【Safety Walk with Thomas】 HKU Hostel Sets New Architectural Trends with Innovative MiC Design |【安全誠行】港大宿舍「組裝合成」新設計引領建築新風潮

The construction community always keep a close eye on the latest technology trend and innovative implementation to improve construction efficiency, minimise environmental impact, enhance workplace safety, and increase productivity and quality. The latest Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) method is increasingly common within the construction industry. The mixed development project by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) at High West Site brings this construction method further through cutting-edge technologies such as "horizontal divisions", Smart Transport Planning Platform and e-birth certificates, which allow the quality of both interior and exterior areas comparable with most large-size residential units in the private sector. Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council, accompanied by Council Members and students of the Hong Kong Institute of Construction recently visited the mockup unit of this groundbreaking project. Mr. Jeffrey SY, Director of Estates of HKU and Dr. Louis CHU, Associate Director of Estates of HKU, provided insightful explanations on the execution of the project and numerous advantages of MiC, such as accelerated construction timelines, enhanced waterproofing, waste reduction, and improved workplace safety.

Advanced "Horizontal Divisions" Technique for Enhanced Waterproofing Ability

The project consists of four buildings comprising 19-storey and 20-storey student hostels and staff quarters providing over 1,000 units. HKU has commended that the MiC method would bring significant breakthroughs in its applications, not just resulting in an efficient construction process, but also many other advantages.

One notable innovation is to apply "Horizontal Divisions" of MiC units instead of traditional “vertical divisions” of MiC units. This innovative design arrangement can largely reduce the number of joints between modules and mitigate the risk of water infiltration from external walls. In addition, all windows will be installed in the factory and undergo water testing, which further mitigate the risk of water seepage from the external wall. It provides much better quality control than traditional window installation on site. The MiC modules designed for dividing horizontally allows for fewer modules to be used while increasing indoor space. Unlike vertically divided modules, it has certain limitations in terms of weight, wall structure, and interior compartments.

Double-Wall Design Maximizes Usable Space without Compromise

MiC method composed of the assembly of different modules.? There is a common concern within the industry whether adopting MiC would reduce the usable floor area due to doubling up the walls between modules. In fact, the High West Site project has effectively addressed this concern through a thoughtful approach by limiting double-wall only to part of kitchen and bathroom areas, while single-wall design will be applied generally to other areas. The double-wall design is only used in kitchen and bathroom so that all waterproofing works, cabinet installations and internal finishing works will be completed in the factory. Since the wall thickness of MiC is similar to the wall thickness of traditional construction method, the usable floor area of the MiC units are comparable to traditional construction methods. Valuable internal space will not be sacrificed. Ceiling height has been meticulously designed to reach an impressive 2,970 millimeters, which overcome previous transportation and assembly limitations. The project has successfully achieved the desired dimensions, resulting in a comfortable and spacious ambiance—an achievement that holds significant reference value for developers.

Unyielding Strength: Robust Wind Resistance

The resistance to wind and rain of a building is an important criterion for assessing construction quality. The project selected prefabricated modules to improve the robustness of the building structure. Screws and couplers connections will be avoided so that future maintenance of loosen screws could be minimized. This will further enhance the durability of the building. Regarding the wind resistance of the building, Dr. Louis Chu stated that the modules will be connected by welded steel plates. As a result, the modules will become part of the main building structure framework. ?This innovative approach will reduce the building deflection under strong wind and further increase the wind load resistance of the building.

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Streamlined Maintenance and Construction Personnel for Enhanced Efficiency

Dr. Louis Chu also mentioned that the balconies of this project are the first "prefabricated modular balcony" approved by the Buildings Department in Hong Kong. Components such as railings, floor tiles and waterproof layers will be installed in the factory in advance. The structure will also be tested and calibrated at the factory. This will ensure all components and modules are accurately fabricated before transport to the construction site for installation. MiC construction technology allows the majority of the fabrication process to be completed in the factory. In addition to complying with statutory requirements, the project has set a higher safety factor. The construction tolerance of each module has to be controlled within 2mm, which is more accurate and safer than traditional building construction method. Furthermore, the balconies are full concealed by aluminium panels, all waterproofing works are done in the factory and passed 100% tested to ensure its effectiveness.? Even in rainy days, there will be no water seepage and avoid the need for frequent maintenance in future.?

Modular construction significantly reduces the number of on-site construction workers. With only a fraction of the workforce required compared to traditional methods, safety management becomes more streamlined. Dr. Chu emphasized that “since most of the construction works are completed in the factory, the construction process become much safer."

Many believe that the statutory application and approval process of MiC buildings can be quite troublesome. Dr. Chu pointed out that the Buildings Department has streamlined the application procedures, making the application and approval process much easier. ?In fact, the approval process of this project only took 2 months. As long as sufficient information is submitted, the approval time will not take longer than traditional construction methods.

Smart Transport Planning Platform

Since most of the roads in Hong Kong are full of people and vehicles, and the general MiC modules are wide and long, the transportation route will need detailed planning.? The research team led by Professor Wei Pan of HKU is currently developing a smart transportation planning platform and will make use of the High West Site project to tackle difficulties related to MiC transportation.? Some of the core algorithms of the platform have been effectively verified in the High West Site project.? With the support of the planning platform, project team can plan the use of MiC in advance. Especially during land sale, design and delivery arrangement and thereby reducing the impact to nearby traffic. Professor Wei Pan and his research team will continue to develop and improve different functions within the planning platform, hoping to serve the government and general public.

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Automated Mobile Systems Facilitate Property Management

Professor Wilson Lu and his research team also played a role in the High West Site project. Innovative technologies such as electronic quality inspection systems and mobile application platforms are developed to ensure the construction quality and safety meet international standards.? These technologies have the potential to promote the use of MiC into the international market. They have adopted a cloud-based blockchain system to encrypt all inspection data. Previously, this inspection system has been adopted at the Wong Chuk Hang Student Hostel project. The research results have won many international awards. The first-generation of the system mainly used on a single project and Wi-Fi or 4G system. However, the 2.0 version can apply to manage multiple projects and use the 5G system for data transmission, which is much faster and more stable.

The goal of HKU is to establish a fully mobile platform that allows the entire workflow, transportation, installation, and even project progress can be fully control and monitor. The team utilized Internet of Things (IoT) technology, it captures vital data of the modules such as temperature, humidity, vibration, and precise location information, ensuring meticulous monitoring and control. The integration of Geographic Information System (GIS) provides real-time location verification, and Building Information Modeling (BIM) used for information management and visualization. More importantly, the system uses blockchain technology to ensure that all data collected from mobile applications, IoT, GIS, uploaded photos and documents, and endorsements of T&C records from relevant inspectors cannot be modified or altered. All responsible parties of each process are accountable for their submitted information and every piece of data are traceable in the system.

HKU strives to establish a comprehensive digital system that leaves no room for errors or oversights. Their ultimate aspiration is for the Buildings Department to recognize and endorse this cutting-edge system.

e-Birth Certificate: From Inception to Maintenance

Dr. Louis Chu conveyed that HKU has adopted a system called "e-Birth cert," which is based on digital blockchain technology and provides design customization and 100% quality supervision This reliable monitoring system can ensure that remote overseas factories meet the design and quality requirements during the manufacturing and transportation process. ?This revolutionized the production of MiC globally, allowing MiC to be exported to all over the world. The buildings at High West Site will be equipped with smart features, and all units will be connected to the building management system. Apart from receiving immediate notifications in case of emergencies (such as fires or smoke warning signals), residents and management office will be notified immediately. ?The system will also be connected to relevant Government Departments such as Water Supplies Department’s Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system.? Residents will be notified immediately when there is suspicious water usage.

The High West project at the University of Hong Kong serves as an excellent demonstration for the industry. From the cozy design with high ceiling height, innovation of prefabricated modular balcony, cloud based blockchain building management system to the Smart Transportation Planning Platform and the application of e-Birth Certificates, all highlight the innovation and efficiency of MiC. With the continuous optimization and upgrades, we believe that modular construction will set off new a revolution in the future construction industry.

Safety Walk with Thomas

建造業跟隨科技發展的步伐，利用多項創新技術以提高效率，減少對環境的衝擊，並改善工作安全，提高生產力及質素。「組裝合成」建築法（MiC）日漸普遍，位於香港大學西高山的發展項目正利用此技術再突破，利用「橫切」、智能運輸規劃平台、e-birth證書等新技術，令室內室外媲美私樓大單位的質素。建造業議會主席何安誠工程師早前帶同議會同事及香港建造學院的學生，參觀了這項工程的示範單位，並獲香港大學物業處處長施偉賢先生及副處長朱耀樑博士的介紹、探討該工程的執行以及此項技術的多種優勢：包括加快建造速度、增強防水功能、減少浪費、提高工作安全性。

先進「橫切割」技術增防水功能

項目由四座19及20層高的學生宿舍大樓及員工宿舍大樓組成，提供過千個單位，港大對此「組裝合成」技術帶來多種突破性運用，不僅使得建造過程更為高效，同時也帶來了其他多種優勢。首先，港大採用非傳統MiC直向切割，而是採用「橫切割」設計，意味著模組之間的接合點變少，因此減少了外牆漏水的風險。此外，所有窗戶都已在工廠內安裝及完成防水測試，進一步降低外牆漏水風險。質量比傳統工地安裝的窗戶更佳。一般直向切割的MiC，重量、牆身、室內間格都有一定的限制，但「橫切割」設計能使用較少的模組，同時增加室內空間。

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使用面積不減的雙層牆設計

MiC由不同的模組拼合而成，業界往往擔心可能會導致牆體過厚，繼而影響實用面積。但實際上，在西高山項目中，僅限於特定區域如廚房和浴室的部分牆壁以雙層牆設計，其餘區域的牆壁均採用單層牆。在廚房和浴室等使用雙層牆設計是因為可以讓整個廚房的裝修及防水層在工廠內完成，包括掛櫃，背板，枱面等。由於牆壁厚度與傳統建築方式相近，所以MiC建成單位的實用面積與傳統建築方式亦相若，沒有犧牲實用面積。樓底（headroom）的設計亦達到了2970毫米的淨空高度，儘管以往MiC建築可能因為運輸和組裝的限制使樓底顯得較低，但何主席認為，今次他們確實達成了預期的尺寸，且感覺舒適、寬敞，對發展商來說極具參考價值。

強大的抗風能力

建築物面對風雨的抵抗力也是評估建築質量的一個重要標準。項目選擇使用預製模組令建築結構更加堅固，沒有使用螺絲，避免因螺絲鬆脫增加維修需要，進一步提高了建築物的耐用性，更顯優勢。對於建築物的耐風性，香港大學物業處副處長朱耀樑博士表示，由於模組之間用鐵板燒焊連接，使模組結構變成大樓風架的一部分，因此建築物在強風中的晃動也會減少，進一步提高大樓的抗風能力。

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所需維護工作 施工人員數量 統統減少

朱博士也提到，他們的露台是全港首個獲屋宇署審批的「外掛式露台」，零件如欄杆、地台瓦片，防水層都事先在工廠安裝，結構也會在工廠測試校準, 確保準確無誤，再運到工地安裝。MiC建築技術令工序可以在工廠完成，除了根據法律要求，項目更提高安全系數外，限制誤差要控制在2mm以內，比傳統建築更加準繩及安全。因為露台由完全密封的鋁板製成，所有的防水工程都在工廠內完成，並通過100%的測試，以確保其效果，即使是在下雨天，也不會有滲水情況，避免維修需求。模組化建築可以大大減少現場施工人員的數量，在這項模組化的建築中將施工人數大大減少至幾十人，同時更容易管理安全。「因為大部分工作都在工廠完成，這也使得施工更為安全」朱博士說。

許多人認為，模組化建築在法定申請方面可能相當麻煩。然而，朱博士指出，現在屋宇署已經精簡了模組化建築的申請程序，申請過程變得更為簡單。實際上，此項目的圖則申請只用了兩個月時間。只要提交充足資料，批核時間並不會比傳統建築方式長。

搭載新系統 建築更機動

由於香港大部分都是人多車多，而一般的MiC模組又涉及過闊和過長問題，因此運輸路線及時間需有詳細安排。港大潘巍教授團隊現時正跨越西高山項目研發智慧規劃運輸平台，用於解決MiC運輸規劃相關問題。該平台部分核心算法已在西高山項目得到有效驗證，能促進項目團隊預早計畫模組在投地、設計及運輸時的不同需求，從而減少對附近交融的影響。潘教授團隊將繼續開發完善平台各項功能，期望為政府及公眾提供服務。

物業管理：自動手機系統

項目又透過呂偉生教授的研究團隊研發了其他創新科技如電子化質量檢測系統及流動應用平台，確保施工質量和安全都符合國際標準，具備潛力推廣到國際巿場中應用。他們採用了雲端式的區塊鏈系統把檢測數據加密。此前，這檢測系統已在港大黃竹坑工程應用， 研究成果並獲得了許多國際獎項，第一代系統主要用於單一項目和使用Wi-Fi及4G系統。然而，今次2.0版本可以管理多個項目，使用5G系統進行數據傳輸，速度更快，更穩定。

港大的目標是建立一個完全移動化的平台，使整個工作流程、運輸安裝位置，甚至進度掌握，都可以清晰看見。團隊利用物聯網技術來收集組件溫度、濕度、振動和位置信息，地理信息系統(GIS)提供實時位置的證明，建築信息模型(BIM)應用於信息管理和展示。更重要的是，系統採用區塊鏈技術，確保從移動應用程序、物聯網和地理信息系統收集的所有檢測數據，包括上載的照片和文件、相關人士的簽注等不可篡改，對每個流程的責任人具可追責性，每個環節亦可追溯。

港大希望建立一個全方位的數碼系統，達到100%的質量保證和質量控制，並將所有的檢驗記錄進行電子化，並期待屋宇署能認可這套系統。

e-birth證書：從開始到維護

朱博士又表示，港大採用了名為「e-birth cert」的系統，這個系統基於數字化區塊鏈技術，能夠提供設計定制和100%可靠的質量監管。這可靠的監察系統能確保偏遠的海外工廠在製造和運輸過程中達到組裝合成建築模塊的設計和質量需要，徹底改革了全球MiC的生產和使用，可讓模組化建築出口到世界各地。項目又將會連接Smart Estate系統，入住後會自動接駁維修管理系統，除了發生突發狀況（如煙霧警報）住戶和管理處會馬上收到通知外，更會接駁政府機構如水務署的自動讀錶系統，在有可疑的用水使用量時，住戶會立即收到通知。

香港大學西高山項目範疇為業界作良好示範，從高樓底的舒適設計、創新的外掛式露台、到以雲端式的區塊鏈技術為基礎的物業管理系統，再用智能運輸規劃平台程式去計算最適合的運輸路線及e-birth證書的應用，都凸顯了模組化建築的創新和效率。隨著技術的不斷優化和升級，我們相信，模組化建築將在未來的建築行業中掀起一場創新革命。

安全誠行

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