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A breakthrough – A Smart Landslide Barrier
A breakthrough – A Smart Landslide Barrier
Every summer, Hong Kong is faced with multiple typhoons and excessive rainfall, consequently inducing landslides, increasing potential disaster threats. Prevention of landslides is the best way to combat such natural phenomenon.
We have a piece of good news to share with you all! A research project jointly organized by Hong Kong Jockey Club Disaster Preparedness and Response Institute (HKJCDPRI), The Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is currently underway to carry out a pilot test for a smart landslide barrier system. The impact switch uses a simple, energy-saving design. If successful, it will be one of the first successful applications to provide critical real-time detection of landslide impact and even serve as an early-warning system to downstream facilities.
In order to understand more about the upcoming research on a Smart Landslide Barrier system HKJCDPRI visited the large-scale flume model at the Hong Kong Kadoorie Centre on the 29 Sept 2017 to learn more about the research on interaction between landslides and barriers.
The geotechnical centrifuge at the HKUST Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory
A 20-m-long flume model to study the fundamental interaction mechanisms between landslides and barriers at the Kadoorie Centre
Visit to the HKUST large-scale debris flow flume facility between HKUST and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Disaster Preparedness and Response Institute
(from third to the left on the front row: Mr. Roger Cheung (previous Assistant Director of HKJCDPRI); Ms. Tiffany Yeung (Manager (Professional Development) of HKJCDPRI); Ms. Eva Lam (Director of HKJCDPRI); Dr. Chow Yu Fat (Executive Committee member of HKJCDPRI); Dr. Clarence Choi (Principal Investigator of the research)