Fuelled by economic boom and bust cycles, buildings go up at breakneck speed in Hong Kong, and an orchestra of different engineering disciplines is involved in their construction.
A building engineer is the 'conductor' who oversees the entire process of construction, right from the very first stages of laying the foundation to management of the completed structure.
Building engineering is a growing discipline. The profession requires knowledge of construction work sequences, different types of construction materials, quality control procedures and an understanding of the structural properties of steel.
'It is a multidisciplinary field,' said Arthur Yung Hung-tat, chairman of building discipline advisory panel at the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) and director of Arthur Yung & Associates.
From planning to construction to maintenance, this 'engineering sense' comes from a thorough technical knowledge accumulated through experience in all aspects of the construction process, including structural and building services, said Francis Tong Man-kan, former chairman of the building division of HKIE.
Professional building engineers oversee all aspects of a construction project including planning, design, cost, electrical and mechanical issues, plumbing, lifts and maintenance issues. Hong Kong building engineers are well placed to offer their expertise in co-ordinating between these different areas.
