects with environmental Ultimately a focus on the drivers is not
successful completion of local projects changing world, we advocate that benefits. New policies, regulations and only good for business, it will result in
while delivering on our promise to adopting sustainable solutions are the initiatives are driving a real change in significant wider positive impacts to
meet these UN SDGs is easier said best solutions not just for the planet practice. our planet. That is how, together with
than done. and for society, yet increasingly also our clients, we aim to shape a better
for bringing business benefits. We have identified a set of drivers world.
While we as designers, planners, that we believe help deliver business
engineers, architects, consultants We are already witnessing a benefits for projects we work on with
and technical specialists have the wholescale change in some sectors: clients.
expertise and skills to materialise that energy companies investing more

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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles

A global perspective turned


A visionary breakthrough: into local solutions
After reviewing the previous drainage

Shanghai urban drainage


masterplan and studying relevant cases
across the globe, the project team
challenged the traditional approach
of focusing solely on large ‘grey’

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

advisory on layout principle and


now being made part of future water Ec
on
omy mu d co
nity m-

optimisation of grey, green and strategies.


blue infrastructure

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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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles

A governance review was undertaken Arup’s next-generation blue and green


using the City Water Resilience infrastructure will be integrated into
Approach. The review looked at six all urban projects, from urban network
specific themes and tested the water systems to individual buildings. It
governance across Shanghai against will also be integrated with other
29 indicators. Stakeholder engagement critical infrastructure, including
in stormwater management was transportation, water, energy, digital
recommended to restore existing and waste, for urban planning, design
assets to their full capacity and further and urban redevelopment.
optimise their operations.
Values for the future
Green infrastructure is an approach
to water management that protects, The success of the masterplan
restores, or mimics the natural water enriches Arup’s ‘Design with Water’
cycle. It includes a series of surface framework, an approach to develop
level interventions to retain or delay an integrated water management plan
stormwater flows. The team conducted that addresses the critical issues related
a detailed analysis of the land uses to demand management, including
of the Shanghai urban area based on existing infrastructure capacity,
their knowledge of the city’s history watershed coordination, water-use
to establish a total of 12 different efficiency, city resilience, flood risks,
types of land-use typologies. By stormwater management, water reuse,
employing remote sensing imagery and and climate adaptation.
machine learning, they were able to
categorise the study area into different In particular, the idea of a water-
development types with respective orientated urban planning approach █ Another
example of green infrastructure, permeable paving – an artist’s impression of a
green infrastructure used accordingly. permeable pavement at South Maoming Road.

will be a showcase to the next-


█ Integrating
 governance, green, blue and grey infrastructure as the design objectives.
generation urban ecological
development. It will also strengthen
Arup’s capability of effective
Rivers play a very important role in management of the water environment,
urban drainage. An urban flooding critical to achieving the UN SDGs.
model has been built in order to find Specifically, the UN describes water
opportunities and challenges of using as “a common currency” which “links
this blue infrastructure. This is the nearly every SDG and which will be
first-ever model to integrate the river a critical determinant of success in
and drainage network of Shanghai. achieving most other SDGs”.

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 integration of green, blue and grey


█ An
artist’s impression of how a bioswale, an example of green infrastructure, will work at
infrastructure, supported by effective
Huaihai Road. governance, will help the city meet its
stormwater improvement targets, build
climate change resilience and improve
the health and well-being of citizens.

█ The urban flooding model integrates the river and drainage network of Shanghai.

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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles

Realising Hong Kong’s sustainability dream:


Kowloon City
Kai Tak District
Legend
Chilled water pipes
Seawater discharge
Additional

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

Arup’s scope of services:


Implementation study of District Cooling
System (DCS) at Southeast Kowloon New Acute Hospital
Development: MEP engineering and
economic feasibility Seawater outfall
Design and Construction of Phases I to III
of the DCS at Kai Tak Development: MEP
engineering, civil engineering, environmental Southern DCS
impact assessment, construction
administration and construction supervision plant room
(project management)

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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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles

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.

In doing so, we performed cost


modelling and financial analyses to
evaluate the potential of DCS as a
service and its competitiveness against
alternative cooling technologies.
To determine if DCS is financially
viable, we formulated different tariff
schemes and worked out revenue
projection analyses, factoring in the
risk of investor and financial incentive
required to encourage potential DCS
to subscribe to the DCS service. The █ Early planning and precautionary measures were paramount in ensuring the successful implementation of the Kai Tak DCS.
proposed tariff scheme is expected
to achieve full recovery of capital Precautionary measures 7m below the ground level, in order to
investment over the 30 years of project to determine trenchless avoid conflicts with such utilities as
lifespan. power cables, telecom cables, Towngas
excavation method pipes, fresh and saltwater mains,
To ensure the water-cooled air- To ensure a smooth water pipe laying sewers, etc.
conditioning produced by the Kai Tak process, various precautionary
DCS is competitive versus traditional █ For
 the pipe-laying works, both open trench method and trenchless excavation method were measures were taken to probe the Arup was actively involved in the
air-conditioning systems in terms adopted. actual underground conditions and early co-ordinations with other
of cost savings from the end-user’s determine the appropriate type government departments, including the
with other infrastructures, such as trenchless excavation construction,
perspective, we further carried out of trenchless excavation method, Civil Engineering and Development
Central Kowloon Route (CKR). To co-ordination of piping alignments with
a TCO (total cost of ownership) including trial pits to expose and verify Department (CEDD) and Highways
address interfacing issues, Arup existing and new underground utilities
comparison to prove that subscribing the existence, extent, location and Department (HyD), in order to resolve
adopted an integrated planning and water seepage during excavation.
to the Kai Tak DCS is more cost- elevation of all underground utilities, DCS piping alignment and spatial
approach to minimise complications
effective and energy efficient based on natural or man-made obstructions and orientation issues. The efforts helped
on construction, with lots of co- Early planning and precautionary
the assumption that the Kai Tak DCS is structures. DCS pipes fit into the underground
ordinations with concerned parties, measures were paramount in ensuring
operated at full capacity. spaces allocated for utilities and
including two government agencies, the success of implementation. Due
Therefore, proper positioning and routed in an effective configuration
at an early stage and to agree on to the highly urbanised surroundings,
Site planning and interfacing underground detection tools were used for construction and maintenance.
protective and contingency measures to various trenchless construction
to locate underground utilities and The DCS pipes were also arranged to
issues prevent interference with surrounding methods, such as pipe ramming, auger
check the underground conditions, run with other existing underground
facilities, such as drainage culverts, boring, pipe jacking, utility tunnelling
Kai Tak as the location of Hong Kong’s along with the proposed pipe jacking utilities or services, such as drainage
Kai Tak Tunnel and CLP tunnel, during and hand-dug tunnelling, including the
former airport had been in operations route; and to assess the feasibility of the culverts and Kai Tak Tunnel, to
construction. use of TBM, had been proposed.
for decades before relocating to proposed route, locations and inverts of minimise interference with these
the Lantau during 1997-1998. As jacking and receiving pits. facilities during construction.
such, there had been numerous Challenges in DCS water pipe
existing underground utility services laying works Conflicts with existing and
previously. Some record plans of the The construction of the Kai Tak new underground utilities
decades-old utilities were difficult DCS project comprises three major
to be obtained. Site and ground While occupied by other existing
components: central chiller plant
investigations were therefore carried underground utilities, the underground
rooms, seawater pump house and
out to detect the existing utility space needed to further accommodate
distribution chilled water, and
services and map geophysical assets. the DCS chilled water distribution main
substations in user buildings. Given
pipes, seawater supply and discharge
that a range of old underground utilities
Since the construction sites of DCS pipes, along with other new utilities.
had existed and that new utilities had to
plants and pipe works are extensive DCS pipes were therefore laid at the
be installed alongside the DCS pipes,
and the construction period is long, bottom of the carriageway, as deep as
key challenges stemmed from the use
there are inevitably interfacing issues of tunnel boring machine (TBM) for

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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.

Management and operation Trusted partner in DCS


The system performances of the project delivery
Kai Tak DCS are monitored by an Since the Kai Tak DCS is the first of
automatic computerised system, its kind in Hong Kong, early planning
namely the District Cooling and initial design are critical to its
Instrumentation, Control and successful implementation. Despite
Communication Systems (DCICCS). the complexities and challenges, the
DCICCS consists of the optical fibre Arup team gained valuable first-hand
network for data transmission and the experience, giving us a unique
automatic computerised monitoring perspective and understanding of the
system for central control and remote solutions that will be required for █ Fromnothing to something, Arup has demonstrated exceptional capability and expertise in contributing to the successful
monitoring. other DCS projects in Hong Kong and design, building and operation of the first two phases of the Kai Tak DCS.
abroad.
The monitored data are transmitted
through optical fibre network From nothing to something, Arup has
connected from all substations to the demonstrated exceptional capability
Control Rooms. In the Control Rooms, and expertise in contributing to
the DCS plant operator is able to carry the successful design, building and
out the remote-monitoring to monitor operation of the first two phases of
system performance real time from all the Kai Tak DCS. As the Hong Kong
substations and all chiller plants, such SAR Government’s trusted partner
as the chilled water supply & return in DCS projects, Arup has a strong
temperatures of all substations, the understanding of government policies,
readings of energy meter of consumer procedures and concerns, and is
buildings and the Coefficient of experienced in working with regulatory
Performance of the whole DCS. bodies and different agencies in

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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,

Neuron Health: environment that looks after the health


and well-being of the occupants. This
they might want to find out whether
there is a need to install more vents
control console provides a foundation for better ventilation or find ways to

Keeping indoor air quality


to connect different building systems improve the indoor air quality, such as
and equipment, making them easily using less carpeting or ducts and high-
accessible and facilitating operation quality paints with low volatile organic
and maintenance. compounds (VOCs).

in check Neuron Health use case


Earlier this year, Neuron Health was
Buildings of tomorrow
Showcasing future scenarios for
deployed in a Grade-A office building buildings of tomorrow, data-driven
in the eastern part of Hong Kong healthy and resource-efficient buildings
Island, specifically for the lobby area. embrace human-centric designs
With both eco- and health-friendly through innovative technologies and
features, the integrated system is sustainable concepts – integrating
configured to monitor the IAQ against digital transformation, health, well-
performance requirements set by being and human experience into a
the WELL Building Standard. All built environment.
information is sent to Neuron’s digital
platform for real-time data retrieval Looking ahead, the advent of new
and analytics. technologies fuelled by the deployment
of 5G networks, cloud, big data and
Facility managers can take the IoT will allow facility managers to
actions recommended by the move beyond surveys, outdated reports
system to enhance the IAQ based and ‘gut-feel’ about various measures
on the magnitude of pollutants and to improve the condition of a built
concentration levels. For example, a environment.
UV-C light emitting device equipped
with an ION air purifier is installed in When it comes to returns on
the building to improve its IAQ when investment (ROI), a sustainable
the condition drops to a certain level. building design will enhance the
The IoT sensors and the platform work capital and rental value of the asset
together to monitor the IAQ. over time. The energy cost-saving,
operational efficiency, occupant
Data turned into actionable comfort and health benefits solidly
intelligence justify the upfront investment costs of
the deployment of building technology
█ NeuronHealth is the healthy building module of Arup’s smart building solution that monitors and controls indoor air quality Not only does data analytics provide systems in financial terms.
(IAQ) and optimises energy consumption. insightful information, which can be
used to optimise a building’s energy
The deployment of Neuron Health in A recent Harvard University study performance and remove inefficiencies,
a prime office building in Hong Kong reveals that long-term exposure to air it also helps improve the overall
showcases Arup’s innovative smart pollution leads to a higher COVID-19 performance of a building’s equipment,
building solution that monitors and mortality rate. Since city dwellers resulting in lower energy costs and
controls indoor air quality (IAQ) while spend most of the time indoor, it a longer lifespan. Other benefits
optimising energy consumption is vital that modern buildings are include improved occupant comfort,
technologically equipped to ensure that productivity, etc.
Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic IAQ is up to the standards expected.
rewritten the way we live, we work The emergence of innovative
and we greet, it also has a profound Drawing on Arup’s multidisciplinary technologies like Neuron Health
impact on future city planning and expertise in the building design with enables faster, more accurate
building design. The stay-at-home and innovation in mind, we have developed collection, aggregation, analysis and
social distancing policies have led to an Neuron, an integrated system that storage of data for risk assessment and
increased demand for a healthy indoor combines Building Information remediation planning. For example,
environment, which is characterised Modelling (BIM), Internet of Things the collected data can help assess and
by the positive impacts on occupants, (IoT) and real-time data analytics into a manage indoor pollution levels and
especially air quality. single platform. predict potential pollution threats.

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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles

Da Nang WtE facility: Option 1: Integrated MSW complex

Let no waste go to waste


Mechanical sorting Biological treatment
Tipping hall
Comprehensive feasibility study leveraging private sector capability and WtE

Client: on implementing a waste-to- financing under a PPP structure.


Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Arup’s scope of services:
energy (WtE) facility under the To cope with the growing demand
Technology options analysis, public-private partnership (PPP) for waste treatment, DNPC
concept level design, financial modelling
and analysis, PPP deal structuring, model in Da Nang, Vietnam. formulated a master plan for solid
Option 2: WtE and engineered landfill
market sounding, economic analysis and waste management in Da Nang
environmental and social analysis. Da Nang’s growing population and City as part of its broader Da Nang
middle class is expected to result Development Master Plan. The solid
in increasing levels of consumption waste management master plan aims
and associated municipal solid waste to minimise waste generation at source
(MSW) generation. Without investment and enhance re-use and recycling
in additional waste treatment facilities initiatives to reduce the volume of WtE
the city was expected to run out of waste requiring disposal.
landfill space by as early as 2020.
The goal of the solid waste
Working for Asian Development management masterplan is to facilitate
Bank (ADB) and the Da Nang Da Nang City’s move towards █ The feasibility study proposed two primary project options.
Peoples Committee (DNPC), Arup international best practice in terms of
conducted a comprehensive feasibility the waste hierarchy.
study that provided commercial and The feasibility study leveraged Arup’s through the addition of new incinerator After careful analysis of the sites in
technical advice on the development, unique ability to integrate technical and lines to respond to changes in waste conjunction with the technology and
implementation and ongoing operation financial advice to provide a considered volumes was another option tabled to sizing we recommended a larger site
of a WtE facility, with the aim of and holistic solution. Recommendations ADB and DNPC. in Hoa Nhon in line with the Master
were based on establishing a detailed Plan. This site allowed for more
understanding of Da Nang’s current Waste technology options significant future capacity expansion
and future waste generation and needs. and development into an integrated
The Waste Hierarchy Incineration with energy recovery A total of ten technology variants were waste and recycling facility, subject to
(WtE) was recommended as a suitable assessed. After analysing the pros appropriate environmental protections
Most preferable treatment technology given the need and cons of each technology, options being implemented.
for an option proven at scale for waste comprising various combinations
Reducing the of Mechanical Biological Treatment
with similar character to that being
(MBT), incineration with energy
Project options
Reduce amount of waste generated in Da Nang, and in comparable
produced conditions. recovery (WtE), and engineered landfill, The feasibility study proposed two
were considered further. primary project options, including
The study covered the following aspects: Option 1 (base case), an integrated MSW
Using materials Given that the project would form the complex, and Option 2 (alternative
Reuse repeatedly primary waste treatment and disposal case), a WtE and engineered landfill.
Capacity sizing facility for Da Nang for the foreseeable In each case the landfill needed to be
The capacity of the facility was based future, it was necessary to avoid sized to accommodate any excess MSW
Using materials to on the MSW forecast planning basis, technologies that had not yet been proven generation over the WtE capacity.
Recycling make new products coupled with consideration of the cost at a similar scale and for a similar waste
implication of treatment. Since there was type, due to the risk of failure.
uncertainty as to the quantity of MSW
Recovering energy
Recovery from waste
generation over the next 20-30 years the Site selection
project’s planned capacity needed to
balance over and under provision and be DNPC identified two possible sites
flexible to handle varying quantities of for the project, each with its own
Safe disposal of
Disposal waste to landfill waste. specific strengths, limitations and
challenges. Both sites were located at
Therefore, an engineered landfill with former quarries, and were a similar
Unacceptable - Disposal to the sea, full environmental controls to handle distance from Da Nang City, while the
excess waste was recommended as environmental and site challenges were
environment, uncontrolled dumpsites
part of the solution. Increasing the WtE different.
plant’s treatment capacity over time

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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

Sustainable City pLAn: Los Angeles’ long-term sustainability goals

Setting out the Green New Deal


• Making every building in Los Angeles emission-free by 2050
• Building a zero-emission transport network
• Providing 300,000 green jobs by 2035, leading to 400,000 by 2050
• Making sure that good, middle class jobs go to Angelenos from low-income
neighbourhoods that often bear the brunt of climate change
Client:
The City of Los Angeles
• Achieving zero waste by 2050
Arup’s scope of services: • Providing 100% clean energy, mainly from solar power, wind and hydropower
Planning and sustainability advisory
• Ensuring that all low-income Angelenos live within ½ mile of fresh food by 2035
A sustainability and planning • Planting and maintaining 90,000 trees citywide by 2021
advisory team from Arup’s US
offices make recommendations for • Ultimately, the plan aims to protect the environment and make the economy work for
priority actions and updates to the everyone.
Sustainable City pLAn for the City of
Los Angeles.

Arup has served as the lead


technical advisor to the City of Los
Angeles and C40 Cities to make a
comprehensive update to its city-wide
Sustainable City pLAn, first launched
in 2015. Now known as the Green
New Deal, the updated Sustainable
City pLAn sets out a vision to protect
the environment, grow the economy,
and improve equity. The pLAn
refresh, launched earlier this year,
has further added a comprehensive
climate action strategy to the original
plan, including a pathway to carbon
neutrality by 2050.

Arup provided a comprehensive


analysis on greenhouse gas emission
reduction pathways, carbon impacts
of citywide goals and initiatives,
environmental/human health co-
█ Los Angeles’ summer interns used the plan’s framework to inform their research projects.
benefits and economic impacts.

The analysis serves as a technical The pLAn update takes a broad


basis to the plan update and approach and prioritises equity, health,
recommends strategies to reach Los and justice along with sustainability.
Angeles’ ambitious sustainability Ultimately, it aims to deliver a better
goals. We worked on several Los Angeles for the future, one that is
parallel tracks to understand the compliant with the Paris Agreement,
█ Arup
opportunities and challenges the City is carbon neutral, and is an equitable
advises Los Angeles’ Sustainable City pLAn update.
faces, which included conducting place for all. For this project, Arup
greenhouse gas and carbon analyses, worked closely with the City’s
as well as considering economic sustainability officer to co-ordinate
factors, environmental impacts, air among as many as 28 government
quality, and job creation. agencies, leading to a more integrated
and inclusive approach.

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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles

Our recommendations included


working with the City departments
to develop a series of actionable About Arup’s partnership with C40 Cities
initiatives that support achievement
C40 is a network of the world’s megacities committed to
of the plan’s goals. Additionally, we
addressing climate change. C40 supports cities to collaborate
are also helping the City to develop
effectively, share knowledge and drive meaningful, measurable
public policy in support of the
and sustainable action on climate change.
plan’s goals. For example, the LA
Green New Deal establishes targets
By partnering with C40 Cities, Arup aims to affect meaningful,
around both energy efficiency and
measurable and sustainable action on climate change. Led by
decarbonisation of existing buildings.
its ambition to shape a better world, Arup will back cities to
Arup is currently engaged in a study
rapidly reduce emissions to prevent catastrophic climate change.
of different pathways for existing
Together, Arup and C40 will work with city mayors on programmes
buildings to satisfy both targets, with
to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste and encourage a move
an understanding of the potential
towards a more circular economy.
implications to owners around cost,
disruption and timing.
Arup is trebling its previous commitment by pledging US$3 million
of advisory support to C40 over three years. The partnership
The pLAn update is just one of our
will build on innovative projects such as Deadline 2020 - a new
many projects with the City of Los
approach to climate action planning for C40 member cities.
Angeles to shape the City’s sustainable
future. We are also working on
Together, Arup and C40 will explore how consumption patterns in
the Department of Water & Power
cities need to change and how data can support decision making
portfolio energy and water audits, a
and the monitoring of progress against climate action plans.
resilience training with Metro, and the
First and Broadway Civic Center Park,
which is the first project in the city to
pursue LEED, Envision1, and SITES2
certifications.

Arup’s engagement was made possible


through our partnership with C40
Cities and its Climate Action Plan 18.8 million residents US$700 billion GDP
Technical Assistance Program. In
addition to the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles is California’s most Los Angeles is the second largest
Arup’s sustainability leadership in populous city. The Greater Los metropolitan economy in the US,
the built environment has resulted in Angeles metropolitan area has a with a GDP of more than US$700
impactful partnerships with major population of 18.8 million. billion annually.
cities globally and across North
America, including New York, Boston,
█ While not mandatory, interns were engaged in the project to bring in a diversity of perspectives based on
their specific field of study.
San Francisco, Washington DC, and
Toronto as they pursue sustainability
and climate action plans.
The project was also part of C40’s In the analysis, we addressed these
Climate Action Plan Technical specific and broader challenges Climate action 11% reduction in
Moving forward, it will be critical for Despite Los Angeles’s carbon emissions
Assistance Programme, which Arup by mapping out science-based
the City to develop programmes and reputation as a ‘car capital,’
helped develop. The C40 Climate quantitative goals for each area and In 2016 alone, Los Angeles
allocate funds specifically targeted to it is one of the cities
Action Planning Framework provided then collaborating with the City’s slashed emissions by 11%.
these challenging areas. Arup hopes to championing climate action.
the structure for the work and departments to propose specific
continue collaborating with the City in
was consistently referred to as the initiatives that can be undertaken to
these areas.
ultimate reference point for what the reach those goals.
project needed to communicate and
accomplish.

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

Foresight and Innovation

The future is a fiction.


It is a story we are all writing together.
So, what will the world of 2050 look like?

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

Humans Inc. energy, water and food shortages are pervasive


across the world. Environmental consciousness
‘Human Inc.’ is the continuation of our current is largely non-existent. The Amazon rainforest
trajectory; a world in which societal conditions is gone. Natural resources are being extracted
advance at the cost of planetary health. In this everywhere. Geo-engineering and Generically
future, global temperatures have exceeded the 2°C modified organism (GMO) crop development are
target and coordinated action on a global level the only way to feed the global population. Seeds
continues to struggle. Here, increased frequency are controlled by Holycrop, an American-based
and severity of weather events continue to have a business, which monopolises the market.
detrimental effect on our cities and ecosystems,
yet technological advances have reduced poverty, Domes are built over cities to enclose breathable
improved education and ensured jobs are abundant. air. Isolationism has been on the rise for years,
and society is driven by a fear of the ‘foreign’
A somewhat converse and counter-intuitive and ‘different’. This has been exacerbated by an
development has taken place in some northern unheralded number of climate refugees. Economic
countries. Typically cold and arid, these areas disparity has increased dramatically. This bleak
have seen significant improvement in agricultural future is even more dystopian as Caitlyn, the story’s
growing conditions as global temperatures continue protagonist, who left San Francisco because of
to rise. political instability, drives around Sweden in her
armoured car, trading rare earth commodities.
In Canada and Russia, large swathes of ice-
prone land have become arable. Some other
northern nations have even advocated increasing Greentocracy
carbon emissions to accelerate the expansion
of agricultural land and develop new areas for ‘Greentocracy’ shows an improvement in
resource mining. These regions are becoming planetary health but this has been enabled by
popular destinations for populations that have lost severe restrictions on human society: poor living
their habitable homeland to climate change. conditions, conflict and authoritarian regimes
prevail. The global mean temperature rise remains
below 1.5°C due to climate action and fostering
biodiversity being at the top of the agenda.
Nationalist governments pack their citizens into
Post Anthropocene dense high-rise cities.
‘Post Anthropocene’ shows how societal conditions
and planetary health might exist in a harmonious With nearly 60% of the global population relying on
relationship, fortifying each other for mutual synthetic food sources, the first signs of detrimental
progress and benefit. health impacts are starting to show. Fears are
compounded following a disturbing article in the
After crop failures and famines between 2025 and leading academic journal, Nature in 2040, citing
2030, people reflected on the irreversible damage severe micronutrient deficiencies across large parts
done to the planet caused by carbon emission and of the population due to over-reliance on synthetic
food consumption. Therefore, people joined forces food sources. It also questioned the influence of
to clean up the mess. hyper- densification, limited living space and
restricted access to nature. Endnote
Thanks to extensive efforts, what was once known These four worlds, each extreme yet plausible,
as rubbish or garbage has become most valuable No complaints are allowed in the present political impart a valuable message: there is no one future
resources and is mined both on land and sea. climate. There are ‘Eco-re-education’ facilities state, just as there is no one present state. Although
Virgin plastic is banned, and in 2047 a museum is for citizens who repeatedly violate environmental there is no way to know what the world will look
opened to display plastic artefacts. Collaborative codes of behaviour. The planet has been saved, but like in 30 years, the development of these four
decarbonisation efforts have been made globally civil liberties are low, press coverage is restricted, scenarios allows us to explore the possibilities of
across sectors. Global mean temperature rise has and expression must align with local laws. what our future could look like in 2050. These
remained below the 1.5°C target and the sea level scenarios challenge our assumptions about the
has risen less than expected. Extinction Express future and help us reimagine our role as a society.
‘Extinction Express’ is the worst-case scenario, Click here to Download the
Both people and the planet are on the path to a
which depicts both declining planetary health and watch the video report from here
regenerative world. Society consumes resources
societal conditions. It is questionable how much
at the rate at which they can be replenished,
longer humanity can survive.
populations are diverse, and societal structures are
balanced.
Climate change and the inexorable consumption
of Earth’s resources has resulted in fundamental
destabilisation of natural systems. Resource,
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles

Building a culture of innovation


A research project may include desktop research and ground
Developing a robust culture of innovation is what has made Arup a investigations towards the discovery of new knowledge
with an aim to develop new or improve existing products,
highly creative community of engineers and designers. In so doing, processes or services. Employees can apply for funding of
Arup combines in-house research, intrapreneurship and start-up research and manpower costs, including partnerships with
universities and research bodies.
engagement to turn innovative ideas into potentially disruptive
solutions for clients. Intrapreneurship accelerates innovation
Arup adopts a structured approach to fostering innovation, combining in-house R&D, On top of the in-house R&D programme, Arup University
intrapreneurship and partnerships with innovative start-ups specialised in construction, runs an ‘intrapreneurship’ programme that encourages
engineering and building design technologies. This three-tier approach enables Arup to employees to formulate innovative or potentially disruptive
develop or acquire the necessary technologies that meet short-term, medium-term and solutions that are different and considerably better than what
█ Arup’s start-up engagement initiatives include mentorship,
long-term development goals, respectively. we have been offering. sponsorship and participation in start-up events, such as the
CIC Construction Innovation Expo 2019 and...
Each business or innovative idea is matched with a mentor,
who is a subject matter expert, with the team, giving them
support on their journey to turn an innovative idea into
Start-up
reality and potentially into a product.
Disruptive

engagement

© Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)


Technology relevance to core business

An internal corporate venturing team is responsible


for prioritising proposed venturing ideas based on their
technical feasibility, business impact and marketability. How
an innovation is integrated into client projects varies from
case to case, subject to the maturity of the solution and our
experience with it.
Adjacent

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

provided mentorship support to students at Resilient HK


Challenge, an initiative that brings together innovators
Internal Engaging with start-up ecosystem to enable and corporates working together to help Hong Kong adapt,
R&D
disruptive innovation overcome and grow beyond its challenges as a resilient city.
Successful corporate innovation requires not only internal
Arup is also working with external partners to build a
but also external talent and resources. Arup is open to
Near term
Near term Medium term
Medium term Long term collaborative platform that facilitates internal project teams
partnership opportunities with innovative start-ups to tap
in the creation of innovative solutions, exchange knowledge,
into emerging technologies and business models that fit into
Time horizon our client solutions.
and discover new opportunities for synergy.

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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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training Profiles

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.

█ Manual inspections of rock armour


layers are time consuming and
sometimes dangerous.

█ 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

Mangkhut’s aftermath offers window of


opportunity for Arup to study façade’s
resistance to severe winds
In September 2018, typhoon Mangkhut swept through Hong Kong. At its strongest,
the Hong Kong Observatory issued the Hurricane Signal No. 10, the highest level of █ 
Figure 2: Sheltering effects from high building density. Accelerated flow █ Figure 3: A building with seriously damaged windows.
due to shear layers from significant upward buildings.
tropical cyclone warning signals in Hong Kong.

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

Learning in a socially Lessons learnt from COVID-19:


distant world Shaping a resilient future
During the past six months, Arup in Future transportation will become Click to watch

East Asia has hosted and co-hosted more Autonomous, Connected,


a series of webinars and published a Electrical and increasingly Shared.
collection of thought leadership articles This trend is characterised by the
to share with the planning and building acronym ACES. Carmen Chu,
professionals and the wider public on Arup’s East Asia Intelligent Mobility
how the COVID-19 outbreak forces us Skill Leader and Director of Arup’s
to rethink the way we plan, design and Transport Consulting team, and Lian
manage our cities. Duan, Arup’s Senior Engineer in
Transport Consulting, were invited by
In the year to August, we have hosted AIA Hong Kong to give an overview
and co-organised 17 webinars, of the fast-moving ACES trends
attracting more than 130,000 and outline their impacts on cities,
participants. The professional bodies communities and major developments.
Arup partnered with in presenting
these webinars include Construction
█  eter Lam, Managing Director
P Industry Council, China-Britain
of HKT Engineering, was Business Council, Urban Land
invited to deliver a talk to
Arupians from across Arup’s Institute, Construction Innovation and
East Asia offices on the Technology Application Centre, Hong
implications of 5G for the Kong Green Building Council, and
construction sector.
The America Institute of Architecture
(AIA) Hong Kong.

In a webinar on ‘sustainnovation’ for


No matter working from home or in office, Arup on technological trends. In May, we
green and healthy building design in
invited Peter Lam, Managing Director
University encourages employees to pursue training of HKT Engineering, to deliver a the big data era, Tony Lam, Arup’s
wherever their needs are best met. talk on the implications of 5G for the East Asia Building Performance and
System Skill Leader, talked about how
construction sector. Afterwards, Arup’s
Sharing and Training

attendees had a fruitful discussion on big data can be applied in sustainable


the deployment of 5G network and how and healthy building design to reduce
As Arup employees adapt to remote Taught or developed by our Skill
it accelerates the integration of GIS, potential health risks and improve the Webinar on mobility trends for a resilient urban system.
and flexible working, Arup University Leaders or subject-matter experts, █

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

© Hong Kong Management Association


█  incent was awarded the Sustainability Leader of the Year at the Hong Kong Sustainability Award 2018/19 by the Hong Kong
V
Management Association.

Vincent Cheng Dr Vincent Cheng, Arup Fellow and


East Asia Sustainable Development
Leader, is one of Asia’s most notable
interconnectedness and the need for a
holistic development strategy to bring
economies back on track towards
codes and sustainability policies,
providing Asia’s policymakers,
regulators and the private sector with
Leading Arup’s sustainability-focused engineers.
During his career spanning over
inclusive and sustainable growth.
For me, sustainability is an evolving,
building design guidelines, energy
performance targets and desired

winning green team 25 years, he has driven Asia’s green


building movement, once leading an
dynamic concept, with increasingly
diverse interpretations.”
comfort and health objectives.

80-strong team of multidisciplinary Currently he is serving on the Board


professionals specialised in green “Being a leader means we constantly of the Hong Kong Green Building
building assessments, engineering challenge the status quo, envisioning Council and Energy Advisory
designs, energy efficiency solutions and shaping the future. We see what Committee of Environment Bureau of
and strategic partnerships across the we do as part of a larger purpose, Hong Kong SAR Government to help
region. fostering trust among policymakers the local authorities formulate green
and stakeholders.” building codes, develop assessment
His commitment and substantial tools and promote the adoption of
contribution to sustainability has To fulfil this ambitious mission, it is green building practices. He has led the
“Being a leader means we resulted in myriad awards and important to drive change in policy, inclusion of district cooling systems,
recognitions, the latest of which was practice and human behaviour, lighting and ventilation, green building
constantly challenge the the Sustainability Leader of the Year each of which activates and inter- and life-cycle energy assessment,
at the Hong Kong Sustainability influences each other. ‘As long as we urban climatic planning and urban
status quo, envisioning and Award 2018/19 from the Hong Kong can demonstrate the environmental, heat island assessment.in Hong Kong’s
Management Association. societal and economic benefits of planning code.
shaping the future. We see sustainability in our design, we can
What is sustainability have a strong influence on public In Taiwan, he has led the Arup
what we do as part of a leadership? policies. Meanwhile, if stakeholders team in developing the Low Carbon
appreciate these benefits, it will raise Assessment Code for the island’s
larger purpose, fostering According to Vincent, sustainable
development calls for concerted
their environmental awareness and pro- Environmental Protection Agency. The
environmental behaviour, which will team is also partnering with Taiwan
trust among policymakers efforts towards building an inclusive,
sustainable and resilient future for
eventually influence future policies and Land Development Corporation on
our designs,’ he explained. embarking the eco-living projects in
and stakeholders.” people and planet. Taiwan with the vision of achieving
Shaping policy framework circular economy.
“To achieve this, it is crucial to
harmonise three core elements:
towards sustainability
economic growth, social inclusion As an active public policy advocate,
and environmental protection. The Vincent has been driving the
COVID-19 pandemic underlines their formulation of effective green building
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FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Foresight and Innovation Research Sharing and Training 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.

The impact of Vincent’s involvement


in the planning, design and
implementation of the Kai Tak DCS is
even more far-reaching. The first of its
kind in Hong Kong, the construction
of Kai Tak DCS required fundamental
changes to the city’s planning and
design codes for energy.

Elsewhere in Asia, Vincent has been


leading sustainable projects that
address issues of rapid urbanisation
and climate change, including
eco-cities in mainland China, passive

© 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

‘Over the years, we’ve built a 90-strong


transport planning team in the East
Asia Region, with key members in
Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
That compares with a humble team of
30-plus people when I came on board.’

The Chinese government has


demonstrated a strong political will to
drive through many transport projects
over the past decade. Today, Arup’s
transport planning projects in mainland
China account for nearly half of its
transport consulting business in East
Asia.

‘After joining Arup, I’ve travelled


extensively across the country, having
made my footprint in all provinces in
the country, from tier-one cities to as
far as Qinghai and Tibet. For example,
we worked on the Lhasa airport project
with the aviation team before.’

In 2018, the team was awarded a


consulting contract to conduct a
feasibility study of developing a transit- █ Meeting Thailand’s Ministry of Transport officials in 2019.
oriented development (TOD) for the
Hangzhou West railway station, which
█ Traffic consultancy for Shenzhen Qianhai COFCO Asia-Pacific headquarters.
is a planned new station intended as
part of the infrastructure preparations make ‘liveable’ cities a central goal and roadway infrastructure using 5G
for the 2022 Asian Games. The team of China’s urban planning as well, he networks.
made field trips to South Korea and said.
Japan to study the success factors of ‘When all vehicles become CVs,
TOD overseas. ‘We are seeing an emerging market there will be far less accidents
in Southeast Asia, especially due to caused by human error. Congestion
‘Our team was also involved in a rising urbanisation and the growth of could be improved, too. If cars could
planning project that aimed to develop a sizeable middle class in the region communicate with stop lights, for
southern Pazhou, Guangzhou into a who are keen to travel. Countries such instance, the flow of traffic could
new Central Business District (CBD) as Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines be streamlined. By leveraging
as the city government wanted to and Indonesia will be a key growth connectivity, big data and analytics,
accommodate an additional population engine for us over the next few years, smart transportation will seek to
of 3.5 million by 2035.’ while our experience in China in the reduce congestion, improve safety,
last decade would be a very good lower emissions and promote
Not only that, the team has worked on experience that can be drawn on to walkability.’
numerous transport planning projects help us develop best possible strategies
for a wide range of integrated mixed- for the region.’ Therefore, smart and sustainable
█  peaking at the Transit-Oriented
S use urban complexes and prime office transportation not only will help reduce
Development Asia Conference held in
Shenzhen in 2013. developments across China. Recently, Smart transportation for the carbon footprints or the negative
China Resources has commissioned the sustainable future impacts of environmental effects (Goal
team as term consultant for the group’s 13: climate action), the efforts also
pipeline of projects in both southern The deployment of 5G networks will be address Goal 3 (good health and well-
and northern China. transformative for transport planning. being), Goal 15 (life on land), Goal 11
While connected autonomous (sustainable cities and communities),
By the western standard, China’s vehicles (CAVs) may take some time and Goal 9 (industry, innovation and
█  am’s team has conducted various feasibility studies of developing transit-oriented
S urbanisation took place at a stupendous to mature into reality due to complex infrastructure), according to Sam.
development (TOD) projects in mainland cities, including the Shanghai Xujiahui ITC speed in the past decade. The process legal and safety reasons, connected
TOD project.
was quick and dirty. But the benefits vehicles (CVs) are within reach.
outweigh the difficulties. Policymakers Connected vehicles are those that
have also vowed that they would can communicate with other vehicles

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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.

Five city resilience lessons from the coronavirus


From healthcare to high street retail, transport to food and medical supply chains, the
COVID-19 outbreak has exposed the limited resilience of our cities. Beyond the immediate
priority of everyone’s health and livelihoods, the crisis is an opportunity to rethink the way
we plan, design, develop and manage our cities to make sure we are better prepared when
the next emergency arises.

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.

Fulfilling Asia’s offshore wind potential


Blessed with long coastlines and favourable government policies, Asia looks set to grow its
offshore wind significantly over the next decade and beyond. As the region makes the most Follow us on
of its opportunities, this promises to be a very busy time – both for developers and for design
teams with the local expertise to meet these regional needs.
Twitter | @ArupGroup

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

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WeChat | ArupinChina

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