hkskyline
July 26th, 2008, 07:55 AM
HK professionals are standing tall
The city's highly respected experts have the enormous responsibility of making sure all infrastructure projects are built to stringent standards
26 July 2008
South China Morning Post
Few places in the world display outstanding structural engineering capabilities in the same way that Hong Kong does. From towering commercial buildings and imposing bridges that seem to defy gravity, to luxury residential buildings slotted into hillsides - and deep cavernous tunnels that carry the underground railway system - Hong Kong's structural engineers help shape its world-famous cityscape. More importantly, they ensure the city's predominantly high-rise buildings are functional and structurally safe.
Cheng Yan-kee, past chairman of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) structural division and director at H.K. Cheng and Partners, said a structural engineer was responsible for the skeleton of a building. "In a nutshell, structural engineers are responsible for ensuring that buildings remain standing while carrying out their intended functions," Mr Cheng said.
Hong Kong structural engineers have a good reputation for working in tandem with their colleagues in other disciplines - such as civil and building engineering - to complete projects on time and within budget.
He said structural engineers took a significant responsibility for protecting the public, relative to the other engineering disciplines. While architectural flaws usually result in unattractiveness, poor functionality, discomfort or inconvenience, a structural failure almost always has more serious consequences.
Even in the best cases, there are often substantial costs associated with correcting what is, or could become, a life-threatening situation.
Recently, structural engineering came under the spotlight in Sichuan province where many - including construction professionals - are questioning whether better structural engineering could have saved lives.
According to Kwan Kin-kei, immediate past chairman of the HKIE structural division and director at Ove Arup and Partners (HK), structural engineers contribute to society by helping to shape the environment, while paying close attention to safety factors, environmental issues, financial considerations and choice of materials.
Mr Kwan said it was important to remember that each construction project was unique and presented its own challenges, making the job both professionally rewarding and interesting. An example of this is constructing buildings on cramped urban sites.
In a densely built area, such as Mid-Levels, cramming several floors into a small lot is often necessary and rarely simple.
"Structural engineers are generally people who enjoy innovation, relish a challenge, are motivated, and are prepared to undertake the responsibility of building an exciting and varied career.
"Structural engineering presents both creative and technical challenges, and requires excellent problem-solving skills," Mr Kwan said. Successful structural engineers do not work alone and need to rely on close co-operation with architects, project managers, building-services engineers and government departments on any project at any time, from the perspective of building standards and codes of practice.
Ambitious and widespread construction projects across Asia are creating a demand for structural engineers who are required to work on two or three projects at the same time. In recent years the ever-increasing amount of construction and infrastructure projects on the mainland and Macau has provided an even wider range of opportunities for Hong Kong trained engineers.
Locally, after several years of mainly low-key construction activities, the announcement by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen - in his policy address last October - that the government would push ahead with a series of major infrastructure projects is likely to generate a flurry of new opportunities for Hong Kong engineers.
Mr Kwan said the proposal to build a 30-kilometre bridge linking Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai, the development of a new cityscape on the old airport site at Kai Tak and the construction of a new cultural precinct on a 40-hectare site at West Kowloon are just the sort of thing that excites structural engineers.
Chan Siu-tack, chief structural engineer at the government's Housing Department and chairman of the HKIE structural division, said Hong Kong structural engineers not only worked in Hong Kong but are involved with iconic structures all over the world. For example, Hong Kong engineers have been closely involved with the construction of the distinctive new Beijing National Stadium, often referred to as the "Bird's Nest", which will be the venue for the majority of athletic events at next month's summer Olympics.
"Around the world, Hong Kong structural engineers are renowned for their high standard of education and training.
"In addition, locally trained structural engineers have developed specialist skills to cope with complex building challenges presented by Hong Kong's hilly terrain and compact urban living environment," Mr Chan said. Hong Kong's engineers are also highly experienced in dealing with the technical and structural aspects of making buildings and structures resistant to strong winds produced by typhoons. Prime examples include the Tsing Ma Bridge and the IFC towers.
To become a structural engineer requires hard work and a commitment to continuing professional development and, like most professions, it requires good communication skills and the ability to work as a team player. The HKIE Graduate Training Scheme A, which comprises three years of approved training plus one year of responsible on-the-job experience, focuses on training by objective and learning by experience. During the three-year period, trainees complete a series of programmes provided by companies approved by the HKIE.
In order to become a certified HKIE member in structural engineering, candidates must pass an assessment interview and successfully complete and pass a 7-hour Institution of Structural Engineers Chartered Membership Examination. They must also possess a minimum of one year of responsible post-training experience.
This article is part of a series on engineering trends and developments, produced in association with the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. It is published on the last Saturday of every month.
The city's highly respected experts have the enormous responsibility of making sure all infrastructure projects are built to stringent standards
26 July 2008
South China Morning Post
Few places in the world display outstanding structural engineering capabilities in the same way that Hong Kong does. From towering commercial buildings and imposing bridges that seem to defy gravity, to luxury residential buildings slotted into hillsides - and deep cavernous tunnels that carry the underground railway system - Hong Kong's structural engineers help shape its world-famous cityscape. More importantly, they ensure the city's predominantly high-rise buildings are functional and structurally safe.
Cheng Yan-kee, past chairman of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) structural division and director at H.K. Cheng and Partners, said a structural engineer was responsible for the skeleton of a building. "In a nutshell, structural engineers are responsible for ensuring that buildings remain standing while carrying out their intended functions," Mr Cheng said.
Hong Kong structural engineers have a good reputation for working in tandem with their colleagues in other disciplines - such as civil and building engineering - to complete projects on time and within budget.
He said structural engineers took a significant responsibility for protecting the public, relative to the other engineering disciplines. While architectural flaws usually result in unattractiveness, poor functionality, discomfort or inconvenience, a structural failure almost always has more serious consequences.
Even in the best cases, there are often substantial costs associated with correcting what is, or could become, a life-threatening situation.
Recently, structural engineering came under the spotlight in Sichuan province where many - including construction professionals - are questioning whether better structural engineering could have saved lives.
According to Kwan Kin-kei, immediate past chairman of the HKIE structural division and director at Ove Arup and Partners (HK), structural engineers contribute to society by helping to shape the environment, while paying close attention to safety factors, environmental issues, financial considerations and choice of materials.
Mr Kwan said it was important to remember that each construction project was unique and presented its own challenges, making the job both professionally rewarding and interesting. An example of this is constructing buildings on cramped urban sites.
In a densely built area, such as Mid-Levels, cramming several floors into a small lot is often necessary and rarely simple.
"Structural engineers are generally people who enjoy innovation, relish a challenge, are motivated, and are prepared to undertake the responsibility of building an exciting and varied career.
"Structural engineering presents both creative and technical challenges, and requires excellent problem-solving skills," Mr Kwan said. Successful structural engineers do not work alone and need to rely on close co-operation with architects, project managers, building-services engineers and government departments on any project at any time, from the perspective of building standards and codes of practice.
Ambitious and widespread construction projects across Asia are creating a demand for structural engineers who are required to work on two or three projects at the same time. In recent years the ever-increasing amount of construction and infrastructure projects on the mainland and Macau has provided an even wider range of opportunities for Hong Kong trained engineers.
Locally, after several years of mainly low-key construction activities, the announcement by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen - in his policy address last October - that the government would push ahead with a series of major infrastructure projects is likely to generate a flurry of new opportunities for Hong Kong engineers.
Mr Kwan said the proposal to build a 30-kilometre bridge linking Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai, the development of a new cityscape on the old airport site at Kai Tak and the construction of a new cultural precinct on a 40-hectare site at West Kowloon are just the sort of thing that excites structural engineers.
Chan Siu-tack, chief structural engineer at the government's Housing Department and chairman of the HKIE structural division, said Hong Kong structural engineers not only worked in Hong Kong but are involved with iconic structures all over the world. For example, Hong Kong engineers have been closely involved with the construction of the distinctive new Beijing National Stadium, often referred to as the "Bird's Nest", which will be the venue for the majority of athletic events at next month's summer Olympics.
"Around the world, Hong Kong structural engineers are renowned for their high standard of education and training.
"In addition, locally trained structural engineers have developed specialist skills to cope with complex building challenges presented by Hong Kong's hilly terrain and compact urban living environment," Mr Chan said. Hong Kong's engineers are also highly experienced in dealing with the technical and structural aspects of making buildings and structures resistant to strong winds produced by typhoons. Prime examples include the Tsing Ma Bridge and the IFC towers.
To become a structural engineer requires hard work and a commitment to continuing professional development and, like most professions, it requires good communication skills and the ability to work as a team player. The HKIE Graduate Training Scheme A, which comprises three years of approved training plus one year of responsible on-the-job experience, focuses on training by objective and learning by experience. During the three-year period, trainees complete a series of programmes provided by companies approved by the HKIE.
In order to become a certified HKIE member in structural engineering, candidates must pass an assessment interview and successfully complete and pass a 7-hour Institution of Structural Engineers Chartered Membership Examination. They must also possess a minimum of one year of responsible post-training experience.
This article is part of a series on engineering trends and developments, produced in association with the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. It is published on the last Saturday of every month.