Civil engineering and society

Note 1
-oldest engineering discipline(1.military engineering2.civil engineering)
-seven discipline (construction, structural, environmental, geotechnical, transportation,
material, hydraulics)
- role of engineers: applying scientific knowledge, math and ingenuity to develop solutions
for technical and practical problems.
- 12 types of engineering
- civil engineering ** deal with the planning, design, construction and maintenance of
physical and naturally built environment, including infrastructure and buildings**
(including complex shapes structure, long-span structure, underground structure)
improve working efficiency , productivity and living environment of society
challenges
understand
1. theoretical backgrounds(x6),
2. technical issues(code of practices=design code, design manuals and handbooks) and
3. non-technical issues(x7 including quality control and workmanship(related to maintenance
cost), construction management(structural failureloss of lives)
Civil engineering 7 disciplines
1. structural engineering
(buildings, bridges, dams, tunnels, water tower, power plant, storage facilities, unusual
structure)reinforced concrete structure, steel/concrete-steel composite
-planning, analysis and design of structureable to resist various types of loading and natural
disaster
-ensure SAFETY AND SERVICABILITY!!!

2. Geotechnical engineering
(shallow and deep foundations, tunnels, embankments, levees)
Behavior of soil rock and underground water
-design and construction of foundations and earthworks
-assess the risk from natural hazard at construction site and environment
(e.g. landslides, soil liquefaction, rock falls, sinkholes, debris flows)
3. hydraulic engineering
-flow and conveyance of fluidswater and sewage
-design and construction of hydraulic structures (e.g. dams, channels, canals, levees)

-planning, development and management of water resources and discharge systems

(e.g. water distribution network, water collection, sewage collection network, storm
water management)
4. Environmental engineering
apply science and engineering to improve natural environment and to minimize the
impacts on the environment
EA (environment assessment)
since 1998 EIA has been regulated by environmental impact assessment ordinance
1997 aim to **assess the potential impacts of a proposed project**
1) air (air quality monitoring, air pollution, ozone layer protection),
2) waste (solid waste management, method of disposal, site investigation and
remediation),
3) water (water treatment, wastewater treatment, water quality monitoring, wastewater
recycling, groundwater quality control),
4) noise (noise monitoring, noise mitigation measures)
5. Transportation engineering
(facilities support air, highway, railroad, pipeline, water, airport, piers, bicycle path)
-transport gd & ppl safely and efficiently
- planning ,design, construction, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure
related to vehicles, drivers/passengers
6. Material engineering
-development of new or improved material for constructing structure
-design of material and method to repair existing structure
1)choosing suitable material to resurface a road
2)designing a concrete mix for a large building
3)developing strengthening techniques for damaged structure
7. Construction engineering(related to BBA)
-planning and execution of the designs from the other field of engineers
prospects of civil engineering
the govt, engineering consulting firm, contractors/construction companies
Note 2
Building development, long-span bridge, airport
1. Building development

-vernacular() urban architecture in canton and hk (2-3 storey masonry(

)/reinforced concrete building)
-indigenous() architecture in NT
-stone structure (stepped stone structure, stone tower, piazza san pietro
in 1630s)
-castle (masonry structure)
Building structures in HK
-Old-western-style buildings(centralthe old legislative council, Hollywood
roadcentral police station, Upper Albert roadgovernors house)
-Modern high-rise buildings (<900m)
**(ICC>IFC 2>central plaza>bank of china>the center>nina tower 1&2>one island east)**
* Jardine HouseCentralfirst tall building in HK
* Central PlazaWan Chai(1992-1997) tallest reinforced concrete building in the WORLD
*HSBC headquartersCentral
*Bank of China
-other types of buildings in HK (HK Convention and Exhibition CentreWan Chai, public
housing, nearly half population)
building!
Ranking

Ranking

in the

Name

Location

Height

Stor

Structural

Construction

in the

(<900m,

ey

system

completed

world

world

world)

AS OF

NOW!

(<500m,H

163

Buttressed

Began:2004

core

Completed:2009

2013!
1

K)
1

Burj khalifa

Dubai

828m
(829.84m)

(hexagonal
core)

Shanghai tower

Shanghai

636m

121

Abraj AL-bait

Mecca

601m

120

New York

542m

104

2014

tower
4

One world trade

2014

center
3

Taipei 101

Taipei

509m

101

Shanghai world

Shanghai

492m

101

ICC

West Kowloon,

484m

108

International

HK

financial center
**5**

RC-steel

Began:2003

composite

Completed:

commerce

2010

centre

Special structures designed by HK structural engineers *Ove Arup*

-Birds Nest (National Gymnasium)Beijingmain structure: saddle-shaped elliptic
steel structure weighing 42,000 tons( ton) , accommodate 11,000 seats( seats)
-Water Cube(National Swimming Centre)Beijing
-CCTV headquarter Beijing
-Canton TowerGuangzhou (highest TV tower, 610m opened in 2010)
2. Long-span Bridges (suspension and cable-stayed bridges)
Suspension bridges(1000m < x < 2000m)
A) Tsing Ma Bridge (main span: 1377m, longest suspension bridge carrying BOTH
road and railway traffic)
Cable-Stayed bridge
A) Stonecutter bridge (Ove Arup again! WORLD 2nd longest spanning cable-stayed
bridge, completed:2009, main span:1018m, total length:1596m)
B) Ting Kau Bridge (1177m)
C) Kap Shui Mun Bridge (main span: 430m)
3. Airport
HK international airportChek Lap Kok
NOW (two runway system): limit aircraft movement: 64 flights/hr
By 2015, expected 68 flights/hr >64
4. Railway system
Note 3
1. Brief history of civil engineering
1771 : Civil Engineer in English was first appeared by John Smeaton (founder of
CE, founded the society of civil engineers aim to distinguish non-military
engineer from military engineer)
1818:
ICE: Institution Civil Engineers, the WORLDs first engineering society
was founded in London
1820:
Thomas Telford became the first president of ICE
1828:
Royal Charter CE was formally recognized as a PROFESSION!

(Construction of shelter) Ancient Egypt and Ancient Iraq between 4000 and 2000BC
Understand 1. History and development of CE and 2.Construction technique

A) Ancient EgyptPyramid (~2700-2500BC)

-Pyramid: first instance of large structure construction
*first Egyptian pyramid built is Step Pyramid of Djorser by lmhotep(first
documented engineer) for king djorser in about 2630BC (6 mastabas,62m tall, base:
109x120m, clad in polished white limestone
[Technique] earliest large scale cut stone construction, lmhotep(first documented
engineergreatest contribution: building with shaped stone)
The Great Pyramid of Giza (pyramid of Khufu/Cheops) constructed btw 25602540BC ( 146.5m tall, base:230.4m) oldest and largest of 3 pyramids in Giza
Necropolis + **tallest man-made structure in the world over 3,800 years**
B) Ancient Greece
Temple: The Parthenon (447BC-438BC)
-most important surviving building of classical Greece
-base: 69.5m x 30.9m
- Doric columns: diameter:1.9m, high:10.4m *corner columns are slightly larger in
diameter*
C) Ancient Rome
Elliptical amphitheatre: The Colosseum (AD72-AD80) Italy
-one of greatest work of Roman architecture and Roman engineering
-80 entrances, accommodate 55,000 spectators!
Ancient water system: Aqueducts
312BC Aqua Appia ,1st Roman aqueduct, was built
226AD Aqua Alexandrina, 11th aqueduct, was built
Temple: The Parthenon
-the BIGGEST brick dome(half sphere)
the WORLDs LARGEST unreinforced concrete dome
D) Ancient China The Great Wall (btw1368-1644, world largest military structure)

-total length >20,000km (from East at Shanhai guan in Heibei, and ends at Jiayu Guan
in Gansu to West), *220BC*
-outstanding e.g. of superb military architecture, technology and art of China
Contemporary wonders
1) Channel Tunnel (completed in 1994)
-50.5km undersea rail tunnel linking England to France
2) Millau ViaductFrance
-cable stay road bridge
(see pp)
3) Three gorges DamChina
- the worlds largest power station int terms of installed capacity=22,500MW)
(see pp)
Note 10 engineering geology
1) Structure of earth
earth topography( highest: Mt.Evereast=Himalayan Mountains, 9 km above sea level)
(lowest: Marianas trench=11km below sea level)
Typical elevation of land surface=0-1km
Typical depth of ocean= 4-5km
Solid(extremely high pressure at earths center) iron inner coreliquid iron outer core(inner +
outer=32% of mass)mantle(68% of mass)crust

Earth crust: mantle(3.4g/cm^3), oceanic crust(3 g/cm^3) , continental crust(2.8

g/cm^3)
Density:mantle>oceanic crust>continental crust , so continental float on mantlr and
oceanic crust
**continental crust: thick and low density**
plate tectonics: converge and diverge
plate boundaryearthquake
a) 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, Japan
(European plate +Philippine plate + Pacific plate)
magnitude:9.0Mw
Depth: 30km
Tsuinami:40.5m

b) 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, Sichuan, China

(Indian plate + Tibentan Plateau+ Sichuan Basin)
magnituide:8.0Ms
Depth:19km
pp.16-20
Rocks and Soils
3 majors types of rocks: igneous(extrusive& intrusive), sedimentary, metamorphic
rocks
igneous rock: solidification of molten rock material
(extrusive rocksmaller(~0.3m): tuff(ust), volcanic breccias, volcanic bomb,
andesite, basalt, obsidian, pumice, rhyolite and scoria that solidify on or
above Earth's surface)
(intrusive rocklarger: diorite, gabbro, granite and pegmatite that solidify below
Earth's surface)
sedimentary rock: formed by the accumulation of sediments(at grand canyon)
metamorphic rock:quartzite, folded foliation, red diamond, black opal, crystal quartz)
pp22+pp34-end
Note 11 Foundation for high-rise building
Foundation: 1)a structural member that connects the superstructure with ground and
2)a system member to transfer the loads to soil/rocks
Types of foundations: 1)shallow foundation, 2)deep foundation and 3)offshore
foundation
1)Shallow foundation=footing
(square,rectangular,circular,continuous,combined,ring)
-economic
-e.g.: *Effiel Tower*, HKUST enterprise centre, 10 storey student hall
2)Deep Foundations x3
(Shaft friction & toe friction) (soilbedrock=rock level)
-driven piles (3 types)
-jacked piles
-bored piles/drilled shafts: drilled cylindrical hole, install reinforcement cage, and
pour concrete.)
drilled cylindrical hole process(1)flight auger, 2) grab and chisel with 2.3 diameter
casing and grab, 3) drilling in the rock when reach bed rock with a 2.3 diameter drill
bit, 4) put reinforcement cage)

3) Offshore foundations(x4) vs water depth

pp19-20
Design requirements
Performance requirements:1) strength 2)serviceability 3)constructability 4)economic
-strength requirement
a. geotechnical strength=bearing failure=ability of soil or rock to accept the loads
imparted by the foundation without failing,
b. structural strength=foundations structural integrity AND ability to safely carry the
applied load
-serviceability requirement
a.(total settlement + differential settlement) MUST<allowable values
-constructability requirement
Foundation MUST design such that a contractor can be build it without having to use
an extraordinary methods or equipment
Economic requirement
Economic, conservative>>superstructure
if not, failure like collapse will be happened!!!
--2009, Shanghai building collapse due to foundation failure
--1999, Hong Kong, Shatin short pile scandal
(a. boiled piles, 21/36 (2/3)of large diameter bored piles were 2-15m shorter than
required!, b.11 were found in soil instead of BEDROCK!, c. 2 buildings were
demolished when constructed up to 33-34 floors!, d. loss
605*10^6(million)=605million HKD!)
--1999,Hong Kong, Tin Shui Waishort pile scandal!!!
(a. foundation retrofitted, b. maintenance cost: over HK100 million, c.vacant for 13
years, sold in 2013, loss 500 million+ reputation!)
limit state
pp26-40
layout of foundations for high-rise buildings
soil liquefaction!!
**Friction piles(driven piles and jacked piles) : Friction piles obtain a greater part of
their carrying capacity by skin friction or adhesion/shaft friction
. This tends to occur when piles do not reach an impenetrable stratum but are driven

for some distance into a penetrable soil.

Their carrying capacity is derived partly from end bearing and partly from skin
friction between the embedded surface of the soil and the surrounding soil. **

**End bearing piles(bored piles): End bearing piles are those which terminate in hard,
relatively impenetrable material such as rock or very dense sand and gravel.
They derive most of their carrying capacity from the resistance of the stratum at the
toe of the pile**
Note 12
Summary
Main causes of landslides
Rainfall is the #1 cause for landslides in Hong Kong
Human activities
Groundwater level changes
Earthquakes
Landslide risk can be quantified in terms of societal risk and individual risk
Great effort has been made to mitigate the landslide risk in Hong Kong
We need to learn to live with landslides

Classification of landslidesx4
(Rock falls, soil slides, rock slides, debris flows)
2. soil slide: HK Po Shan Road landslide, Siu Mau Ping landslide,
Taipei2010,sliding body=200,000m^3
Ab Barak2014/5/2, large rain induced soil slide, killed ~2,000ppl
3. Rock slide avalanche cause by earthquake that loosened large masses of rock
and flow downhill at high velocity on a cushion of air
4. debris flow caused by rain pp12 (cause in HK(rainstorm),Cal USA(rainfall),
Philippines(heavy rain=minor earthquake, china)
Causes of landslide **pp17**
-human activitiesslope cutting(1994,kwun lung Lau, Kennedy town cause by
leakage from buried sewage pipe), deep excavations, mining
-**rainfall/water infiltration**NUMBER ONE CAUSE!!(sau pau ping, po shan
road)

-groundwater level changes(china, qiamjiangping, rising level of Three-Gorge

Reservoir, landslide of volume 24*10^6)
-earthquake (can induce tens of thousand landslide, 2008 wenchuan earthquake
induced 50,000 LARGE LANDSLIDE)
slope stability analysis
Determine and compare the shear stress developed along the most likely rupture
surface with the shear strength of the soil
--stability of an infinite slop: factor of safety** pp24-26**
FS<1 INSTABLE
FS>1 STABLE
Landslide risk assessment
R=P V E ** pp28-55**
Some landslide warming indicators
Measurement of surface movements: image system foe debris flow monitoring
Measurement of movement/stress related features: advanced vibration monitors
Measurement of underground movements: inclinometer
Measurement of triggering factors such as rainfall: automatic rain gauge
Key strategies for reducing landslide risk in hk after 1977!
(risk: population growth, hillside development, slope deterioration)
1. check new slopes and plan land useminimize risk arising from
developments
2. upgrade& maintain government slopes and promote private slope
maintenancereduce risk by improving the stability of existing slopes
3. clear squatters from hilly terrain and educate the public to take
precautionreduce risk by minimizing the possible consequences of
landslide
Note 6
Environmental Engineering
Apply science and engineering to improve natural environment and to minimize the
impacts on the environment by develop solutions to environmental problems
Environment problems and law **pp3**
Land contamination, solid waste, water pollution, noise pollution, air pollution

1. land contaminationneed site investigation and remediation

-former Kai Tak Airport(south apron, north apron, runway)
Contamination detected: TPHtotal petroleum hydrocarbons, VOCsvolatile
organic compounds, heavy metals
-former pennys bay(~Disneyland) contaminated by Cheoy Lee Shipyard
contamination detected: TPH, VOCs, heavy metal + dioxins
2. solid waste=9,000tonnes/day MSW
MSW= municipal solid waste in hk= 461/kg/inhabitant/yr
Landfill in hk (saturated in 2015,2017,2019)
Sustainable waste management (waste avoidanve+3Rs)incineration + landfilling/
landfilling directly
User fees scheme: support 50%, 22% oppose
1. MSW waste charging scheme
2. Environmental Levy scheme(shopping plastic bags)
(90% reduction in plastic bags in one year after implantation)
3. food waste reuse(~1/3, 3600/9,000tonnes/day=food wastehigh protein fish
food, added value product, $250/t$2000/t)
3. water pollution(point source=wastewater treatment plant,factory and non-point
source=urban streets, suburban development, rural homes, cropland, animal feedlot)
-HATs stage 1
-HATs stage 2 (2a and 2b)
Note 7 land contamination and sold waste disposal
land contamination(oil depot, adjacent to landfills, car repair workshop, petrol filling
station, shipyard/boat yard, chemical storage)
Remediation: conduct site-specific risk assessment to estimate risk on human health
AND compare with generic guidelines/standards (e.g. Dutch soil standard, UK soil
guideline values, HK RBRG=remediation-based remediation goals)reduce potential
risk to human health and environment to an acceptable level and determine remedial
actions(source, pathway, receptor)
HK RBRGs= remediation-based remediation goals
Why develop? 1. no local standard in the past (use Dutch B levels in the past)
2.develop own standard using local relevant information
Details
it is developed for 4 different post restoration land use scenarios which
ppl could exposed to contaminated soil and groundwater (urban residential, rural

residential, industrial, public parks)

Contamination process in HK
case study*pp9*
EIAO=environmental impact assessment ordinance requirements
-(COP) = contamination assessment plan
- (CAR) = contamination assessment report
-(RAP) = remediation action plan
RAP **pp11-14**
Ex-situ solidification/stabilization(S/S) Technology:
Excavated contaminated soiladdition of water and binding agenttreated
soilsampling &testingre-use on site/disposal at landfill
Portland cementx4** is very effective in treating inorganic wastes (hydration!) but
NOT organic waste
Solid waste=13,000 tonnes/day (2009)
MSW= municipal solid wasteDomestic Waste(45%)+ commercial and industrial
waste(C&I) (22%)
Construction waste(23%)
special waste= sludge, animal carcasses(9%)
**pp18-end**
waste reduction 3Rs=reduce reuse recycling
Note 8 water pollution control
Water resources (major source of watersurface water: River water, Lake/reservoir
water and groundwater and seawater for toilet flushing)
Water consumption in hk: 200L/day=3Mm^3/day*300=900M m^3/year, domestic
used:130L/day and flushing water:90L/day)
Shower: 12L/min!!!
Dongzang water: $8.6/m^3
Hong Kong water supply:
-portable water=fresh water that can drink (from surface water)99.99% of
population received metered water supply, 20% from local catchments (reservoirs)
and 80% from Dongjiang (east river)
-flushing water(from seawater) introduced in 1958 and we have >80% of population

receiving seawater for flushing

-1) 17 reservoirs (the biggest one in sai kungeast dam of high island
reservoir)total reservoir capacity=586Mm^3 , 2) 20 water treatment workswater
treatment capacities4.55Mm^3 , 3) 143 pumping stations
Prime concern of Dongjiang river
-Water qualityliving/inhabited by 1.5Mppl and <6,000 factories)
Urbanization and human population growth, unplanned land use, illegal discharge and
dredging, soil erosion and non-point source discharges
Water treatment
-Provide chemically and microbiologically safe, pleasant, and economic water for
human consumption
-Aesthetically acceptable (free from apparent turbidity, color, odor, and objective
taste)
Conventional pollution control, legal remediation AND Enclosed Aqua-duct in
2001 was constructed
Water source2) treatment facility (treatment process depend on raw water quality, if
poor, the treatment cost will be higher, and acceptance of finishing water
quality)3)customer tap
Water treatment process
HK drinking water standard(for design, operation, and maintenance): 2011 WHO
guidelines for drinking-water quality
*E.Coli(microorganism) concentration should be undetectable!*
1) Oxidation (by adding Cl2): oxidizing reduced continents to control odor and
to promote precipitation + protect teeth!
2) coagulation/flocculation(by adding lime/alum): smallbigger particles to
promote settling
3) sedimentation: remove dense/heavy solids from water by gravity
4) disinfection: inactivating pathogenic microorganism
**pp19-27**
Note 9Noise and Air pollution Control