Study of Design Considerations for Government Infrastructures in Hong Kong Under Extreme Temperatures (1 May 18 - 31 Dec 19)
• Researchers: Edward NG, REN Chao, Kevin LAU, Ada LEE, Francis AU, MK Leung
• Funding Amount: HK$1,950,000
• Funding source: Architectural Services Department, HKSAR

The damage climate change can do to the urban systems is beginning to emerge globally. In Hong Kong, a significant warming trend has been observed. The numbers of hot days and hot nights have risen dramatically over the past decades, while cold weather has become rarer (Hong Kong Observatory, 2016). Under future climate change, the magnitude, duration and frequency of extreme weather events are expected to increase. It is therefore necessary for cities to strengthen resilience to such extreme weather and reduce the impacts on the population and physical structures.

Heat can damage infrastructure, such as roads and rails (US National Climate Assessment, 2014), and induce hefty costs on cities. There are also health and safety concerns. These issues can be addressed by taking the impact of changing temperatures into consideration when constructing infrastructure. This study, therefore, aims to assess the design considerations for Government infrastructure in Hong Kong under extreme temperatures.

The study is going to be desk-top research on existing literature about the impact of temperature on infrastructure. It will be divided into three parts: (i) research on prevailing legislations and standards/ meteorological study, (ii) study of the potential impacts of extreme temperatures on major government infrastructure, and (iii) advice on the possible measures/ action plans. All these sections will centre around four themes: (i) energy, (ii) comfort and health, (iii) material properties, and (iv) structural integrity.