Construction for Better Living:

Wind Engineering,
Coastal Flood Protection

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Courtesy of Prof. C.W. Li

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 Content
– In this lecture, you will learn:
– The role of Civil Engineering for better living

– 1. What is Civil Engineering

– 2. Wind Engineering
– 3. Coastal Flood Protection

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 1. What is Civil Engineering?
• The planning and building of things not used for
religious or military purposes, such as roads,
bridges, and public buildings – Cambridge
Dictionary
• Sub-disciplines:
• Structural Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Transportation/highways Engineering
• Hydraulic/coastal Engineering
• Construction Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
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Structural Engineering

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Structural Engineering

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Geotechnical Engineering

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Geotechnical Engineering

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Highways & Transportation Engineering

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Highways & Transportation Engineering

Transportations

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Hydraulic Engineering – Coastal Protection

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Hydraulic Engineering – Coastal Protection

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Hydraulic Engineering – Coastal Protection

Damage of wastewater treatment plant

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Wind Engineering

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Hydraulic Engineering-Water Supply & Drainage

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Hydraulic Engineering-Drainage

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Hydraulic Engineering-Water Supply (Reservoir)

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Construction Engineering--Building & Housing

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Environmental Engineering
Sewage Treatment Plant

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Environmental Engineering
Refuse transfer stations

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 Environmental Engineering
Tseung Kwan O Landfill Site

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Construction for Better Living
• Government Departments relating to Civil
Engineering

Civil Engineering Development Housing Department

Department
Highways Department
Drainage Services Department
Water Supplies Department
Buildings Department
Transport Department
Architectural Services Department
Planning Department

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 Civil Engineering Projects
• Hong Kong Island & Islands
– Improvement works for Mui Wo and Tai O
– Central and Wanchai reclamation

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 Civil Engineering Projects
• Kowloon
– Kai Tak Development

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 Civil Engineering Projects
• New Territories North and West
– Hung Shiu Kiu, Lok Ma Chau

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 Civil Engineering Projects
• New Territories East
– Tseung Kwan O - Cross Bay Link, Lam tin
tunnel, bicycle lane

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Hong Kong 1975

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Power of Civil Engineering

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 2. WIND ENGINEERING

Study the characteristics of wind in natural and

built environment, and to analyze the potential
wind-induced damage, discomfort and beneficial
effects.
 Wind climate of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is situated on the south eastern coast of China
facing the South China Sea.
The weather system of Hong Kong is influenced by the
land mass to its north and by the ocean to its south and
east.
Hong Kong is subjected to two types of wind: monsoon and
typhoon.

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 Severe Typhoon Wind Speed
Measured at Waglan Island

Typhoon Hourly-mean wind Gust wind speed

speed
Wanda (1962) 41.4 m/s 60.2 m/s
Rose (1971) 39.0 m/s 52.4 m/s
Ellen (1983) 44.2 m/s 62.7 m/s
York (1999) 42.5 m/s 65.0 m/s
Mangkhut (2018) 43.9 m/s 60.9 m/s
Tocoma narrow bridge
(Washington USA 1940)

https://youtu.be/XggxeuFDaDU

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UK Ferrybridge power
station cooling towers (1965)

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 Hong Kong

Typhoon York (1999) blew out many Typhoon Mangkhut (2018) blew out many
windows of Immigration Tower and windows of Harbourfront
Central Plaza

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Structural Safety

A structure is designed
to provide a specific
degree of safety against
high winds based on the
probability of
occurrence of high
winds with speeds
exceeding the design
value.
In Hong Kong,
structures should be
designed for an annual
exceedance probability
of 2% (or 50-year return
period).
Effect of building shapes

IFC building (Hong Kong)

Modification of corners
are effective in reducing
vibration amplitude

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 660-ton pendulum type TMD
(Floors 86-92)
two 4.5-ton TMDs at
Pinnacle (uppermost 8m)

Taipei 101 Tower

Tuned mass damper (TMD) for reducing vibration

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3. COASTAL
FLOOD PROTECTION

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 Tides

Tides are the periodic movement of water above and below

the mean sea level.
The significant tide-producing forces on Earth are caused by
the relative configuration and motion of the Earth-Moon-Sun
system.

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 Waglan (26/2/1998 0000 - 28/2/1998 2400)

200
180
160
140
Water level (cm)

120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 64 67 70
Time (hr)

Tsim Bei Kui (26/02/1998 0000 - 28/02/1998 2400)

300

250
Water level (cm)

200

150

100

50

0
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 64 67 70
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Time (hr)
 STORM SURGE

Storm surge refers to the water level fluctuations generated

by a storm passing over a large area of shallow coastal
waters.

Mechanisms of generation of storm surge:

a) Surface wind stress (generally the major mechanism)
b) Barometric pressure reduction in the low-pressure center
of storm
c) Coriolis force due to Earth rotation

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 Wind waves – short period waves due to
wind blow on a water surface
Swells

Fully developed seas

Ripples and wind waves

wind

Length of fetch (F)

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Typhoon Mangkhut (2018)

Maximum significant wave

height at West Lemma Channel =
4.37m
Wave overtopping
Protection

Hard measures:
Groins – coastal structures perpendicular to the shore to
reduce the local littoral drift rate.
Seawalls – vertical structures above the mean high water
level to protect the upland and reduce flooding due to storm
surges.
Offshore breakwaters – coastal structures parallel but not
connected to the shoreline to reduce wave heights, hence
reduce the potential for the littoral drifts.
Floodgates or Tidal Barriers - adjustable, dam-like
structures, can be placed across estuaries to prevent the
upstream flooding from storm tides. Such barriers are
usually left open to avoid interfering with existing flows.
Revetments – coastal structures with either loose or
interlocking units laid on a slope to protect the upland.

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Groins

Seawall
Offshore breakwaters
The Maeslantkering, the largest storm surge barrier in the world, is located on the
west coast of The Netherlands and closes automatically when the seas rise with a 50
storm (photo by Luke__Luuuuke in Reddit.com)
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from Highways Department
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Some artificial concrete armor units

Katwijk (Netherlands): sketch of the ’wall-in-dunes’ alternative, with a parking
garage combined in the flood defence
Protection

Soft measures:
Beach nourishment – replenishing the eroding beaches
withstand for temporarily restoration.
Dune Building - protection of upland properties against the
effects of storm tides and wave action.
Wetland/Mangrove Creation - the placement of fill material
to appropriate elevations with subsequent plantations.

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Dune toe protected by placed concrete blocks.
West coast of Jutland, Denmark.
Mangroves for coastal protection