Date: 22 May 2025, Thursday

Time: 6:30pm – 7:30pm

Venue: Chan Yat Mei Sophie Room, HKIE Headquarters, 9/F Island Beverley, No. 1 Great George Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Speaker: Ir. Prof. Dr. Goman Ho (Arup Fellow & Director of Innovation, Arup)

Synopsis:

Bamboo, known for its sustainability and rapid growth, has been a key material in Chinese construction for centuries, mainly used for scaffolding. With rising environmental concerns, engineered bamboo is now seen as a sustainable alternative to timber and steel.

This presentation examines the transition from timber to bamboo, emphasizing bamboo’s ecological benefits and superior mechanical properties. It covers the historical use of bamboo in China and its modern applications in structural engineering. Key topics include the innovative use of bamboo culms and laminated bamboo, with case studies like the 30-meter long-span bamboo pavilion in ZCB and the first laminated bamboo pavilion in Tai Kok Tsui. These examples highlight the potential of engineered bamboo in contemporary architecture.

About the Speaker:

Ir. Prof. Dr. Goman Ho is an Arup Fellow with expertise skills in Tall Buildings. The accumulate height for his tall buildings projects is more than 20km including 300m Cheung Kong Center in HK, 330m China World Trade Center, CCTV HQs in Beijing, 3km long Beijing Capital Airport Terminal, 461m tall Vincom Landmark 81 Tower in Ho Chi Minh City, the 528m tall China Zun in Beijing.

At least 10 of his projects received International Structural Awards and two personal awards including the Outstanding Research Alumni Award by the Graduate School of Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He had published more 30 technical papers and 3 books. One of his book – Outrigger Design for High-Rise Buildings (CTBUH) received 600 cited and one of his webinar had around 30,000 audiences. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic University serving both Graduate School and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Best Reporter Award:

We cordially invite all seminar attendees to participate in our Best Reporter Award competition. Craft a compelling report (up to 500 words) reflecting on any seminar you’ve experienced. Showcasing your adept writing skills could lead to winning a $500 coupon. Report must be submitted to hkiestructuraldivision@gmail.com within two weeks after the seminar.

Fee:

The seminar is free of charge.

CPD certificate will be issued to the attendee after the seminar.

Registration & Enquiries:

Please complete the registration at the following link by 21 May 2025: https://forms.gle/oMrt1cb5jSgjmUuT8

The number of participants is limited to 70. Application will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis and priority will be given to members of Structural Division. Successful applicants will be informed by email.

For enquiries, please contact Ir Jesse Chan at hkiestructuraldivision@gmail.com.